The murder of a drug lord with the help of the United States caused riots in Mexico. What the media is writing

The leader of the powerful Nemesio Oseguera drug cartel, nicknamed El Mencho, was killed in Mexico on Sunday. American intelligence agencies assisted in the search for the perpetrator. After his removal, a wave of riots swept through the country, in which dozens of law enforcement officers died. How the world's media react to what is happening in Mexico is in the Izvestia digest.

Financial Times: Drug lord caught in Mexico thanks to his girlfriend

Mexican Defense Minister Ricardo Treviglia Trejo said the country's authorities had found "a confidant of one of the lovers" of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, nicknamed El Mencho. This made it possible to find him in the city of Tapalpe, Jalisco. As a result of the operation, El Mencho was killed in a shootout along with his guards. The murder of Oseguera, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and one of the world's most wanted drug traffickers, was a big victory for Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Oseguera and his closest associates first fled to a wooded area on the outskirts of Tapalpa, where they opened fire on security forces and a helicopter that had to make an emergency landing. During the shootout, two bodyguards were wounded, who died on the way to a medical facility. Five more cartel members died during or after the operation. The 59-year-old drug lord turned the CJNG into one of Mexico's two most powerful criminal gangs, spreading his influence across much of the country and taking a leading position in the supply of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States.

Reuters: a group of US military helped in the search for El Mencho

A new task force led by the US military, specializing in gathering intelligence on drug cartels, played an important role in the Mexican military operation that killed the Mexican drug lord known as El Mencho. The Joint Interagency Task Force on Drug Cartels, which includes representatives from several U.S. government departments, was officially established last month to map networks of drug cartel members on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mexico's defense ministry said U.S. authorities had provided "additional information," but did not provide any details. A source in the Mexican government said that the operation was designed and carried out by the Mexican government, and that not a single American soldier was physically involved in it. Earlier, the administration of US President Donald Trump launched a campaign of pressure on the Mexican government to strengthen measures to combat drug trafficking, including threats from the United States to directly interfere in the country's affairs.

The Washington Post: Mexico decapitated the most dangerous cartel and started a war

The Sheinbaum government has achieved significant success in combating organized crime by eliminating the leader of the most powerful criminal organization that has emerged in Mexico in recent decades. Oseguera has become an almost mythical figure for the members of his cartel. The CJNG itself has become a terrifying and violent force in Mexico's criminal underworld, responsible for systematic extortion, drug trafficking, especially fentanyl, and spectacular acts of violence.

Sheinbaum may have embarked on this more aggressive path with reluctance, but now she cannot give up. It will probably be a difficult and bloody path. Oseguera's death sparked mass riots in about a dozen Mexican states. Guadalajara was among the hardest-hit cities, where armed groups fought with each other, torched cars and vandalized shops. The World Cup matches are scheduled to take place there in less than four months. And there is no reason to believe that the violence will subside.

The Guardian: riots broke out in Mexico after the murder of El Mencho

An increased alert has been announced in Mexico after drug cartel militants staged a brutal massacre in retaliation for the murder by federal forces of their leader, a well-known crime boss nicknamed El Mencho. According to Mexican Security Minister Omar Garcia Arfuch, 25 National Guard soldiers and one security officer were killed in retaliatory cartel attacks after the raid. He also reported the deaths of 30 cartel fighters and one bystander.

Authorities in Puerto Vallarta, a popular seaside tourist resort in the state of Jalisco, have advised people to stay at home in case of violence. In neighboring Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city, which is scheduled to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, the streets were almost empty on Sunday. Previous operations to kill or capture organized crime leaders have led to outbreaks of bloodshed and chaos as cartels have retaliated against the government. Attempts to eliminate the ringleaders also often left dangerous power vacuums that provoked new bloodshed.

Bloody Sunday: mass riots began in Mexico

Why has the death of the leader of the largest drug cartel caused chaos across the country

The New York Times: residents of Guadalajara began to leave their homes after the riots

The morning after a storm of violence devastated parts of Mexico, the sprawling city of Guadalajara awoke to an eerie silence. People were cautiously leaving their homes in western Mexico, where they spent several hours hiding. They began to piece together information about the chaos that the CJNG cartel had unleashed in their state and beyond after the assassination of its leader.

In the early hours of Sunday, dozens of cars were set on fire and left in the middle of the streets, blocking traffic. Residents described scenes of chaos and panic: people were running for cover, shops were slamming iron shutters, rumors were spreading that "cartel militants were approaching." Videos were distributed on social networks showing masked men pouring gasoline over cars and gas stations, and then setting them on fire. Although Guadalajara is considered one of the richest and fastest-growing cities in the country, violence has increased dramatically over the past decade along with the growing influence of the CJNG cartel.