Authorities arrested a number of drug cartel officials in western Mexico, prompting the destruction of cars and businesses in two states.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador did not name individuals detained in Jalisco state on Tuesday, but claimed troops battled criminals, including drug traffickers “bosses,” during a “gang gathering.”
“There was a shooting, arrests, and then demonstrations with torched automobiles, not just in Jalisco, but also in Guanajuato.” “He said.
Images on social media showed individuals seizing vehicles and buses and torching them in the middle of highways. Others depicted abandoned convenience businesses.
In Zapopan, members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) burn automobiles.
Police policemen walk past a truck set on fire by members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) after the arrest of one of its commanders by Mexican federal troops on August 9, 2022, in Zapopan, Jalisco state, Mexico.
Cartels often cause such havoc in order to prevent police from transferring gang leaders.
López Obrador said on Wednesday that officials were still present in the regions and were trying to make further arrests.
Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro announced on Twitter that no one was hurt in the chaos that followed the arrests and that “the situation is under control.”
The Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG) rules the area, and the Department of Justice considers it to be “one of the five most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world.”
The cartel’s boss, Nemesio Oseguera, alias “El Mencho,” is wanted by Mexican and US police. There was no evidence that Oseguera was present during the fight.
Mexican officials claimed in May that they had apprehended a suspected CJNG commander. Francisco Javier Rodriguez Hernandez, sometimes known as “El Seorón,” “XL,” or “Frank,” was caught by naval agents in the tourist city of Mazatlan, in the northwest state of Sinaloa.
Since 2006, when the government started a contentious anti-drug campaign including federal soldiers, Mexico has been engulfed in a spiral of cartel-related violence that has killed over 340,000 people.
López Obrador stated in April that Mexico had disbanded a special force trained by US authorities to combat drug cartels because it had been infiltrated by criminals.
López Obrador has previously accused popular television series of glamorizing the deadly drug trade. He chastised TV shows on streaming services such as Netflix for portraying a rosy picture of drug dealers’ lives.