Mexico City, Mexico — Mexico’s SSPC (Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection) reported Monday on the death of National Guard. Over two dozen members of Mexico’s National Guard died Sunday in patrols during the nation-wide criminal gang violence.
On Monday, Omar García Harfuch, who heads the SSPC (Secretario de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana del Gobierno de México), said 25 Guards were killed.
According to García Harfuch, the casualties occurred in different locations where federal forces were deployed to contain road blockades, vehicle fires and armed attacks coordinated by criminal groups.
He said the National Guard deaths were the result of direct attacks against convoys on various stretches of highway around Mexico. Gracia Harfuch reported violent events Sunday were in reaction to the blow against the CJNG structure with the killing of its leader, Ruben “N” (a) El Mencho.
On Monday morning, President Sheinbaum expressed her condolences to the families of the fallen officers and reiterated that Mexico will continue to act firmly against criminal organizations, while assuring that there will be no setbacks in the security strategy.
The Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) offered a detailed report on the operation in which Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho”, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed.
During a press conference Monday, General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, Secretary of Defense, explained that the operation took place in a mountainous area of Tapalpa, Jalisco.
The cell members were tracked there after intelligence work stemming from the surveillance of a former girlfriend of Ruben “N” , aka, El Mencho. From that tracking, military personnel were able to pinpoint the area where “El Mencho” and his alleged inner circle were located.
Trevilla Trejo said the operation included months of air and ground surveillance, employing military intelligence resources in conjunction with National Guard and other federal agencies.
During his Monday morning address, General Trevilla Trejo was visibly moved as he offered his condolences to the families of soldiers who lost their lives Sunday. His voice broke as he remembered the fallen soldiers, a gesture that underscored the human cost of fighting organized crime.
According to a report by the Ministry of National Defense, road blockades, vehicle fires, as well as attacks on gas stations and businesses were recorded around Mexico Sunday.
According to the consolidated national operational report, 252 blockades were registered in 20 states. As of 8:00 p.m. Sunday, approximately 90% of the blockades (229) were deactivated.
Only 23 blockades were active with four partial road closures thanks to the timely action of the authorities of the three levels of government.
The state of Jalisco had the highest number of blockades (65), mainly on federal and state highways and strategic urban roads.
In Aguascalientes, Baja California, Chiapas, Colima, State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Zacatecas, localized incidents and isolated blockades were reported, which were addressed immediately by local authorities.
No other incidents were reported.
Thanks to the permanent and coordinated deployment of security forces, most of the blockades nationwide have been removed, the main roads have been cleared and the remaining points are under operational control, with uninterrupted work for their complete release.
The Government of Mexico, in permanent coordination with the governments of the federal states, continues working to restore mobility, preserve order and protect the population.
Mexico’s Ministry of National Defense urges citizens o remain calm, avoid spreading false information and consult only official channels, which are constantly providing updates.
