Killing of cartel leader sparks retaliatory violence in parts of Mexico

Geoff Bennett:

Welcome to the "News Hour."

We are tracking two major stories tonight, including the blizzard that brought travel to a halt in the Northeast and is setting record snow levels.

Amna Nawaz:

But, first, we start south of the United States, in Mexico, where the battle against drug cartels has kicked up a worrying wave of violence.

Stephanie Sy details why this takedown led to a destructive aftermath and what could be coming next.

Stephanie Sy:

Tonight, fear continues to brace many parts of Mexico following a weekend of violence. Massive plumes of smoke darken the skies of seaside resort towns and tourist hot spots, but locals are the most threatened.

Maria Duran, Mexico Resident (through interpreter):

We're scared. We only go out when it's necessary because people don't know where to go out or what to do.

Stephanie Sy:

The fire set to wreak havoc following the death of drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes.

For years, the 59-year-old known as El Mencho led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. On Sunday, government forces, aided by intelligence from the U.S., led an elaborate operation to capture the crime boss. He was wounded in a shoot-out and died later.

Reaction and revenge were swift, stopping daily life in parts of the nation. At the airport in Guadalajara, passengers panicked as shelter-in-place orders went out. Even families enjoying a weekend outing at the Guadalajara Zoo were forced to stay overnight.

From infants to the elderly, the zoo had to find room for more than 1,000 stranded visitors.

Man (through interpreter):

Police determined it wasn't safe to return to their cities, so they requested the support of the zoo to stay within our facilities.

Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexican President (through interpreter):

The most important thing at this moment is to guarantee peace and safety of all of the population, of all of Mexico, and that is being done. Today, there's more tranquility.

Stephanie Sy:

While President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm, fear of escalating violence has swelled. More than 70 people died in the operation to capture the drug kingpin, including 25 members of the Mexican National Guard. Authorities said 30 criminal suspects were killed in Jalisco state.

And more than 250 car fires known as cartel roadblocks were set across the 20 states where the cartel is known to operate. They were cleared today. El Mencho was one of the most wanted men in Mexico and the U.S., where a $15 million reward had been in place for information leading to his capture.

Today, Sheinbaum vowed to restore order to the country.

Claudia Sheinbaum (through interpreter):

It is important to say that there is a command center that continues to operate today, a national coordination with all state governments.

Stephanie Sy:

Even as charred cars and trucks were cleared off the roadways, residents say life is not back to normal.

Antonio Luis De La Cruz, Mexico Resident (through interpreter):

Well, I came here on an errand, but it's closed. I don't know what's going to happen to all the people today, the people who come to sell their products.

Stephanie Sy:

Former U.S. military attache to Mexico, now a professor at University of Arizona, Michael Burgoyne says pressure from the Trump administration played a role.

Michael Burgoyne, Retired U.S. Army Colonel:

By getting El Mencho, they have kind of handed a scalp over the United States, right? They're like, hey, you wanted us to take action. We have now taken down the most important, most kind of visible, well-known narcotrafficking leader in Mexico.

Stephanie Sy:

But the kingpin strategy has its limits.

Michael Burgoyne:

Just taking down one more kingpin is not going to fix drug use in the United States, nor the rule of law in Mexico. These are difficult, complex problems that require a comprehensive solution.

Deborah Bonello, InSight Crime:

Wherever you take out a leader, there's someone waiting to step up and take his place, and that's what a lot of the violence will be connected to.

Stephanie Sy:

Journalist and author Deborah Bonello has covered the cartel for more than 20 years.

Deborah Bonello:

Mexico's drug trade and organized crime in general is the product of sort of systemic failure across the region, poverty, a lack of good education, a lack of job opportunities, an absence of the state in many parts of the country, as well as the corruption that is so endemic to local politics and all of the state institutions that are at work here.

So it's important to understand that it's not a case of sort of good guys against bad, but really a product of a system that's letting people down and simply doesn't work.

Stephanie Sy:

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Stephanie Sy.