Mexico hunts 23 inmates after prison break during cartel rampage

Mexican authorities are searching for 23 inmates who escaped from a prison in the Pacific resort city of Puerto Vallarta amid a wave of violence triggered by the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”.

The prison break occurred on February 22 as gunmen linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) blockaded roads and set vehicles ablaze across Puerto Vallarta and in towns and cities spanning 19 states, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Armed men rammed a vehicle into one of the prison gates during the unrest, enabling the inmates to flee, according to Juan Pablo Hernández, security secretary for the western state of Jalisco. He said state and federal forces were coordinating efforts to recapture the fugitives, whose identities have not been disclosed.

More than 70 people, including 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard, were killed during the operation to capture Oseguera and in the violence that followed, officials said.

Puerto Vallarta, a major tourist destination on Mexico’s Pacific coast, saw vehicles torched and roads blocked on Sunday. Authorities urged residents and visitors to remain indoors as plumes of smoke rose over the city. Several airlines temporarily suspended flights, while at least two cruise ships skipped scheduled stops at the port.

By Monday, most of the roadblocks had been cleared, the federal government said. However, local media reported that unrest continued in parts of the western state of Michoacán, where Oseguera was born, with armed groups burning vehicles and vandalising shops and public buildings.

Oseguera, long regarded as Mexico’s most wanted man, led the CJNG’s rapid expansion from its stronghold in Jalisco into a powerful transnational criminal organisation involved in drug production and trafficking.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had designated Oseguera a top target and offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture, citing his alleged role as a major trafficker of fentanyl into the United States.

Mexico’s defence ministry said Oseguera was located in the town of Tapalpa in Jalisco state after security forces tracked one of his romantic partners. He was captured on Sunday but later died from injuries sustained in a firefight between his security detail and Mexican special forces, authorities said.

Security operations remain underway across affected regions as officials seek to restore order and prevent further retaliation by cartel members.

 By Aghakazim Guliyev