Mexico hunts prisoners sprung by cartel amid World Cup safety fears
Mexican police are hunting for a group of prisoners who were freed from a jail in the town of Puerto Vallarta during the widespread violence that erupted after the death of cartel boss Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera on Sunday.
Puerto Vallarta, a beach resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast, saw some of the worst violence when members of Oseguera’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel blockaded roads and set vehicles on fire.
During the unrest, gunmen rammed through a gate at the town’s prison with a car, allowing 23 inmates to escape, a local official said.
Jalisco state Security Secretary Juan Pablo Hernández said his authorities were now working with other states to recapture the escaped prisoners, whose identities have not been disclosed.
More than 70 people – including 25 Mexican National Guard soldiers – were killed in the operation to capture Oseguera and the violence that followed.
The White House confirmed that the US provided intelligence support to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries.
On Tuesday, reports surfaced that Oseguera had been tracked down with information provided by a confidante of someone described as one of his “romantic partners”.
Mexican special forces then raided his hideout in a wooded area near the town of Tapalpa, where he was captured but died later of injuries sustained during a firefight between the soldiers and his security guards.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters at her daily press conference that “the country is at peace”, with the situation normalising and security forces working to safeguard the public.
Nearly 10,000 soldiers have been deployed to quell the unrest, her government has said.
The US government has now lifted its “shelter in place” advisories for its citizens in Guadalajara, Jalisco’s state capital, as well as Puerto Vallarta and Ciudad Guzmán.
According to The New York Times, security alerts from the US mission to Mexico also noted that flight schedules had returned to normal in Guadalajara, with no reports of road closures, and public transport and businesses resuming operations.
Despite those assurances, the violence has prompted fresh security concerns ahead of this year’s FIFA World Cup, with Mexico set to host 13 of the tournament’s 104 matches.
Four of these are set to be held in Guadalajara, which will also host some preliminary warm-up games before the tournament opens on June 11.
A World Cup qualifying play-off event is also scheduled to take place at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara in late March.
The World Cup is expected to be a $US3 billion ($4.2 billion) economic engine for Mexico, according to the country’s soccer federation. There are fears, however, that a power vacuum left by Oseguera’s death could trigger internal conflict between cartel factions and rival cartels pushing to make territorial grabs.
Jalisco Governor Jesús Pablo Lemus said he had spoken to Mexican FIFA officials, who had “absolutely no intention of removing any venues from Mexico”.
Speaking at her news conference, Sheinbaum said that “every guarantee” would be in place for fans travelling to Jalisco, adding that there was “no risk” to those attending matches.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino told reporters he was feeling “very calm” about Mexico’s hosting the tournament. “Everything is going to be spectacular,” he said.
A FIFA spokesperson said the organisation was closely monitoring the situation and was in close contact with the authorities.
State plagued by cartel violence
Jalisco, in western Mexico, was already facing scrutiny. The state has been plagued by some of the worst cartel violence in recent years, including the discovery of a cartel killing site at a ranch last March and a string of disappearances.
Residents have also expressed their concerns. Hugo Alejandro Pérez, who lives a few kilometres from Estadio Akron, was at home when gunfire and explosions erupted just outside his door on Sunday.
The 53-year-old restaurant owner was already sceptical about Guadalajara hosting the World Cup, accusing the government of failing to tackle basic problems, including with the water supply, let alone cartel violence.
“I don’t think they should host the World Cup here,” Peréz said. “We have so many problems, and they want to invest in the World Cup? With all the violence, it’s not a good idea.
“It doesn’t help us residents at all, honestly. They should move it to Monterrey or Mexico City. But right now here, we’re not convinced,” he said.
“Things aren’t in good enough shape for foreigners to be coming to Jalisco for an event like this.”
Juan Carlos Pila, a 55-year-old taxi driver, rolled his eyes at the reports of violence after spending two days waiting with his family for things to calm down. He said social media and local news outlets were overplaying the extent of the unrest.
“People should come, man. Everyone is welcome,” he said.
Others, like Maria Dolores Aguirre, simply hoped for the best. Aguirre runs a small corner store in Tapalpa, the cobblestoned tourist town tucked away in Jalisco’s mountains where Oseguera was killed.
Aguirre’s family business of more than 50 years depends on the flow of tourists, but she worries that the bloodshed will deal a blow to her livelihood and change towns like hers.
“It’s going to affect us. It’s collateral damage,” Aguirre said. “The government is going to have to have a lot of security … The entire world just saw what happened and, of course, people are going to think twice about coming.”
AP, Reuters
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