Mexico’s most wanted drug lord ‘El Mencho’ killed in military operation

The governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus Navarro, advised residents of the state to adhere to a code red warning and stay in their homes.

He also said that public transport was suspended in the state.

US carriers United Airlines and American Airlines, as well as Air Canada, have cancelled flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. A flight operated by Delta Airlines bound for Guadalajara from Atlanta was diverted to Austin, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.

Former US ambassador to Mexico and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described El Mencho on social media as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins”.

He added that El Mencho’s death was “a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world”.

Who was El Mencho, Mexico’s most wanted man?

Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), described the operation as “one of the most significant actions undertaken in the history of drug trafficking” to CBS, the BBC’s US news partner.

The killing of El Mencho represents a victory for the Mexican president in her fight against the country’s drug cartels.

It also could strengthen her relationship with US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to target the cartels on Mexican soil.