Jalisco, in western Mexico, is still trying to recover from the fires and riots of last Sunday, February 22, when the state governor, Pablo Lemus, decreed a "Red Code" for two days due to the violent response from the allies and partners of Oseguera following the death of their leader. The military operation against El Mencho, 59, took place in Tapalpa, 130 kilometers south of Guadalajara, and triggered a wave of violence across much of Mexico, including road blockades, business fires, flight cancellations, and attacks on security forces by organized crime. According to authorities, 25 members of the National Guard and over 30 members of the CJNG died in clashes following the military operation, mostly in the state of Jalisco. Golden coffin, regional music, and heavy security—this was the funeral of El Mencho in Guadalajara. Since last Saturday, when family members claimed the body at the General Prosecutor's Office in Mexico City, a large security operation was deployed in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area by the Mexican Army, the National Guard, and state police. The body of the most-wanted drug lord in Mexico and the United States arrived at the funeral home on Sunday evening, heavily escorted by civilian and military vehicles tasked with guarding the hearse. From that moment, dozens of floral arrangements with white roses arrived, among which one stood out with a ribbon showing the "CJNG" initials, and another with red roses in the shape of a rooster, alluding to the fact that the alleged leader was known as "The lord of the roosters." In a golden coffin, to the sound of Mexican regional music and under a massive military and police presence, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was buried this Monday in a cemetery in the municipality of Zapopan, near Guadalajara. At noon on Monday, the funeral procession arrived at La Paz Recinto, a cemetery to the west of the city and about 23 kilometers from where the wake was held, which was guarded by federal, state, and municipal security forces. The body was transported in a gold coffin and was received by a regional music band that began to play songs like "El muchacho alegre" before entering the chapel of the place. The hearse was preceded by three cranes transporting the dozens of floral arrangements that arrived during the funeral and that could enter the cemetery through its usual gates due to their size. Most of the arrangements arrived without ribbons identifying the sender. The entry and exit of people around the funeral home were controlled by soldiers, and there was even a military vehicle present, which remained there until the transfer to the cemetery. As no federal, state, or municipal authority has confirmed the presence of the drug lord's remains, the military deployment has caused tension and fear among the population of Guadalajara, which will be one of the three Mexican host cities for the World Cup to be held in just 100 days.
