Mexican cartel clashes fuel worries about tourism in lead up to FIFA World Cup

Maria Dolores Aguirres family corner store has lived off tourism that has flowed into her charming cobblestoned town of Tapalpa tucked away in the mountains of Jalisco state That was until gunshots erupted and helicopters flew overhead as the Mexican army killed the countrys most powerful drug lord just a few kilometers from her homeNow the 50yearold Aguirre worries that the bloodshed will deal a blow to her livelihood and change towns like hers It is something many in the western Mexican state are grappling with from its Pacific Ocean beaches to its capital Guadalajara that will host matches in June for the 2026 FIFA World CupIts going to affect us Its 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 Fighting between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Mexican security forces raged on in a number of states Monday fuelling fears among many like Aguirre that there will be more violence to comeMore than 70 people died in the attempt to capture Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes and its aftermath authorities said Monday Known as El Mencho he was the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel one of the fastestgrowing criminal networks in Mexico known for trafficking fentanyl methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States and staging brazen attacks against Mexican government officialsThe White House confirmed that the US provided intelligence support to the operation to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexicos army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries The US State Department had offered a reward of up to USD 15 million for information leading to the arrest of El MenchoThe death of Oseguera Cervantes came as Mexicos government has stepped up its offensive against cartels in an effort to meet demands by US President Donald Trump to crack down on criminal groups threatening to impose more tariffs or take unilateral military action if the country does not show resultsMexico hoped the death of one of the worlds biggest fentanyl traffickers would ease that pressure but many people were anxious as they waited to see the powerful cartels reaction Oseguera Cervantes died after a shootout with the Mexican military on Sunday Mexican Defence Secretary Gen Ricardo Trevilla said Monday that authorities had tracked one of his romantic partners to his hideout in TapalpaThe cartel leader and two bodyguards fled into a wooded area where they were seriously wounded in a firefight They were taken into custody and died on the way to Mexico City Trevilla said In the aftermath a sense of unease simmered in tourist towns The Pacific Ocean resort city of Puerto Vallarta also was hard hit by cartel reprisals frightening touristsSteve Perkins 57 was visiting Puerto Vallarta with his wife Gayle and some friends They were on their hotel rooms terrace when explosions and black smoke started appearing around the city Sunday morning Their return to Broken Arrow Oklahoma was delayed when their flight was canceled Monday and they were rebooked for March 1Perkins and his wife have been taking annual trips to Puerto Vallarta since 2012 and have always felt safe until now He said they dont plan on returning to Mexico Theres a lot of Americans trapped here Perkins said Back in Tapalpa Aguirre worked next to her son from the small neighbourhood shop her family has owned for 50 years The 15yearolds classes were cancelled due to the violenceAguirre said it was unclear who exactly was in control of the area surrounding her the military or the cartel The other question on her mind was if this was just a oneoff or if there was more violence to come We dont know if these people cartel leaders are permanently here or not she said If they really did kill this leader it could be that they fight between each other to win control or see who will lead itThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever