Mexico erupts and World Cup security fears rise after a cartel boss’s killing

Mexico erupts and World Cup security fears rise after a cartel boss’s killing The fallout from the operation that took out ‘El Mencho’ has already led to the cancellation of football matches. Could the World Cup be affected too? Violence erupts after Mexican forces kill cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ Who was ‘El Mencho’, the former police officer who co-founded an ultraviolent cartel? T here is just one road that leads to the Estadio Akron, the stadium home to Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara, which is scheduled to host four group matches at this year’s World Cup . As the tournament approaches, traffic has been the main concern about the stadium. On Sunday, there was a different issue. A little more than a mile away, near the go-kart track named for Mexican Formula One driver Sergio “Checo” Pérez, a burning bus blocked the road. That did not make it unique Sunday morning in the state of Jalisco. In response to a federal operation that saw their leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes killed , members of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación put blockades all over the region – from central Guadalajara to the coastal city of Puerto Vallarta. In addition to buses and taxis being commandeered and lit on fire – a common tactic known as “narcobloqueos” – shops ranging in size from a Costco in Puerto Vallarta to corner stores also continue to be targets for arson and destruction. The city activated a red alert protocol, effectively freezing activity for ordinary citizens and encouraging them to stay home. Bars and restaurants closed. Sports, too were affected: Sunday’s Clásico Nacional between the women’s teams of Chivas and Club América was postponed. So was a men’s Liga MX contest more than 200 miles away in Querétaro. While no narcobloqueos had been confirmed there at time of writing, the wide-reaching CJNG operation and its affiliates had reportedly blocked roads in at least eight states. It all brings to the forefront long-simmering questions about what authorities ...