ICE Watch

Trump’s intentions were driven home during his remarks at the Shield of the Americas summit in Doral, Fla., where he told regional leaders the United States won’t hesitate to use lethal military force against cartel operations if necessary, specifically stating that missiles and other military tools remain on the table if cartels continue threatening American lives and U.S. national security.

Trump encouraged regional leaders gathered at his Miami-area golf club to take military action against drug trafficking cartels and transnational gangs that he says pose an “unacceptable threat” to the hemisphere’s national security.

“The only way to defeat these enemies is by unleashing the power of our militaries,” Trump said. “We have to use our military. You have to use your military.” Citing the U.S.-led coalition that confronted the Islamic State group in the Middle East, the Republican president said that “we must now do the same thing to eradicate the cartels at home.”

Happy Friday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends. Uzubuk felt that his joyful approach to his slaughterhouse days were what made him the haikuist that he’d become.

Many, many thanks to Chris for filling in for me on very short notice. My sister and niece blew into town unannounced from Michigan to surprise me and were only here for 36 hours. Chris kindly offered to free up some time for me to spend with them.

We’ve talked about it before, but it’s worth repeating — President Trump and his administration work at a furious pace compared to previous administrations. The president’s work ethic infuses the entire administration, which enables everyone to keep a lot of balls in the air. That’s a very good thing given how many messes were inherited from the Biden administration and the general state of the world today.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says that calm is being restored and that improvised cartel roadblocks are being removed.

Violence and shelter-in-place orders are rippling out across Mexico after the military killed a cartel leader commonly known as ‘El Mencho.’ Andrew Chang explains how Jalisco New Generation, arguably Mexico’s most dangerous cartel, has been building a criminal empire for several years.

The United States has reportedly played a role in the Mexican military operation that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

On Sunday, Oseguera Cervantes, who led one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal gangs and was a rival to the Sinaloa Cartel, was killed in the operation. The US State Department had previously offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest.

The Mexican state of Jalisco will remain under a “code red” Monday, with public transport and schools remaining closed, its governor said Sunday. The announcement follows a day of violence in the coastal city of Puerto Vallarta in the wake of a government announcement that the head of one of the country’s most powerful crime groups was dead.

Smoke from burning vehicles blackened the sky in Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination on the Pacific coast. Similar scenes played out in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco, and across several states on Sunday morning.

President Claudia Sheinbaum urged Mexicans to remain calm and stay well-informed after a federal operation targeting Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes triggered a violent response from cartel henchmen.

The federal Defense Ministry said that Oseguera died while being transported by air to Mexico City after he was wounded by federal forces during an operation on Sunday morning in the municipality of Tapalpa, Jalisco.