(AP) — The Mexican army killed the country’s most powerful cartel leader and one of the United States’ most wanted fugitives on Sunday, notching a major victory while cartel members responded with a wave violence across the country.

The killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes during an attempt to capture him in Jalisco state was the highest-profile blow against cartels since the recapture of former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán a decade ago.

Following Oseguera Cervantes’ death, gunmen unleashed violence across the country. Cars burned out by cartel members blocked roads in 20 Mexican states and left smoke billowing into the air. People locked themselves in their homes in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city and Jalisco’s capital, and school was canceled Monday in several states as security forces were placed on alert all over the country. Even Guatemala reinforced security on its border with Mexico.

The killing could give the government a leg up in its dealings with the U.S. Trump administration, which has been threatening tariffs or unilateral military action if Mexico does not show results in the fight against the cartels.

But the long-term effect on Mexico’s security landscape remains unclear.

Here’s what to know:

‘El Mencho’ was the leader of a fast-growing criminal group

Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho,” was 59 years old and originally from the western state of Michoacan. His ties to organized crime went back at least three decades.

In 1994, he was tried for trafficking heroin in the U.S. and sent to prison for three years. Upon returning to Mexico, he quickly rose through Mexico’s drug trafficking underworld.

Around 2009, he founded the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which became Mexico’s fastest-growing criminal organization, moving cocaine, methamphetamines, fentanyl and migrants to the United States, and using violence with the use of drones and improvised explosive devices.

The cartel earned a reputation for brazen attacks on Mexican security forces, including downing a military helicopter in Jalisco in 2015 and attempting a spectacular, but unsuccessful, assassination of Mexico City Police Chief Omar García Harfuch, who is now Mexico’s federal security secretary.

It recruited aggressively, experimenting with new ways to reach potential members online, and generated revenue through fuel theft, extortion and timeshare fraud, among other activities.

Oseguera Cervantes died in a battle with troops sent to capture him

Oseguera Cervantes was killed during an attempt to capture him, as his followers attempted to fight off Mexican troops.

Mexico’s Defense Department said in a statement that the army launched an operation in the southern part of Jalisco state to capture Oseguera Cervantes, involving the Mexican Air Force and special forces.

The cartel counterattacked, and in the ensuing confrontation, federal forces killed four members of the criminal group, and wounded three others, including its leader, who died later during transfer by air to Mexico City, according to the statement.

Three soldiers were injured and two people were detained in the action. Rocket launchers capable of shooting down aircraft and destroying armored vehicles were seized at the scene.

Mexico is keen to show Trump results in the fight against cartels

Oseguera Cervantes’ will help Mexico’s government show results to the U.S., which is pressuring its neighbor to pursue drug cartels more aggressively. Both countries said intelligence cooperation helped lead to Sunday’s operation.

Oseguera Cervantes was facing multiple indictments in the United States and the U.S. State Department had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest. The Trump administration designated his cartel and others foreign terrorist organizations a year ago.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who was U.S. ambassador to Mexico during the first Trump administration, applauded the operation via X, writing: “The good guys are stronger than the bad guys. Congratulations to the forces of law and order in the great Mexican nation.”

Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations for the DEA, said Mexico had sent a “a strong message to Donald Trump’s administration that they are fighting aggressively and effectively” against the most powerful cartels. He added that “the majority of the information came from the Mexican armed forces and all credit goes to Mexico.”

Cartel leader’s death leaves a power vacuum

It’s not clear who will succeed Oseguera Cervantes, or if any one person can.

The Jalisco cartel has a presence in at least 21 of Mexico’s 32 states and is active in almost all of the United States, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. But it is also a global organization and the loss of its leader could be felt well beyond Mexico.

“El Mencho controlled everything, he was like a country’s dictator,” Vigil said.

His absence could slow the cartel’s rapid growth and expansion and leave it initially weakened against the Sinaloa cartel on several fronts where they or their proxies are fighting. The Sinaloa is locked in its own internal power struggle, however, between the sons of “El Chapo” and the faction loyal to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who is in U.S. custody.

Vigil said Mexico should seize the moment to launch “an effective frontal assault based on intelligence.”

“This is a big opportunity for Mexico and the United States if they work together,” he said.

Security analyst David Saucedo said that if relatives of Oseguera Cervantes take control of the cartel, the violence seen Sunday could continue. If others take power, they could be more willing to turn the page and continue operations.

The greatest fear would be that the cartel turns to indiscriminate violence. They could decide to “launch narcoterrorism attacks … and generate a scenario similar to what Colombia lived in the 1990s,” a full-on attack against the government “car bombs, assassinations and attacks on aircraft.”

Africa’s mining sector maintains its role as a key contributor of employment creation, fuelled by rising global demand for critical minerals. According to the Compendium of Africa’s Strategic Minerals 2026, released last week by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent holds an estimated $29.5 trillion in mineral wealth – about 20% of global reserves – with $8.6 trillion still untapped. The study highlights a clear opportunity for the continent to accelerate industrialization and job creation by focusing on value addition across downstream industries, including aluminium, fertilizers, battery materials and alloys.

Expanding Production, Expanding Jobs

As African countries advance greenfield developments and expand or restart brownfield operations, mining’s contribution to employment is expected to strengthen.

In Namibia, the resumption of uranium production in 2025 and 2026 is supporting renewed sector growth. Speaking in Cape Town, Deputy Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Gaudentia Krohne reported that the country’s mining industry directly employed 20,843 people at the end of 2024. With diversification underway into rare earths, copper, lithium and other critical minerals – alongside the finalization of a new minerals bill – Namibia is positioning itself to attract fresh capital and expand workforce participation.

“Namibia is committed to supporting small-scale miners and improving livelihoods. We are focusing on finance support schemes and training support programs to equip our workforce with emerging skills,” stated Krohne.

In South Africa, the government has outlined plans to mobilize R2 trillion over the next five years to strengthen its critical minerals value chain. The strategy spans exploration, project development, manufacturing and skills training, reinforcing the sector’s role in employment and export growth.

The announcement follows stable mining employment levels in 2025, with approximately 468,000 formal workers recorded mid-year.

In Zambia, mining continues to be a key employment driver, supporting over 73,000 jobs in 2025. Planned expansion through greenfield and brownfield copper projects is set to further boost the sector’s contribution to national employment. For instance, US-startup KoBold Metals’ $300 million development of the Mingomba Mine is expected to create more than 700 jobs. Vedanta Resources is also investing $1.5 billion at Konkola Copper Mines while First Quantum Minerals announced a $1.25 billion investment at Kansanshi S3 Expansion project, generating significant new employment opportunities.

Translating Capital into Jobs

The link between capital investment and job creation is clearly demonstrated by the AFC. At African Mining Week (AMW) 2025, Molebogeng Mazibuko, AFC’s Associate Vice President of Investment, highlighted the importance of deepening partnerships between African investors and global financiers to unlock new funding and accelerate employment growth. To date, AFC’s $700 million in mining investments has generated over 15,000 jobs, with up to 70% of funding directed toward critical minerals.

Global Critical Minerals Demand and Employment Prospects

The global scramble by the U.S., Europe, and China to secure African minerals presents significant employment opportunities across the continent. A December 2025 agreement between the U.S. and the DRC on mineral extraction, value addition, and trade is expected to boost job creation in the country’s mining sector. Already a major employer, the DRC’s mining industry supports over 100,000 jobs, according to Minister of Mines Louis Watum Kabamba at AMW 2025. With just 10% of the nation’s estimated $24 trillion in mineral reserves currently exploited, and strengthened partnerships with the U.S. and China, the potential for mining-led employment growth remains substantial

Addressing Investment Gaps

Despite mining’s growing role in job creation, access to capital remains a constraint, particularly for local operators and small-scale miners seeking to scale projects. Limited financing slows development timelines and restricts employment expansion.

Against this backdrop, AMW 2026, scheduled for October 14–16 in Cape Town, aims to connect global investors with bankable opportunities across the continent. By catalyzing partnerships and facilitating deal-making, the event seeks to translate capital inflows into project execution, industrial growth and sustained employment creation across Africa’s mining sector.