Brit tourists told to ‘stay indoors’ and ‘exercise extreme caution’ as football tournament co-host burns with the country in chaos after the death of ‘El Mencho’
Drug cartel violence could cost Mexico the World Cup after the nation exploded in brutality weeks before the tournament.
The Foreign Office ordered Brit tourists trapped there to ‘exercise extreme caution’ and ‘stay indoors’ as cities erupted in gun battles and flames.
Rival cartels went on the warpath following the killing of the nation’s most powerful drug lord Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera by the military on Sunday.
He died alongside eight other cartel members after a gun battle that left 25 members of the National Guard dead. It triggered waves of revenge attacks across the country which – along with the US and Canada – is due to co-host the soccer showpiece in June.
Political experts suggested it was now too dangerous for fans to visit and called for all matches due to be played in Mexico to be moved across the border to the US.
Foreign Office officials are advising Brits against ‘all but essential travel’. Mexico’s government had been under pressure to crack down on the cartels by the US which placed an £11m bounty on El Mencho’s head.
He controlled vast swathes of territory but rarely left his mountain compound where he was protected by guards armed with heat-seeking rocket launchers capable of penetrating tanks.
The death of the drug kingpin – who boasted a private army of hundreds of gunmen trained in sophisticated paramilitary tactics – plunged the nation into near-anarchy with violent outbreaks reported in at least 20 of Mexico’s 31 states.
Authorities declared a ‘code red’ fearing attacks on civilians as cartel members set fire to buses and cars and blockaded roads. Social media footage showed giant plumes of smoke rising across regions and gun battles in World Cup host city Guadalajara.
Videos showed passengers streaming out of Puerto Vallarta International Airport as flights were cancelled. Others in Guadalajara International Airport cowered behind barricades.
Four football league matches were postponed as gunmen rampaged through the streets. The US welcomed news of El Mencho’s death.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, a former ambassador to Mexico, said: “I’ve just been informed that Mexican security forces have killed ‘El Mencho’, one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins.
“This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”
But the subsequent violence prompted calls for Mexico to lose its status as World Cup co-host.
US political strategist Joey Mannarino tweeted: “The World Cup should not be played in a failed state and narcoregime like Mexico. Trump should force FIFA to bring all the games to America. “No one is safe in a country run by cartels.”
Another analyst wrote: “This developing situation in Mexico is jaw-dropping and obviously raises maybe the biggest questions yet for the World Cup.”
One Mexican tweeted: “People bitching about the World Cup. Having to cancel a trip and making jokes while people in Mexico are scared and fearing for their lives. I have family that are in the middle of it all. So f*** you and your trip and the World Cup.”
A Foreign Office spokesman said `serious security incidents’ had been reported across large parts of the country ‘following a federal law enforcement operation against organised crime’.
They said authorities in the west coast tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta were urging the public ‘stay indoors.’
“Routes to airports may be blocked. You should exercise extreme caution, follow local authorities’ advice, including orders to stay indoors and avoid non‑essential travel in affected areas,” the spokesman said.
“There are reports of blockades on intercity roads across affected states. If you do decide to travel, we recommend intercity road travel during daylight hours.”
The spokesman advised against ‘all but essential travel’ to vast parts of the country.