The engagement was the first known incident of a cartel successfully shooting down a military aircraft in Mexico. The cartel’s retaliation for the attempted arrest was swift and brutal – and aimed at creating chaos. It hijacked fire trucks and buses and set them ablaze on roadways to create blockades. It set fire to banks, gasoline stations and private businesses. In total, 25 municipalities reported severe acts of narco-terrorism across the Mexican states of Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit and Guanajuato. There were four major shootouts in the surrounding areas that day.
The distractions worked. Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” escaped.
