At least 25 National Guards killed in violence after death of Mexican drug lord

At least 25 members of Mexico's National Guard have died during a wave of violence in the state of Jalisco after the killing of a drug lord, the country's security minister has said.

Unrest has erupted in at least 20 states since Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes - better known as "El Mencho" - died in custody on Sunday shortly after being captured by Mexican special forces.

Mexico has sent 2,500 soldiers to the west of the country to bolster security, Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla said on Monday.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is one of the most feared criminal organisations in Mexico and its leader was Mexico's most wanted man before his death on Sunday.

El Mencho was captured on Sunday after forces tracked down a romantic partner he was meeting, according to Mexico's defence secretary.

He was seriously injured in a firefight between his bodyguards and the military commandos deployed to capture him.

El Mencho died while the military was transporting him from the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, to the capital, Mexico City.

At least six of El Mencho's security guards were also killed in the operation, while three members of the Mexican military were injured, the defence ministry said.

Security secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said a prison guard, a member of the state prosecutor's office and 30 members of El Mencho's criminal organisation were killed in the unrest since his death, according to the AFP news agency.

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has praised the army's operation that led to El Mencho's death and said her priority is to guarantee peace and security across the country.

As news of El Mencho's death spread, members of his cartel launched attacks in many towns and cities where the CJGN is active.

In some towns, they blocked roads by throwing spikes and nails on to the tarmac - in others, they commandeered buses and other vehicles then torched them in the middle of the road.

Sheinbaum said that the road blocks had been cleared by Monday morning.

However, dozens of banks and local businesses have been damaged after they were set alight by cartel members.

In many towns, streets were deserted on Sunday as local authorities told residents to seek shelter in their homes.

The US State Department had offered a $15m (£11.1m) reward for information leading to El Mencho's capture.

The Mexican Ministry of Defence said that the raid aimed at capturing El Mencho had been carried out by the Mexican army, with support from the country's National Guard and Air Force.

It added that "complementary information" provided by the US had helped seize the drug lord but Mexico confirmed on Monday that no US forces were involved in his killing, according to the AFP news agency.