Who was El Mencho, the former police officer who co-founded an ultraviolent cartel in Mexico?

Drug lord who was killed by Mexican special forces on Sunday led a cartel known for aggression and military-style arsenal

• Violence erupts after Mexican security forces kill drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho’

The drug lord “El Mencho”, who was killed on Sunday by Mexican special forces, was the co-founder and leader of a gang that in recent years had become the country’s most powerful criminal organisation: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

While less internationally famous than the Sinaloa cartel of the now imprisoned Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the CJNG is a household name in Mexico, where it is known for its displays of ultraviolence and its big, military-style arsenal.