Bishops urge prudence, prayer, invoke Guadalupe's protection as violence erupts in Mexico

Mexican bishops called on the faithful to follow safety protocols as violence broke out in several states following the military's killing of a powerful cartel boss.

In a message published by the Mexican bishops' conference Feb. 22, the bishops expressed their closeness with Catholics, "sharing your concern and inviting you to prudence and prayer."

"We exhort you, with a pastoral and fraternal spirit, to strengthen personal and community security measures, take shelter in your homes when necessary, and avoid unnecessary travel, always following the instructions of the civil authorities," the statement read.

The message, which was addressed to "The Pilgrim People of God in Mexico," was signed by Bishop Ramón Castro Castro of Cuernavaca and Auxiliary Bishop Héctor Pérez Villareal of Mexico City, the president and secretary general of the bishops' conference, respectively.

Mexican military officers conducted an operation in the town of Tapalpa, located in the central western state of Jalisco Feb. 22, in an attempt to capture Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, who was known by his nickname, "El Mencho."

Osegura was the head of the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known by the Spanish acronym CJNG, Mexico's most powerful drug cartel known for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States.

According to The Associated Press, a shootout occurred, resulting in the deaths of four people; three more, including Osegura, were wounded and later died.

Hours after his death, violence broke out in half a dozen states across the country, with gunmen blocking highways and setting cars and businesses on fire. Residents and tourists were forced to shelter in place in the resort town of Puerto Vallarta, after several major airlines canceled flights due to the increasing violence.