BARRANQUILLA, Colombia — FIFA boss Gianni Infantino told reporters on Tuesday he was "very reassured" about Mexico's hosting of World Cup games, in his first comments on the violence triggered by the killing of a drug cartel leader.

"Very reassured, everything's good. It's going to be spectacular," Infantino said in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, two days after cartel members went on the rampage — including in host city Guadalajara — over the army's killing of their leader Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera.

Mexico is one of the three host countries for the FIFA showpiece, which takes place between June 11 and July 19, along with the United States and Canada.

The country as a whole, but particularly Guadalajara, was shaken by the violence that followed the killing of the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

At least 74 people were killed during the operation to capture him at a ranch near Guadalajara and subsequent clashes between the security forces and suspected cartel members.

Only one was a civilian, according to the government, but residents and tourists alike were left scurrying for cover as cartel gunmen blocked roads in 20 of Mexico's 32 states and torched vehicles and businesses.

'No risk' to fans

"It feels like we're in a war zone," Javier Perez, a 41-year-old engineer, told reporters on Tuesday in a grocery store parking lot filled with burnt-out cars in the Jalisco tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta.

With less than four months before the start of the World Cup, the images of anarchy and violence were beamed around the world, while FIFA on Monday refused to comment. Infantino later spoke to reporters at a Colombian Football Federation event.

Earlier, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered assurances that there was "no risk" to World Cup fans, and said the situation was "gradually returning to normal".

Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state, will host four group-stage matches.

Mexico City and the northeastern city of Monterrey will also host games. Both cities were spared by the recent unrest.

In addition to the four matches, including one of the most anticipated of the first round between Uruguay and Spain, Guadalajara will cohost with Monterrey the playoff tournament that will determine the last two teams to qualify for the World Cup at the end of March.

Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro ruled out the prospect of Guadalajara being dropped from the tournament over security concerns, saying there was "absolutely no risk" of a change in the schedule.

All eyes will be on the central state of Queretaro on Wednesday, when Mexico meets Iceland for a friendly.

A first-division game was suspended on Sunday in Queretaro due to the violence.

Car industry affected

Oseguera was one of the most-wanted men in the United States and Mexico. He had a $15 million US bounty on his head.

Oseguera was a founding member of CJNG, which was formed in 2009 and grew into one of the biggest, most violent drug cartels in Mexico, overtaking the Sinaloa cartel of jailed kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

Mexico confirmed that he was captured with the help of "complementary information" from US authorities, but insists no US forces took part in the raid.

As the fallout from the violence continued to reverberate nationwide, Japanese car manufacturer Honda announced that it had suspended activities at its assembly plant in Guadalajara.

"As a precautionary measure, operations at our installations in Guadalajara were temporarily suspended on Monday," Daniela Sanchez, a spokesperson for the car factory, said, explaining that the automotive giant was currently "assessing the (security) situation".

Mexico is a major automotive hub, with several major manufacturers — including Ford, General Motors, BMW and Audi — assembling vehicles in the country for the North American and European markets.

AFP