Stranded in Paradise: American Tourists Caught in Mexican Cartel Chaos

Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination in Mexico, has descended into turmoil following a federal operation targeting a major cartel leader. The ensuing chaos has seen violent confrontations spill onto the city’s streets.

In response to the unrest, the U.S. State Department has issued a security alert for American citizens in the area, advising them to remain indoors, avoid crowds, and limit their movements.

Dramatic images from the city reveal the destruction, with buses engulfed in flames and homes set ablaze, sending plumes of black smoke into the air.

The upheaval was sparked early Sunday morning when the Mexican Army launched an operation in the quaint town of Tapalpa, located around 170 miles southeast of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco.

According to senior officials speaking to local media, the operation resulted in the death of Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, a notorious figure in the cartel world.

El Mencho was the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels that plays a key role in trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl to the US. 

On Sunday morning, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro announced on X: ‘Federal forces carried out an operation in Tapalpa a few hours ago, which has led to confrontations in the area. 

‘Also as a result of this operation, in various points of that region and in other parts of Jalisco, individuals have burned and blocked vehicles to hinder the action of the authorities.

Fiery chaos has erupted throughout the Mexican state of Jalisco, leaving some tourists stranded. A bus set on fire by cartel members in the state is pictured

Chaos and destruction has exploded in the Mexican city

A bus used as a roadblock by organized crime burns following a federal operation in which a government source said Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, commonly known as ‘El Mencho,’ was killed

‘I have given the instruction to immediately set up the security committee with authorities from all three levels of government and to activate the red code in order to prevent acts against the population.’  

People on social media have reported being stranded in Puerto Vallarta, where thick columns of smoke can be seen rising above the city. At least ten vehicles throughout the city were reported as having been set on fire. 

One user on Facebook wrote: ‘My daughter is there now at an Airbnb, I just talked with her and the whole town is on lockdown, she is safe as we speak but it’s a very scary situation.’

Another user wrote: ‘We are at Villa del Palmar in Puerto Vallarta and black smoke all around, no buses or taxis, flights cancelled, stores closed, not going anywhere. Was going to sit at beach but smoke smell was terrible and was told it could be toxic.’

Other people on Reddit said they were about to hop on a flight to the Pacific coastal city just before they heard the news. 

‘I was AT THE AIRPORT TERMINAL waiting to go there when we heard this was happening,’ said a user on Reddit. ‘[I’m] In the car going back home. All flights to PV (Puerto Vallarta) grounded indefinitely,’ the user wrote in a followup comment.  

Public transportation in Puerto Vallarta has been suspended, and hotels across the city are advising guests to remain indoors. Some businesses have temporarily closed.

The governor of the neighboring state of Michoacán, Alfredo Bedolla, has also reported that 13 municipalities in his jurisdiction are facing similar unrest. 

Residents of Tapalpa, where El Mencho was killed, reported aircraft flying over the town and military convoys in the hours leading up to the operation to eliminate the cartel leader. 

Official roadblocks were later reported in at least six states, including Jalisco, Michoacán, Colima, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato and Aguascalientes. 

Columns of black smoke are pictured rising from Puerto Vallarta, a city popular with tourists. The chaos is thought to be in response to federal authorities killing a prominent cartel leader

A member of Mexico’a security forces is pictured standing watch next to a burning vehicle. At least ten such vehicles have reportedly been set on fire

Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes was killed by Mexican federal forces on Sunday, according to high-ranking officials who spoke with local publications

Videos circulating on social media show vehicles burning in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and Tapalpa, which are all located in the state of Jalisco. 

Residents of Guanajuato have also reported pharmacies and convenience stores on fire throughout the state. 

Beyond the many fires in Puerto Vallarta, residents have also reported armed men on motorcycles and the sounds of gunfire. 

Authorities are actively working on containing the cartel’s reactions and reinforcing security following El Mencho’s killing.