Tourists in Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta told to ‘shelter in place’ as cartel violence erupts

• The U.S. State Department on Sunday urged American tourists in Mexico to “shelter in place.”

• Violence has erupted in parts of Mexico after the local government killed a cartel leader.

• The areas include the state of Jalisco and the state of Tamaulipas.

The United States and Canada on Sunday urged their citizens in parts of Mexico to “shelter in place” as a Mexican cartel retaliated for the death of its leader.

In videos shared online, burning vehicles and plumes of smoke could be seen rising from Puerto Vallarta and other cities in Mexico. Flights already en route to the region from the United States have turned around and Air Canada announced it was suspending operations to Puerto Vallarta.

“While no airports were closed, roadblocks impacted airline operations, with some domestic and international flights canceled in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta,” the US State Department said. “Seek shelter and stay in residences or hotels.”

The Mexican government said the retaliation took place after Sunday’s assassination of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The State Department announced last week that it had sanctioned Kovay Gardens – a Mexican timeshare resort – along with 17 other companies and five individuals linked to “fraudulent timeshare schemes” run by the Jalisco cartel.

“Many of these individuals and entities are based in or near Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination that also serves as a strategic stronghold for CJNG,” a Treasury Department press release states.

In 2024, the US State Department announced it would pay a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Cervantes. The department said that under Cervantes, the cartel killed rival trafficking groups and law enforcement.

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