The US and Canada urged their citizens in parts of Mexico to “shelter in place” on Sunday as a Mexican cartel retaliated for the death of its leader.
In videos shared online, burning vehicles and smoke could be seen in Puerto Vallarta and other cities in Mexico. Flights already on their way to the region from the US turned around, and Air Canada said it was suspending operations to Puerto Vallarta.
“Due to ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity, US citizens in the following locations should shelter in place until further notice: Jalisco State (including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara), Tamaulipas State (including Reynosa and other municipalities), areas of Michoacan State, Guerrero State, and Nuevo Leon State,” the State Department wrote on X.
The Mexican government said it killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, on Sunday.
Mexico’s secretary of national defense said in a statement that military personnel were attacked during an operation in Jalisco, the western state that is home to Puerto Vallarta.
Military personnel responded, resulting in a clash and the death of several cartel members. Two members were detained alongside armored vehicles and weaponry, including rocket launchers, the government said.
In 2024, the US State Department said 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 has killed rival trafficking groups and law enforcement.
The State Department announced last week that it sanctioned Kovay Gardens — a Mexican timeshare resort — and 17 other companies and five individuals linked to “timeshare fraud schemes” organized by the 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 press release from the Treasury Department said.
