As Canadian airlines cancelled or diverted flights to Puerto Vallarta and the Mexican government warned that travel was not safe, Canadians in Jalisco state were being ordered to shelter in place as violence escalates in the region. The pandemonium erupted after the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, was killed in in a raid by federal forces.
Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho” was the boss of one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico, notorious for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States and staging brazen attacks against government officials who challenged it.
He was killed during a shoot-out in his home state of Jalisco as the Mexican military attempted to capture him. Cartel members responded with violence across the country, blocking roads and setting fire to vehicles.
President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm and authorities announced late Sunday they had cleared most of the more than 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states.
Global Affairs Canada says there are just under 19,000 Canadians in Mexico at the moment, including nearly 5,000 in Jalisco State. However, they note those numbers are estimates, as they come from a voluntary registry of Canadians abroad.
In a post on social media, Pablo Lemus Navarro, the governor of Jalisco, said the raid took place in Tapalpa, a town about 400 km inland of Puerto Vallarta, Sunday morning, which, he said also led to “confrontations” across the state.
Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state and Mexico’s second-largest city, was almost completely shut down on Sunday as fearful residents stayed home.
Passengers arriving to the city’s international airport Sunday night were told it was operating with limited personnel because of the burst of violence.
Authorities in Jalisco, Michoacan and Guanajuato reported at least 14 other people killed Sunday, including seven National Guard troops.
Videos circulating on social media showed tourists in Puerto Vallarta walking on the beach with smoke rising in the distance.
Melanie Osmack was with her children at a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone Sunday morning, watching the Olympic men’s gold-medal hockey game when she first saw the smoke.
“It was very visible, very black sky and you could smell it,” Osmack said. Videos circulating on social media appear to show plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky at several different sites, stemming from the burning vehicles.
That’s when people at the restaurant started getting messages and alerts to return to their hotels or residences, and shelter inside.
“Some people couldn’t even get back to where they were staying because the roads were closed,” Osmack said.
Global Affairs Canada says all taxi and ride-share services in the area are currently suspended and advised Canadians in the area to keep a low profile, shelter in place, and monitor local and international media to stay informed.
Canadian airlines
The Puerto Vallarta airport shut down, prompted WestJet, Air Canada, Flair, Air Transat and Porter Airlines to all cancel or divert flights to the area.
In a statement, WestJet said they had diverted seven flights en route to Puerto Vallarta and cancelled 24 flights to and from the city, as well nearby Guadalajara and Manzanillo.
“As conditions evolve, additional cancellations may be required to ensure the safety of everyone,” the statement read.
Air Transat said in a statement that its Sunday flights had been rescheduled to Monday, adding it is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates.
Meanwhile, Air Canada posted on social media that it had temporarily suspended operations to Puerto Vallarta on Sunday and was “monitoring the situation and in contact with local authorities who are working to resolve the issue.”
Air Canada says customers are advised not to attempt to go to the airport unless their flight is shown as operating, on aircanada.com. and that passengers will be directly notified of changes to their itineraries.
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