Violence erupted at a popular tourist destination in Mexico after the military said it killed one of the country’s most wanted drug cartel leaders on Sunday.
Some Chicago area residents in Puerto Vallarta recounted hearing explosions and seeing thick black smoke billowing from cars and businesses throughout the city.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico is telling Americans to shelter in place because of the violence that has unfolded in response to the killing of the cartel boss known as “El Mencho.”
A wave of violence swept through Mexico’s west coast as suspected cartel members set buses and cars on fire and blocked roads, in effect paralyzing much of Puerto Vallarta.
David Miranda says staff at the Puerto Vallarta resort where he is staying advised him, “If you love your life, stay here. Don’t go anywhere.”
His flight home to Chicago on Sunday was canceled, and he said he didn’t know when he would return.
“The only worry is food. Food, water, everything is closed, everything is — it’s like a ghost town,” he said. “There’s no Ubers, no taxis, no buses operating at the moment, because all the roads are blocked, especially to get into the airport.”
As smoke billowed and chaos unfolded through the streets of several Mexican states, people cleared out and were told by elected leaders to avoid highways and stay inside.
Gayle, from Chicago’s North Shore, spends winters in Puerto Vallarta.
“There was just a tremendous amount of smoke, billowing in all directions, and later, we heard explosions, and it just looked like the whole city had smoke,” she said.
Earlier in the day, a Mexican military operation led to the death of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader known as
“El Mencho,” one of the world’s most sought drug traffickers.
“He’s known as being a very violent and shrewd operator,” said Sam Houston State University Professor Nathan P. Jones.
Jones specializes in drug policy and Mexico security issues. He said the road blockades are a common response by the cartel and could last for days.
“If this cartel loses its leadership figure, it could fragment, and so that could lead to a whole series of potential conflicts and a realignment of the Mexican narco world,” he said.
As for the Chicago area residents caught in the middle of the unrest, “We’ve never been through anything like this,” Gayle said.
“It’s a tourist place, something that’s supposed to be, uh, beach therapy ended up being traumatizing for a lot of people here,” Miranda said.
A defense official told CBS News a Pentagon task force played a supporting role in the military operation but emphasized it was led by the Mexican government.
Several airlines, including United and American, canceled all flights to and from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday. Flights in and out of Puerto Vallarta remained canceled early Monday morning.
Airlines have not said when full service will resume. On Monday morning, United and Americans both had flights scheduled to Puerto Vallarta that were supposed to depart around 8 p.m., but departure boards at O’Hare International Airport indicated that the United flight was delayed by an hour, and the American flight was delayed by three hours.
