NORWOOD, Ohio — The killing of Mexico’s “most wanted cartel boss” on Sunday has led to violence and chaos in both Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, two popular tourist destinations, leaving many Americans sheltering in place, unable to leave.
Norwood resident Josh Meece has been in Puerto Vallarta for just over a week.
“We saw a lot of smoke, a lot of things happening,” said Meece. “We heard a lot of activity. There was a chopper flying around.”
The activity Meece was referring to stems from the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The Mexican Army said officials wounded Cervantes during an operation to capture him in Tapalpa, Jalisco. He later died while being flown to Mexico City.
Watch: What Puerto Vallarta looks like today
Following his death, cartel gunmen torched vehicles throughout the country. The governor of Jalisco, where both Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta are located, declared a "code red," canceling classes, events and public transportation. The U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico urged American travelers to shelter in place.
I asked Meece what his reaction was when he first realized what was happening.
“My first reaction was, 'Oh god, how are we gonna get home?'” said Meece.
He said that as of Monday, things have seemed to calm down.
“It’s very quiet here ... no one is out on the streets, no cars are running around, very creepy in that sense of it’s very dead,” said Meece.
Although things seem calmer, Jalisco remains under a code red, leading to more concerns for Meece.
“As tourists, we did not come prepared with food or water, or anything like that,” said Meece. “So with everything being closed, we’re scarce on food. We’re hoping stuff starts to open up soon.”
Florence resident Steve Castor, a travel agent, left Puerto Vallarta on Friday — just missing the chaos.
“It was shocking, and of course it’s disheartening,” said Castor. “I knew I’d been right on that walkway not more than 30, 48 hours before, and to see it as it was there was a big jolt.”
Castor and his wife have been going to Puerto Vallarta since 2018, and have grown close to some of the staff at the resort where they stay. He told me that they have been in contact with them and that they are all safe, but unable to leave the hotel and get back to their families due to the lockdown.
Both Castor and Meece shared that before the killing of “El Mencho” happened, they felt completely safe walking around the city, going to local establishments and taking public transport.
Meece and his group are safe and have a place to stay. They were originally scheduled to leave on Monday afternoon, but are now scheduled to fly out on Friday.
