Mexico Cartel: mexico cartel violence engulfs Puerto Vallarta after leader killed

Smoke filled the sky as Puerto Vallarta erupted into chaos after the government killed a drug kingpin. The mexico cartel-linked violence followed the death of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho, " and left shops and cars ablaze while tourists and residents cowered in fear.

Mexico Cartel unrest in Puerto Vallarta

The Mexican military killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known by his nickname "El Mencho, " the head of the New Generation drug cartel, in a shoot-out 180 miles east of Puerto Vallarta in the state of Jalisco. Mexico had a $15 million reward for his capture. After the operation, videos showed smoke filling the sky as the swanky beach town erupted into violence.

How the operation unfolded

Local accounts describe two waves of violence that began early Sunday morning. Witnesses said the first wave involved a few cars set on fire on the main road and on bridges in and out of the Zona Romántica area, with much of that activity taking place in an area behind the foothills. When those fires began to die down, many people assumed the worst had passed.

Scenes of fires and barricades

Videos showed burned-out shells of vehicles remaining on the streets and damaged stores heavily scorched from flames. Shops and cars were set ablaze, allegedly by cartel members. One witness said, "We saw the taxicabs all blown up and blocking the streets and people running down and towards us. " A later, worse second wave was described as targeted inside the Zona Romántica: buses and taxis had been positioned at intersections overnight as barricades and then set on fire to ensure the blaze "would last all day. " One local said, "The intention was to terrify. "

Impacts on travelers and schools

Road closures affected some travelers' ability to get to airports, U. S. and Mexican embassy and consulate. Video from the airport showed sirens blaring and passengers and workers running; it was unclear why the sirens went off or why people were running. Images showed a long line of people hiding behind ticket counters. A video also showed several cars in the parking lot of a Costco set ablaze. A day after the violence began, streets were deserted Monday as locals and tourists heeded remain-in-place orders, and schools in several states canceled classes.

Voices on the ground

Visitors and residents described panic. Jim Beck, an American tourist who sheltered in his Puerto Vallarta hotel, said, "We saw the taxicabs all blown up and blocking the streets and people running down and towards us. " He added, "After this morning was the first time we actually felt fear. " Marcus Brady, a Chicago resident in Puerto Vallarta who shared videos of the violence, said he thought the cartel’s intent was to send a message to the Mexican government and American and Canadian tourists: "If we want to, we will take complete control of everything and everyone here, no one can stop us. " Brady described the two waves and said, "When those fires were going out, everyone thought it was over. I know I did. So many of us thought it OK to venture out and I decided to walk down to the boardwalk, through the zone. " He described mistaking buses and taxis at intersections for barricades and said, "And when the second wave started, they coordinated setting them on fire, so it would last all day. The intention was to terrify. "

Yoni Pizer said he, his husband and friends had to run for their lives to escape what he said were members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Puerto Vallarta. "The gunmen were following us and they were shooting, " Pizer said. "And they were attacking cars and pulling out drivers. At that point, we just ran as fast as we could. " His SUV was torched, but a passerby helped them get away. Steven Polito, a drag performer who divides his time between New York City and Puerto Vallarta, said he was struck by how "unusually quiet it was" when he went to the gym at 8: 30 a. m. Sunday. "When I left around 10: 00 a. m., it was a very different scene, " Polito said.

The killing of El Mencho and the subsequent mexico cartel violence left burned vehicles, scorched storefronts and a city on edge as authorities and residents processed the scope of the unrest.