00:15A cartel boss fell, and within hours, a vacation paradise turned into a war zone.
00:23On February 22, 2026, Mexican Army Special Forces killed Nemesio El Mencho Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New
00:35Generation Cartel, or CJNG, during an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco.
00:41And then, the retaliation began.
00:45If you're an American tourist in Puerto Vallarta, this is what the last 48 hours looked like.
00:51Black smoke rising over the waterfront, burning cars and buses blocking highways, taxis set on fire, gunfire echoing through streets
01:01that, just a day before, were filled with beachgoers.
01:05Puerto Vallarta isn't some remote border town.
01:08It's one of Mexico's top tourist destinations, welcoming more than 1.2 million American visitors every year.
01:15And suddenly, it was under lockdown.
01:18The U.S. State Department issued urgent shelter-in-place alerts for Americans in Jalisco, including Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and
01:26Chapala, and in other states like Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León.
01:31The message was clear. Stay in your hotel. Avoid crowds. Minimize movement. Monitor local media.
01:41Canada and other governments issued similar warnings.
01:45At the same time, air travel collapsed.
01:48Major airlines—United, American, Delta, Alaska, Southwest, Air Canada, and Aeromexico—canceled or suspended flights to and from Puerto Vallarta International Airport.
02:00Some travelers couldn't even reach the airport because roads were blocked with burning vehicles.
02:06Inside terminals, passengers ran for cover as panic spread.
02:11Hundreds, possibly thousands, of U.S. visitors were left stranded.
02:15Some flights are not expected to resume until later this week.
02:19On the ground, tourists described a city that no longer felt like a resort, but like a conflict zone.
02:25Families with children stayed locked inside hotel rooms.
02:29Long-time visitors—people who had vacation there for years without incident—said the shift from calm to chaos happened in hours.
02:37From balconies, some watched as vehicles burned below.
02:40Streets emptied.
02:42Stores were looted.
02:43Public transportation stopped.
02:46A curfew went into effect.
02:48Schools, banks, shops closed.
02:51And this wasn't just Puerto Vallarta.
02:54Violence spread across between 12 and 20 states.
02:57More than 250 roadblocks were reported nationwide.
03:01Clashes with security forces.
03:03Attacks on businesses and banks.
03:05This is what happens when a powerful cartel leader is suddenly removed.
03:09A power vacuum forms, and retaliation follows.
03:13CJNG has been a central player in global drug trafficking, including fentanyl flows into the United States.
03:19And its response was vast and highly visible.
03:24As of Monday afternoon, February 23rd, some areas of Puerto Vallarta have quieted overnight.
03:29Smoke has cleared in parts of the city, but curfews and shelter advisories remain in place.
03:34There are no confirmed reports of major tourist casualties, but the disruption and the fear have been real.
03:41For Americans on the ground, official guidance is simple.
03:44Contact the U.S. Embassy in Mexico if you need help.
03:47Check directly with your airline.
03:49Follow official State Department elects.
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