American Tourists Caught in Cartel Violence in Puerto Vallarta
After the reported murder of Nemesio Oseguera, the leader of a prominent cartel known as El Mencho, visitors in Puerto Vallarta found themselves unexpectedly amidst violent retaliation by the cartel. According to reports, flights were canceled, people were urged to shelter in place, and some travelers recounted that their cars were set ablaze while highways were blocked. Witnesses described parts of the resort town resembling “a war breaking out in the streets.”
Guests were evacuated from their accommodations and had to rely on limited food options from hotel services while they searched for alternatives until order was restored by local authorities.
Eugene Marchenko, a 37-year-old from Charleston, South Carolina, staying in an Airbnb, shared that he woke up to the sound of honking cars and saw multiple vehicles engulfed in flames right outside his balcony. He and his wife, who had only arrived in Mexico a day prior, were forced to evacuate their place for hours, worried a nearby fuel tanker could also explode.
“When I looked down, everything was just on fire,” Marchenko recalled. “Six cars and a fuel tanker were ablaze.” He mentioned seeing a video where individuals believed to be cartel members were forcing people out of their cars, then dousing them with gasoline before setting them ablaze.
“They told people to leave,” he said. “Then they started pouring gas into the cars and waited for everyone to get away before igniting the flames.”
When he ventured out later in the afternoon in search of food, Marchenko noticed a pharmacy and a convenience store were burned down. He added that younger locals had broken into nearby shops to loot beer and cigarettes.
Footage from the scene captured helicopters circling above as Mexican soldiers and armored vehicles moved through the streets. Marchenko also noted that public transport and rideshares had completely stopped, making it uncertain how people would get to the airport if flights resumed.
Despite the chaos, Marchenko observed that there wasn’t a sense of panic among those present. “Hardly anyone here is panicking,” he commented. “It’s strange, but most people seemed more annoyed than anything.”
Another tourist from Miami, 49-year-old Adriana Belli, had a bleak experience as she aimed to spend over a week in Mexico for a wedding and a birthday celebration. The sudden violence caught her off guard, and she spoke with American tourists who had frequented Puerto Vallarta for decades, attesting to its former safety.
Some guests who managed to head to the airport faced lockdowns and were trying to make do with limited provisions. “Many tourists who took early morning flights reached the airport, but now they’re stuck inside and can’t leave,” she explained. “I’ve heard they’re surviving on granola bars.”
Another guest staying at a different resort expressed concern as the restaurant and room service were halted, and they were taken to the lobby for what was called a “last meal.” This person shared how, being away from their four-year-old son for the first time, they even had to discuss their will over the phone, hinting at worse things to come.
“This is our first trip away from him,” they said. “My wife remarked, ‘I’m never leaving him again.’ I called my mom and told her, ‘Look, this is my will. I don’t want you to panic, but you might need to stay with our son a little longer.'”
Although the situation resembled a conflict zone, this guest held some hope that order would soon be restored. Meanwhile, Mexico’s Defense Department confirmed that Oseguera was killed during a military raid, a development that has only intensified fear and uncertainty in several regions as the government works to stabilize the area.
