The US government advises Americans to remain sheltered in several states in Mexico, including tourist destinations such as Jalisco and Quintana Roo, following a wave of violence triggered by the death of cartel leader “El Mencho”. Although the airports are operational, there are canceled flights in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. Find out what to do if you are in the affected areas.
The United States government urged Americans in several Mexican states, including popular tourist destinations such as Jalisco, Baja California and Quintana Roo, to remain sheltered in place as violence erupted across the country following the death of cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.
Although airports are operating normally, some domestic and international flights have been canceled in the western Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.
Dallas resident Adryan Moorefield had planned to return home from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, but woke up to the news that members of organized crime groups had burned buses, blocked roads and clashed with authorities.
“It was a complete shock, and it almost felt like we were in a parallel reality,” Moorefield told CNN. “We’ve been to PV before and thought this would be an obvious destination for a quick, easy beach vacation.”
American tourist Jim Beck told CNN that he left his hotel in Puerto Vallarta for breakfast on Sunday and saw “exploded taxis all over the city, blocking the roads.”
“Immediately, everyone started running down the street, screaming, and they told everyone to go back to their hotels,” Beck said.
Since then, he has remained locked up at the hotel, awaiting guidance on when it might be safe to leave.
Mari, another tourist who asked to be identified only by her first name for privacy reasons, said her young family has been staying at the holiday accommodation while watching the hustle and bustle outside.
“We have two young children and it’s really scary,” he said. “The entire bay was covered in fire,” he added. “For hours, there was a huge cloud of smoke in the air. You couldn’t see anything on the other side.”
If you are currently in the affected areas in Mexico, here is what you should do, according to U.S. State Department guidelines:
• Seek shelter and minimize unnecessary travel. Stay at your residence or hotel.
• Avoid areas where there is security force activity.
• Stay aware of your surroundings.
• Follow local media outlets for updates.
• Follow instructions from local authorities and, in an emergency, call 911.
• Avoid crowds.
• Keep family and friends informed about your location and status, via phone, messages and social media.
Portuguese people who need help can contact us by phone: + (5255) 55207897 and by email (Embassy): mexico@mne.pt and (Consular Section): sconsular.mexico@mne.pt
