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Violence broke out in Mexico Sunday after the country’s army killed a cartel leader.
According to the Associated Press, Nemesio Oseguera Cerbantes, called “El Mencho,” was the boss of one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The cartel is known for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the U.S. and for staging attacks against government officials.
Cartel members responded to their leader’s death with widespread violence, including blocking roads and setting fires to vehicles. AP reports around 73 people died during Mexico’s attempt to catch the cartel leader and in the violent aftermath of his death.
Due to violence in the Jalisco state, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and other airlines canceled flights to the popular vacation spots of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
Parkite Kevin Lontz and his family were impacted by the flight shutdowns, as was Joel Feldman’s Jeremy Ranch family.
Lontz and his family have been spending the February school break in Yelapa, Mexico. It’s a fishing village about 30 miles from Puerto Vallarta that’s primarily accessible by boat. Lontz said they learned about the conflict in the area after the power went out Sunday morning.
“We heard there were some issues, and the water taxi service, which is the normal way to come here and to leave, was not running,” Lontz said.
He wanted to learn more about the situation as the family had a 4 p.m. flight back to Utah. So, he took a motorboat across the Bay of Bandera toward Puerto Vallarta.
“As we cross this bay, we could see, and I have video of the entire coastline burning, smoke,” Lontz said. “We were starting to pick up cell signal. We were getting news reports in this hour-long boat ride straight towards the airport in Puerto Vallarta, and it became clear things were really pretty crazy.”
Lontz said he saw videos of vehicles being set on fire and other violence in the streets. Halfway across the bay, Lontz also learned the airport was closed.
After picking up fuel for a generator, the boat returned to Yelapa.
“It was a bit alarming, honestly, but we were on a boat headed away from that,” Lontz said. “Frankly, I felt like we were safe as we could possibly be, and I still feel that way.”
Feldman said his family was vacationing near Puerto Vallarta when the violence broke out. He saw a fire burning in the city Sunday morning, but didn’t think much of it until more popped up around the city.
“You would just constantly see plumes of smoke rising in one area of the city, and then I assume that people got in under control, and then another plume would sprout up elsewhere,” he said.
The Feldman family was also scheduled to fly out Sunday night. Before it was clear flights were canceled, he said rideshare prices kept increasing, starting at $20 to get to the airport in the morning and climbing to $100 by midafternoon before no rides were offered.
He said his wife and son and other kids in the area were nervous about the situation.
“When we went to bed last night, we piled, you know, tables and chairs in front of the door to our condo, just in case,” he said.
Feldman’s and Lontz’s families are now set to return home Wednesday.
Both said that as of Monday morning things appeared to be getting back to normal.
They also said local residents have been helpful. Many are letting vacationers extend their stay and Feldman said a small restaurant in the building where his family is staying set up meal times for residents.
