Americans recount chaos as Mexico unrest subsides after cartel boss death

MEXICO CITY: Firsthand accounts are emerging from Americans trapped by this week's cartel-related unit successful Mexico pursuing the decease of cartel brag Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic "El Mencho."

As quality dispersed of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) cartel boss's murder, reports described equipped clashes betwixt rival transgression organizations and Mexican information forces, arsenic good arsenic coordinated conveyance burnings and impermanent road blockades. Mexican authorities accidental that specified operations are often linked to interior cartel disputes oregon targeted instrumentality enforcement actions.

With the concern improving, Americans successful the tourer country of Puerto Vallarta and beyond shared their experiences of the convulsive scenes they were caught up in.

A worker stands defender by a charred conveyance aft it was acceptable connected occurrence successful Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, aft the decease of the person of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic "El Mencho." (AP Photo/Armando Solis) (Armando Solis/AP Photo)

"My radical was 7 people, and we were connected our mode to the main larboard successful Puerto Vallarta with a section shuttle operator erstwhile we saw a autobus stopped horizontally crossed the roadworthy successful beforehand of us. At first, we thought it was an accident, but past we saw radical moving afloat velocity distant from the bus," Colorado nonmigratory Scott Posilkin told Fox News Digital.

"As we were trying to registry what was happening, we saw a antheral with a weapon travel astir the acold broadside of the bus. He waved it astatine america and gave america a manus awesome to crook around, which we instantly did. We tried to caput successful the other direction, but we encountered different burning car, which near america fundamentally trapped betwixt the two."

He continued, "We went down to the lone formation we could access. One of the locals advised america that the safest spot for america would beryllium retired connected the water. We took a tender vessel retired to the snorkeling vessel we were expected to beryllium connected and stayed determination for a fewer hours. From the water, we could spot what looked similar overmuch of the municipality burning."

Posilkin said, "Getting a vessel backmost to enactment took a agelong time, and astatine 1 constituent we adjacent considered swimming due to the fact that determination was nary 1 connected the formation to travel get us. The skipper said helium had ne'er seen the formation bare similar that successful his life, and helium grew up there. We yet flagged down a passing tender that brought america to shore. There were cartel members connected a motorcycle who yelled "Viva Mexico" astatine us, but we did not consciousness that they were threatening america successful immoderate way. Both our shuttle operator and the locals assured america that the cartel was not funny successful harming Americans and that it was inactive safest for america to get location that way."

A burned-out autobus successful the Puerto Vallarta country of Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Scott Posilkin)

Posilkin gave recognition to the locals for their assistance and support. "I privation to stress however supra and beyond the locals went to assistance america during an incredibly stressful situation. Everyone we interacted with — from our vessel skipper to our shuttle operator — had grown up here, and nary of them had ever seen thing similar this before… More than anything, I consciousness atrocious for the locals. Tourism is their livelihood, and I interest astir the interaction this volition person connected them. This acquisition hasn’t changed my emotion for question oregon for Mexico, though it was a superior ordeal."

TROOPS REINFORCE PUERTO VALLARTA AS UNREST SHOWS SIGNS OF EASING FOLLOWING EL MENCHO’S DEATH

Tourists locomotion past a burned store successful Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco state, Mexico, connected Feb. 24, 2026, aft cartel-linked unit erupted pursuing the decease of Jalisco New Generation cartel person Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes. (Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images)

Rodolfo Flores, an American national and enforcement successful the vigor assemblage talked to Fox News Digital: "Although it wasn't 1 of the worst-affected areas, connected Sunday I saw a convenience store successful Querétaro that had been burned down with a Molotov bomb."

He said, "On the mode to Mexico City, we saw cars and trucks that had been acceptable connected fire. This is conscionable 1 illustration of however susceptible we are, and it's astonishing however these transgression organizations tin terrorize the population. The authorities are to blasted for allowing them to turn and grow with highly effectual transgression cells."

Security analysts enactment that cartel unit often intensifies pursuing high-profile arrests, interior enactment disputes, oregon shifts successful territorial control. Public displays of unit — specified arsenic coordinated blockades oregon attacks connected infrastructure — tin service arsenic demonstrations of operational capacity.

Smoke rises aft unit deed Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Scott Posilkin)

Another American, who asked to stay anonymous for information reasons, told Fox News Digital, "I near Coalcoman Michoacan connected Sunday astatine 11:00 a.m. erstwhile the chaos began. As I near town, I saw them burning cars and trucks, pulling radical retired of their vehicles, and mounting them connected fire. Luckily, I managed to flight and transverse the mountains; it's a mountainous region. All on the way, I kept seeing burning cars and equipped people. I was fortunate that they didn't halt me," helium said.

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"I made it each the mode to Colima and past to Guadalajara. Later, things got worse successful my town. I heard they started burning state stations and acceptable occurrence to a supermarket. They closed disconnected the municipality truthful radical couldn't get successful oregon out."

On Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. embassy successful Mexico posted an update stating that "U.S. citizens are nary longer urged to structure successful place." 

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