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Seattle woman sheltered in place in Puerto Vallarta after cartel leader killed
A Seattle woman and her fiancé are among the thousands of Americans following shelter-in-place orders in Puerto Vallarta after the capture and death of cartel leader "El Mencho" sparked coordinated violence across Mexico.
SEATTLE, Wash. - Flights have been canceled and roadblocks were reported after violence broke out over the weekend in Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination.
The aftermath follows the capture and death of Mexican cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho."
The Mexican army said the 59-year-old was captured Sunday in the state of Jalisco and died while on an airlift to Mexico City.
Cartel members responded with arson attacks, prompting the State Department to issue a shelter-in-place warning for Americans in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding area. The violence left many Americans in the area stranded.
Smoke fills the skies of Puerto Vallarta during civil unrest
What they're saying:
Smoke rising in the distance and helicopters flying overhead — that’s what 26-year-old Alyssa Cook of Seattle woke up to Sunday morning in Puerto Vallarta.
"Absolutely everything that we've seen was not violence inflicted. It was just we heard something happen with the cartel, but we didn't know what happened," Cook said. "And then we could kind of see some smoke areas. But that's truly all we saw."
Cook and her fiancé arrived Friday, just before coordinated violence broke out across parts of Jalisco and other states.
Mexican authorities reported 85 roadblocks across several states, including 18 on federal highways in Jalisco alone. At least 70 people were arrested in seven states.
While Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo called the takedown of one of the country’s most powerful cartel leaders a success, 25 National Guard members and 30 suspected criminals were killed during the operation in Jalisco.
Images government officials shared online show roads have reopened and streetlights are being repaired, while fire crews are standing by.
Crews clear ash from the road in Puerto Vallarta
What they're saying:
Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus Navarro said forces are on the ground.
"Han llegado 2 mil — 2 mil nuevos elementos de la defensa Nacional a patrullar las calles de Jalisco," Lemus Navarro said. "2,000 new National Defense members have arrived to patrol the streets of Jalisco,"
President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo is urging calm.
"Pueden estar tranquilos de que se esta resguardando la paz, la seguridad y la normalidad en el pais," Sheinbaum Pardo said. "You can rest assured that peace, security, and normalcy are being safeguarded in the country."
In Puerto Vallarta, Cook said her hotel sheltered guests in place.
"I have to give it to our hotel. They made it seem like nothing was happening. They fed us still every meal. They were really awesome," Cook said.
She said staff were not allowed to leave either.
The recently engaged couple said they heard nearby guests at other hotels lost power and Wi-Fi, which made communicating with loved ones difficult.
"You could see some people posting like, has anybody seen X, Y, Z, like, this is my daughter. He's in whatever hotel, because some hotels did lose Wi-Fi, and the reception isn't the best," Cook said.
What's next:
On Monday, Cook reiterated what local government officials have said — things are beginning to return to a sense of normalcy.
"Everything kind of seems like it's just another day when things are opening back up," Cook said.
Cook and her fiancé walked along the beach and parts of the area, though rideshare services were still not operating as locals began to reopen businesses.
When asked if she currently felt safe, Cook said, "Yeah, I feel safe. I'm gonna be honest with you, I would come back here."
Cook and her fiancé are scheduled to fly back to Seattle on Friday. So far, there are no cancellations.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Mexican government, and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.