What started as a quiet Sunday morning in Puerto Vallarta quickly turned into something far more chaotic.
A Beaverton woman spending the winter in the popular Mexican beach city says she watched at least 17 fires break out across town after Mexican military forces reportedly killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho.
In an interview with FOX 12 Oregon, Shu-Ling Garver said her morning began peacefully. Garver, who has owned a home in downtown Puerto Vallarta since 2021 and has visited the area for more than three decades, said she was sipping coffee around 8 a.m. when everything changed.
“We got up and were sitting out sipping coffee about 8, 8:15,” she said. “Then all of a sudden I raised my head and noticed big smoke coming out of the building in downtown.”
She and her partner stepped outside and quickly realized it wasn’t just one fire. Garver said she counted at least 17 separate fires within minutes before residents were ordered back inside.
“Don’t go outside and close all your doors and windows because the smoke is so strong, it’s toxic,” she said.
Garver described the rest of the day as being spent indoors, calling the scene “a total war zone.” She also said a friend attempting to drive from a hillside neighborhood to the beach encountered a body in the street and was nearly carjacked before escaping.
The U.S. State Department issued a shelter-in-place alert for Americans in the area. As of Sunday evening, highways remained blocked and some tourists were reportedly stranded without access to food or medicine.
Alaska Airlines canceled flights to and from Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and Manzanillo, affecting several routes, including flights connected to Portland International Airport. The airline cited civil unrest and said it was working to rebook affected passengers.
El Mencho had long been one of the most wanted cartel leaders, with U.S. authorities offering millions of dollars for information leading to his capture.
For one Oregonian, what began as a peaceful morning coffee turned into a front-row view of a city suddenly on edge.
