🔥 Chaos Erupts in Puerto Vallarta After Cartel Violence

In late February 2026 chaos erupts in Puerto Vallarta, the usually tranquil resort city of Puerto Vallarta was shaken by a wave of violence, roadblocks and burning vehicles that left streets blocked and parts of the city in disarray. The unrest followed the killing of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” leader of the powerful Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) during a Mexican security operation.

🪖 Cartel Retaliation and Roadblocks

After El Mencho’s death, members and supporters of the cartel responded with coordinated attacks and blockades across the region.
In Puerto Vallarta, vehicles were set on fire and used as improvised roadblocks on major avenues and highways, effectively impeding traffic and emergency services.
Satellite imagery and video footage clearly showed burning cars and thick black smoke rising from several parts of the city, including near shopping areas and coastal roads.

🔥 Fires and Damage to Property

Preliminary figures released by local authorities and news outlets reported dozens of vehicles and at least six buses burned, along with damage to convenience stores and department stores.
Later reports from municipal officials estimated that more than 200 vehicles had been affected in different parts of the municipality, with many still blocking streets and major thoroughfares hours after the unrest.
Videos and eyewitness posts documented burned-out cars lining streets and parking lots, including near a warehouse club and shopping centers.

🧍‍♂️ Impact on Residents and Travelers

The violence prompted shelter-in-place advisories from foreign governments and local officials, urging citizens and tourists to stay indoors until the situation stabilized.
Many roads into and out of the city were temporarily blocked, leaving travellers stranded and disrupting transportation, including flight cancellations at the Puerto Vallarta airport.
Tourists described chaotic scenes, with smoke visible across the city and a tense atmosphere as authorities worked to clear the blockades.

🚓 Response and Aftermath

Security forces also located explosive materials and potential hazards in surrounding areas, which were safely destroyed by specialized units, underscoring the broader security challenges authorities faced.

Security forces also conducted thorough investigations in the surrounding areas, during which they successfully located a significant amount of explosive materials and various potential hazards that posed imminent threats to public safety and regional stability and other volatile substances that could have been used for malicious purposes or accidental detonations. The specialized units responsible for handling such dangerous materials employed advanced detection and disposal techniques, ensuring these threats were neutralized safely. Their efforts culminated in the careful destruction of these explosive devices and hazardous substances in controlled environments, minimizing risk to civilians and infrastructure. The incident exemplifies how law enforcement and military units must continually adapt to evolving threats, employing both technological innovation and tactical precision to maintain public safety amid complex security landscapes.

That is the just of it all. I am always asked if Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Nayarit are safe places to live in and visit. I had always answered that I had never seen it myself and that I always felt safe. Not on the weekend of the 21st of february 2026. It happened fast and without warning. As bad things usually happen. You have seen the videos in social media, it was bad. For one day. The next day there was action by the government like we have never seen. Warships were docking into the Marina, not cruise boats. Local authorities began removing burned vehicles and reopening key routes, and some areas of the city showed signs of returning to normalcy, though the scars of the unrest — charred cars and burned-out buses — remained visible.

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have questions about the estate of Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Nayarit. As of now things are CALM. It was one day of chaos in Puerto Vallarta.