Chaos in Mexico as cartel retaliation leaves cities burning, tourists stranded

Black smoke emanates from cities across Mexico as cartels engage in retribution after their leader, Nemesio Cervantes, better known as 'El Mencho,' was killed in an operation by Mexican federal forces on Sunday.Cervantes was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, a criminal syndicate headquartered in the state of Jalisco. The cartel is most notable for its trafficking of cocaine and methamphetamines and is considered the most powerful cartel in Mexico.Cervantes was killed in an operation organized by Mexican federal forces who had set out to capture the drug kingpin but died while being transported to the hospital after a shootout with Mexican police and military forces. In response to the death of their leader at the hands of federal forces, cartel members have taken to the streets of Mexico for retribution..Within hours of Cervantes' death on Sunday, cartels had engaged in seemingly random acts of violence, such as setting vehicles, gas stations, and businesses ablaze, as well as setting up road blockades.The violence has spread across Mexico with incidents reported in the states of Jalisco, Michoacán, Colima, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, Baja California, and Aguascalientes.The violence has been especially bad in the cartel's home state of Jalisco, with the city of Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination for Canadian snowbirds, being hit especially hard..Videos and pictures coming out of the seaside resort town showed columns of cartel members pouring into the city, setting fires to businesses, and reports of widespread gunfire. .In a press conference Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said that over 26,000 Canadians had registered as currently being in Mexico, with her saying there are probably thousands more who are yet to register.Anand also encouraged Canadians to shelter in place if local authorities have said to do so. Speaking about her contact with Mexican authorities about the situation she said that the Government of Canada was not notified about the initial operation before it happened.She said that the situation is "fluid" and that Mexican officials are confident that the violence will lessen in a few days and that only taking certain areas are affected, not the entire country.Despite this statement, tourists remain stranded in Puerto Vallarta, with flights cancelled or delayed and Uber and car hire services unavailable.."They are reporting dozens of cancelled flights, plus a huge number of delays… many tourists want to leave and are stranded with no information whatsoever," a Twitter post translated from Spanish reads. While it seems the situation is somewhat calming down, there is still massive confusion for those who are still stranded in the areas under threat, with many people unable to get to airports or even leave their hotels. In the ongoing operation 25 Mexican National Guard members have been killed, along with three soldiers. This is contrasted with around 40 cartel members who have been killed, including El Mencho.

Chaos in Mexico as cartel retaliation leaves cities burning, tourists stranded

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