Americans recount chaos as Mexico unrest subsides after cartel boss death

Many American citizens were caught in the middle of Mexico cartel violence earlier this week following the death of cartel boss “El Mencho" and are now sharing harrowing accounts. Mexican Cartel Violence Americans recount chaos as Mexico unrest subsides after cartel boss death Colorado resident recounts his group fleeing to a boat after encountering an armed man in Puerto Vallarta By Armando Regil Velasco Fox News Published February 25, 2026 7:12am EST Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Mexico's president insists cartel chaos easing, US officials warn against travel Fox News' Jonathan Hunt reports on Mexico's president claiming cartel violence is easing, while U.S. officials and security experts, including former FBI Special Agent Dan Brunner, advise against travel to Mexico. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! MEXICO CITY: Firsthand accounts are emerging from Americans trapped by this week's cartel-related violence in Mexico following the death of cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho." As news spread of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) cartel boss's murder, reports described armed clashes between rival criminal organizations and Mexican security forces, as well as coordinated vehicle burnings and temporary highway blockades. Mexican authorities say that such operations are often linked to internal cartel disputes or targeted law enforcement actions.With the situation improving, Americans in the tourist area of Puerto Vallarta and beyond shared their experiences of the violent scenes they were caught up in. A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle after it was set on fire in Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, after the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho." (AP Photo/Armando Solis) (Armando Solis/AP Photo) "My group was seven people, and we were on our way to the main port in Puerto Vallarta with a local shuttle driver when we saw a bus stopped horizontally across the road in front of us. At first, we thought it was an accident, but then we saw people running full speed away from the bus," Colorado resident Scott Posilkin told Fox News Digital. "As we were trying to register what was happening, we saw a man with a gun come around the far side of the bus. He waved it at us and gave us a hand signal to turn around, which we immediately did. We tried to head in the opposite direction, but we encountered another burning car, which left us essentially trapped between the two."He continued, "We went down to the only beach we could access. One of the locals advised us that the safest place for us would be out on the water. We took a tender boat out to the snorkeling boat we were supposed to be on and stayed there for a few hours. From the water, we could see what looked like much of the town burning." Posilkin said, "Getting a boat back to shore took a long time, and at one point we even considered swimming because there was no one on the beach to come get us. The captain said he had never seen the beach empty like that in his life, and he grew up there. We eventually flagged down a passing tender that brought us to shore. There were cartel members on a motorcycle who yelled "Viva Mexico" at us, but we did not feel that they were threatening us in any way. Both our shuttle driver and the locals assured us that the cartel was not interested in harming Americans and that it was still safest for us to get home that way." A burned-out bus in the Puerto Vallarta area of Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Scott Posilkin)Posilkin gave credit to the locals for their help and support. "I want to emphasize how above and beyond the locals went to help us during an incredibly stressful situation. Everyone we interacted with — from our boat captain to our shuttle driver — had grown up here, and none of them had ever seen anything like this before… More than anything, I feel bad for the locals. Tourism is their livelihood, and I worry about the impact this will have on them. This experience hasn’t changed my love for travel or for Mexico, though it was a serious ordeal." TROOPS REINFORCE PUERTO VALLARTA AS UNREST SHOWS SIGNS OF EASING FOLLOWING EL MENCHO’S DEATH Tourists walk past a burned shop in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco state, Mexico, on Feb. 24, 2026, after cartel-linked violence erupted following the death of Jalisco New Generation cartel leader Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes. (Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images) Rodolfo Flores, an American citizen and executive in the energy sector talked to Fox News Digital: "Although it wasn't one of the worst-affected areas, on Sunday I saw a convenience store in Querétaro that had been burned down with a Molotov bomb."He said, "On the way to Mexico City, we saw cars and trucks that had been set on fire. This is just one example of how vulnerable we are, and it's astonishing how these criminal organizations can terrorize the population. The authorities are to blame for allowing them to grow and expand with highly effective criminal cells."Security analysts note that c