Midwest couple experiences tense situation as Mexico cartel violence grows

(WISH) — U.S. citizens are being urged to shelter in place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, due to widespread violence from the cartel following the killing of a major drug lord, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho” on Sunday.

A Midwest couple vacationing there on Monday said a tense situation is unfolding around them.

Rosanne and Tom Hlava own a condo in Puerto Vallarta and visit often. The couple told News 8 that they have never felt unsafe in the city until Sunday. Tom says it started unfolding around 9 a.m. Monday during their morning walk.

“A very nice gentleman came and stopped us and said, ‘You can’t go up north. You have to turn around and go back. The cartel has been retaliating against the government,'” Tom said in a videoconference interview with News 8.

They say that local police cars were filled with men holding machine guns and sirens, and speakers were blaring for people to get to safety. Rosanne said, “What we found with these fires was that they were being set in huge numbers all over the city. When you looked up into the sky yesterday, it was black funnels just everywhere.”

Rosanne says they believe the cartel was lighting vehicles on fire to create street barricades to stop local police, allowing the cartel motorc...