US tourists stranded after Mexico drug lord’s killing sparks wave of violence


Here’s the latest
• Cartel kingpin killed: Mexico’s most-wanted cartel boss and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, was killed in a Mexican military operation.

• Widespread violence: The killing sparked nationwide unrest, with suspected gang members torching buses and businesses while clashing with security forces. More than 250 blockades were reported across 20 Mexican states, Mexico’s Security Cabinet said, with most roadblocks now cleared.

• Tourists stranded: The US State Department urged American nationals in parts of Mexico to “seek shelter and remain in residences or hotels.” Other tourists were stranded after several US carriers suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta. Here’s what to do if you’re stranded.
How widespread is the violence in Mexico?
The killing of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes triggered unrest in 20 of Mexico’s 32 states, with suspected gang members torching buses and businesses, blocking roads and clashing with security forces.

Mexico’s Security Cabinet said 252 blockades were reported in states right across the country, and included what it called “localized incidents and isolated blockades.”

Oseguera died on the way to hospital after being wounded during a Mexican military operation targeting him in Tapalpa in the western state of Jalisco, the power base of his Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The military operation triggered a series of violent events across the state of Jalisco. Guadalajara, the state capital and Mexico’s second-largest city, was almost completely shut down on Sunday, the Associated Press reported.

And video obtained by CNN showed multiple fires burning and plumes of smoke rising across Puerto Vallarta, a resort town popular with US tourists on Mexico’s west coast.

Pablo Lemus Navarro, Jalisco’s governor, earlier said violence had spread to at least five states.

The US has urged Americans in several Mexican states, including popular vacation spots in Jalisco, Baja California, and Quintana Roo, to shelter in place.