'Burned and destroyed': Locals and tourists describe Mexico unrest

Watch: Puerto Vallarta resident describes Mexico unrestLocals and tourists in Mexico have described the "heartbreaking" unrest after one of the most powerful and feared cartels in the country unleashed a wave of violence across several states.It comes after Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho", Mexico's most wanted man and leader of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel, was killed during a security operation to arrest him on Sunday.Footage recorded by locals and tourists showed burnt vehicles and plumes of smoke rising above several towns and cities, including the beach resort of Puerto Vallarta.Nashville-born Jerry Jones, who has lived in the town for more than four years, told BBC News that he had "never experienced anything like this" and usually felt "safer here than in my hometown".Jones, the owner of LGBT+ lifestyle magazine Out and About Puerto Vallarta, moved to Mexico after retiring from his job in the United States."I love the people here, I love the walkability of the city, how nice everyone is. It's a beautiful and fantastic place, and that's what encouraged me to come here," he said.Residents were "completely caught off guard" on Sunday morning as news of El Mencho's capture and the following unrest broke, Jones said."The first inkling that we had that something was going on was one of our readers sent us a video of a bus being set on fire," he said.He started seeing smoke "all the way across the city" just minutes later.Jones said vehicles were being parked across roads and set on fire, including at one local store where "more than 30 vehicles that were in the parking lot at the time were burned and destroyed".Getty ImagesUnrest erupted in Jalisco on Sunday, where organised crime groups burned cars after the killing of drug cartel leader "El Mencho".Although the situation unfolded quickly on Sunday morning, Jones said residents were given no information by local authorities and that he did not see military or officers in his neighbourhood until the afternoon.Residents and tourists across several Mexican states have been asked to stay inside, with most businesses, schools and universities closed.He described some people being "stuck" in shops after the violence broke out, unable to leave."When the city realised what was happening, they issued a stay at home order," he said, adding that the streets suddenly became "eerily quiet".As information began to trickle into the local community, people began to come together to help each other, he said.At least 25 National Guards killed in violence after death of Mexican drug lordCommunity members had been putting out fires due to firefighters being "overwhelmed", Jones said, as well as helping tourists who did not have access to food.He said a local grocery shop opened on Sunday evening but the queue to get in was "unbelievable"."I don't know what today's going to bring. I hope, peace."He said he worried about the community and the impact this would have on tourism in the region."Puerto Vallarta is strong and we have been through hurricanes together, the pandemic together, and businesses here join together," he said."In times like this, they do not compete. They join together and they help each other. And so, I think that's going to happen and we will survive and be even stronger."MoreLifeDiaries via ReutersContent creator Marc-André, who took this drone footage in Puerto Vallarta where he lives, described the situation as "heartbreaking"Marc-André, a Canadian content creator who also lives in Puerto Vallarta, said the usually calm resort town "looked like it was an absolute war zone"."There were fires everywhere, like hundreds of cars throughout the city were burning at the same time," he said in a video on his YouTube channel, More Life Diaries.He also described the streets afterwards as "very quiet and unsettling"."This is Mexico after all – usually there'd be music, people outside, people enjoying life, and there's a really, kind of eerie, feeling in the air here," he added.Marc-André, who lives with his wife and two young children, said his family had never felt unsafe in the town before this."It is quite heartbreaking to see what's going on," he said.Another YouTube creator, California-born Paul Desmond, shared his experience in a video which he said "he never wanted to make".Desmond, who has lived in Bucerías, a beach resort town in the state of Nayarit, for several years, described the scene as "very unusual".He shared drone footage from Sunday morning showing a deserted motorway with smoke visible in the distance."This is not something that happens regularly in our daily lives here," he said. "It's unsettling, it's frustrating, it's ugly."Watch: Vehicles set ablaze across Mexico amid violenceA number of American and Canadian tourists have also shared their first-hand accounts of the unrest and how it unfolded.Jeff Pass, a Canadian from Peterborough, has been in the Puerto Vallarta area for eight days and counting after attending a destination wedding there with dozens of other Canadians.He said the hotel staff did not say much about what unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning, but that he was able to see fires burning across town from the resort's rooftop by the afternoon.Pass said the situation around him was noticeably calmer on Monday afternoon, and travel in taxis and Ubers appears to have resumed slowly, but he and his partner still do not know when they will be able to travel home.They have been trying to register with the Canadian consulate in Mexico, but said officials had been "overwhelmed" with requests."We haven't heard back from the Canadian government or anything, but the resort has been very good," he said.Dallas resident Adryan Moorefield, who had been in Puerto Vallarta since last week, told CNN the situation was a "complete shocker"."It almost felt like being in the twilight zone," he said.Moorefield said he had been to the town before and thought it would be a "quick, easy beach vacation" but that he was now stuck after his flight home was cancelled.Meanwhile, Jim Beck told the broadcaster that he had seen taxis "blown up all over town" as he left his hotel on Sunday morning."Everyone was running down the street, screaming and yelling, and they told everyone to get back to their hotels," he said.Another Puerto Vallarta tourist, Tim Spencer from Toronto, told CBC that he saw corner shops and cars in flames from the rooftop of the Villa Divina hotel. "I've never really seen anything like this before in my life."Canadians should travel only when "safe to do so", Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand advised.She said that more than 26,000 Canadians abroad had registered to get information about security and travel – an increase of nearly 8,000 in one day.Flight cancellations continued on Monday, leaving many stranded in Puerto Vallarta.Air Canada said it would resume full operations to Mexico's Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday from Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Flights from Toronto to Guadalajara would resume on Wednesday, the airline said.Cartel henchmen unleash violence after top drug lord killed in MexicoWho was El Mencho, Mexico's most wanted man?MexicoDrugs trade