‘We woke up to smoke’: Barrie travellers describe tense moments as violence erupts near Puerto Vallarta

CTV News speaks with residents who are in Mexico or have family members in Puerto Vallarta amid violent conditions in the country.

Black smoke filled the skyline of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as Christine and Joe Corona watched from the balcony of their hillside condo in the city’s Romantic Zone, known as Zona Romántica.

The Barrie, Ont., couple, who often spends their winters in Mexico, have been in the popular Pacific coast destination for roughly two months.

• IN PICTURES: Simcoe County locals document devastation in Puerto Vallarta

What Christine describes as a usually lively neighbourhood filled with restaurants and music turned tense early Sunday morning when cartel-related violence erupted nearby.

“We woke up to smoke and heard sirens (Sunday),” Christine told CTV News in a phone interview. “The smoke was thick and dark, and we were told to stay inside.”

Throughout the day, the couple said they could hear what sounded like gunfire in the distance. Christine said workers were instructed not to report to their jobs, and many businesses shut their doors.

The normally bustling streets below their Airbnb were unusually quiet. Christine described feeling anxious as the situation unfolded. “It’s the uncertainty,” she said. “We’re worried.”

With supplies running low, her husband Joe ventured out briefly Monday morning to look for food as grocery options became limited. “No food stores open,” Christine said.

Burned cars, buses and doorways were the only thing left in plain sight.

The couple had received a water delivery the day before the violence escalated. “We’re grateful for that,” she said. “It gives us some of peace of mind.”

They were scheduled to return home to Barrie on Saturday, but their plans are now uneasy. The Puerto Vallarta airport has closed amid the chaos, and they are unsure when flights will resume.

For now, the two are hunkering down inside their condo and waiting for further updates. “The morning after has been quiet,” Christine said. The Corona’s were hoping to soak up the last bit of vacation enjoying some of the local restaurants and cuisine.

Friends, family and Christine’s clients back in Simcoe County have been reaching out to check on the two. “I made a post on social media letting everyone know that I am okay,” she added.

Global Affairs states more than 18,000 Canadians are currently registered in Mexico, with about 4,000 in the Jalisco state. A handful of Simcoe County residents have confirmed their current stay in Puerto Vallarta to CTV News.

On Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told Canadian travellers to boycott Mexico, alerting that the country is “not stable right now.”

With files from CTV Toronto

Mexican army confirms death

The violence erupted after the powerful drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera died Sunday of wounds suffered in a raid by security forces, the Mexican army said.

The head of the Jalisco New Generation cartel was wounded during the raid in the town of Tapalpa in Jalisco state and died while being flown to Mexico City, the army said in a statement that confirmed news reports of his death.

AFP

What is the Jalisco cartel?

The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military - including on helicopters - and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital’s police force and now federal security secretary.

The DEA considers the cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s most infamous criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states. It is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. market and, like the Sinaloa cartel, earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines. Sinaloa, however, has been weakened by infighting after the loss of its leaders Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, both in U.S. custody.

The Associated Press