Mexican Drug Cartels Threaten FIFA World Cup Security
The recent killing of Mexico’s most powerful drug lord, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, has left residents in towns like Tapalpa, Jalisco, worried about the impact on tourism and their livelihoods. The violence between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Mexican security forces has sparked fears of more bloodshed in the region. The U.S. provided intelligence support for the operation to capture “El Mencho,” who was known for trafficking drugs to the United States. Tourist towns like Puerto Vallarta have been affected by cartel reprisals, causing concern among visitors. The death of Oseguera Cervantes has left uncertainty about the future control of the area and the potential for further violence.
The local impact
A 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.
