By Phillip Sitter, Eve Chen, Des Moines Register
A Des Moines metro official on vacation in Mexico as violence broke out following the killing of a drug cartel leader said the fires and tense moments have not changed his views of the country and its people.
Meanwhile, an Iowan from Spencer told a USA TODAY reporter he had endured a wild cab ride and chaos at the airport in the same coastal city of Puerto Vallarta, in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
The two men’s experiences are the result of a Mexican military operation backed by U.S. intelligence that on Sunday, Feb. 22 killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho.”
Cartel loyalists retaliated across Mexico, blocking roads and burning vehicles.
Derek Zarn, spokesperson for the City of Urbandale, said Monday, Feb. 23 he had been on vacation in Mexico for two weeks and still had every intention of staying until he originally planned to come home.
“I would say it’s reinforced how important it is to stay informed and respect the realities of the place you’re visiting. Every country, even the United States, has complexities. Sometimes it takes something like this — it hasn’t made me fearful, but it has made me more aware and empathetic,” Zarn said of a “tense but not chaotic” atmosphere in Puerto Vallarta.
TJ Johnson, co-host on a morning show on 104.9 The More in Spencer, said Monday he did not plan to leave the airport after the cab ride that got him there dodged burning buses and cabs. He believes he was among the last travelers to catch a cab from his resort Sunday before they stopped taking passengers.
Johnson faced another frantic scene at the airport when an alarm went off, prompting everyone to evacuate to the tarmac.
“Seeing all of the gate attendants and the baggage claim guys and so forth all just hugging and crying like that shook me up more than an actual running out of the airport,” he recalled. His flight was canceled and he’s unsure when he’ll get back home.
Johnson said some travelers who were initially stranded with him at the airport have since left for hotels, but he’s staying put.
“Because we are being guarded by the National Guard, we are probably in the safest space for an American tourist to be, so we’ve decided to stay at the airport,” said Johnson, who was wrapping up a family vacation.
Flights are expected to resume at both the Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara airports in the next few days, according to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. At a news conference Monday, she said the situation has “calmed down.”
Americans have been advised to shelter in place at popular destinations in Mexico. As of late Sunday, the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico warned of “ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity” in many popular tourist destinations.
An advisory from U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn’s office cautioned, “The situation remains fluid, and you should check travel.state.gov/Mexico for the most up to date information.”
The latest security alert highlights “widespread” areas of concern, including in:
- Jalisco State, including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala and Guadalajara.
- Baja California State, including Tijuana, Tecate and Ensenada.
- Quintana Roo State, including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
- Nayarit State, including the Nuevo Nayarit/Nuevo Vallarta area near Puerta Vallarta.
- Sinaloa, including Mazatlán.
- Parts of Colima, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Estado de Mexico, Michoacan, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Zacatecas states.
The U.S. State Department advises travelers in those areas to seek shelter, avoid unnecessary movement and stay away from areas with law enforcement activity; monitor local news for updates; follow local authorities’ guidance; and keep loved ones up to date on their status.
Americans also are encouraged to register for the State Department’s free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program whenever they go abroad, so they can receive important updates and be more easily reached in the event of an emergency.
Zarn’s concerns are for the people of Mexico who keep him coming back
Zarn is a longtime visitor to Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta. He said he’s been coming to Mexico for a decade, and most of his friends in Puerto Vallarta are locals, though the city also is a major international tourist destination.
He shared videos he took Sunday from where he’s sheltering in place, with thick smoke rising from fires that appeared to be just a couple blocks away. He said he knew a local convenience store, pharmacy and a Costco store had been burned. And he shared photos of charred vehicles on the street.
He has plenty of food and water, plans to stay for another two weeks and said, “If all the good people leave a community, what’s left?”
On Sunday, the streets were noticeably quiet as people stayed indoors, but Zarn said he started to see some pedestrian traffic again on Monday from locals and tourists.
He said as of Sunday, he had not received any information from the U.S. State Department but had been too busy following local news to check again for updates.
His heart is with the people of Mexico who will bear the impact in the long term.
“I still love Mexico, I still love the people and I still love the culture. I don’t know if it’s truly changed my perspective significantly. Bad things happen everywhere all the time,” Zarn said.
At the airport in Puerto Vallarta, Johnson said fellow travelers and airport staff have been a big help, especially after airport restaurants closed amid the chaos.
“We’ve all kind of gone into survival mode. We’ve all helped each other share drinks or shared snacks or what information that people are giving us or sharing,” he said. “If there were just some more movement of planes coming in and out, we could easily take care of the people that are here.”
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