'Explosions and fires': Canadian describes the scene in Puerto Vallarta

[Gaugamela]

Cartel militia are setting fires and roadblocks in retaliation for the death of El Menche, the head of Mexico’s biggest drug cartel. According to some reports the violence has spread around Mexico, with more than one airport under attack.

From The Guardian:

In a sign of El Mencho’s huge influence across Mexico, as well as other parts of Latin America, his killing sparked an immediate outbreak of disorder across the region he ruled.

Media reports said that on Sunday lunchtime “narco” roadblocks made from burning cars, buses and trucks could be seen across at least eight Mexican states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacán, Colima, Guerrero, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. Video footage showed huge clouds of smoke rising into the skies above Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist city on Mexico’s west coast known for its spectacular Pacific Ocean beaches.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/22/mexican-security-forces-reportedly-kill-drug-cartel-boss-el-mencho