'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

[LuvLoogie]

1. They mad. Working for trump and Tulsi probably.

Mexico better not hit the next cartel boss who steps up. They'll get trump to invade and have the army do security for the cartels.

[Melon]

2. The Mexico government needs to absolutely hit the cartel boss who fills the void. And next

We had an employee child kidnapped for ransom in Mexico. Money was paid and child never returned. The cartels prey on the poor town in the country and their own citizens. The cartels own the government and collude with the police. They are burning areas and killing citizens because the appeasement of criminals doesn’t work.

[Warpy]

3. Looks more serious than the usual

Apparently the local leader, "El encho," was killed earlier. Most of the fires looked to be vehicles that were used to block streets around and out of town. One clip I saw showed what looked like a black powder explosion * being used to set a small truck on fire.

This could very well be a joint operation between the US and Mexico, but we don't know anything for certain. It's going to take several days to find out.


*teenager from hell, don't ask

[LeftInTX]

4. They're doing this

Emptying the gas pumps and lighting fires.