Additional Coverage:
- I’ve spent the last 10 winters in Puerto Vallarta. I’ve always felt safer in Mexico than I do in the US. (businessinsider.com)
Puerto Vallarta Resident Witnesses Citywide Arson from Apartment Window
PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO – Branden James, a 47-year-old musician who has spent the last ten winters in Puerto Vallarta, found himself witnessing an unprecedented wave of violence unfold across the city yesterday morning. From his apartment window, James and his husband observed a fast-moving cloud of smoke and heard explosions, marking a dramatic shift in the usually tranquil resort town.
“At first, I thought it was a rainstorm coming,” James recounted, “but when I opened the window properly, I could see it was smoke – tons of it.” The couple, who visit Puerto Vallarta annually to perform, have never experienced such unrest in a city they’ve always considered safe.
The explosions and plumes of smoke were part of a coordinated series of attacks, later understood to be retaliation for the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel, during a security operation on Sunday.
From the rooftop of their building, James and his friends observed the unfolding chaos: “There were fires in shops. There were people being pulled from cars.
We saw people going into buildings and throwing Molotov cocktails.” Despite the widespread destruction, James noted a peculiar comfort in the observation that “civilians weren’t being harmed.”
The attacks appeared to be specifically targeting infrastructure and property rather than individuals.
As the day progressed, the smoke, heavy with the smell of gas, eventually dissipated. A military helicopter circled overhead in the late afternoon, but the night passed without further disturbance.
Today, the city shows signs of cautious reawakening. While many shops remain closed, residents are venturing out to open corner stores for essential supplies.
James expressed his concern for the local community, stating, “I’m sad for locals who survive on tourism. Americans have traditionally been scared about the safety of Mexico, and this justifies fears.”
He emphasized that Puerto Vallarta has historically been a very safe destination.
Despite the recent events, James maintains that he feels safer in Puerto Vallarta than in the United States, citing the targeted nature of the cartel’s actions against the government rather than civilians. “As messed up as the drug cartel attack is, it is retaliation against the government, rather than against actual civilians here in the city,” he explained.
James and his husband are scheduled to remain in Puerto Vallarta until March 6th, with three performances still pending. They plan to stay unless the situation escalates further.