Ottawans vacationing in Puerto Vallarta say the situation in the region is calmer now, but things are still not back to normal.
Violence erupted in parts of Mexico on Sunday after the Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”).
According to the Associated Press,
cars burned out by cartel members blocked the roads at more than 250 points in 20 Mexican states.
Global Affairs Canada then issued a notice on its
travel advisory page for Mexico
to avoid non-essential travel to several states, including Jalisco (including Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara), Guerrero (including Acapulco), Michoacán, Sinaloa (including Mazatlán), Quintana Roo (including Cancun), Baja California (including Tijuana and Tecate) and Nayarit due to “high levels of violence and organized crime.”
“Criminal groups have set up roadblocks with burning vehicles in several cities in various parts of Mexico. There have been shootouts with security forces and explosions, including on roads and highways connecting affected areas to Mexico city,” the notice read.
“The security situation could deteriorate rapidly in these locations and in others across Mexico. Shelter in place orders are in effect in Jalisco and Nayarit. Similar instructions, including curfews, may be issued on short notice in other areas of the country.”
Ottawans Craig Searle and his wife, Carolyn Searle, arrived at their timeshare in a Puerto Vallarta hotel on Friday for a 19-night vacation. When they woke up on Sunday, they smelled smoke in the air and saw flames from their balcony, which they said was highly unusual. They went down to the hotel lobby only to find out a shelter in place order had been issued, and that’s when they learned about the cartel and the violence.
Staff weren’t able to leave the resort, they added, and they even heard anecdotes of burnt out cars in the tunnel leading to the Puerto Vallarta airport.
“It was utterly chaotic in the city. … We could smell smoke. My eyes were burning and I could feel it in my throat,” Carolyn told the Ottawa Citizen on Monday.
“By supper time, they had stopped, but then late at night, as soon as it was dark, we read about looting downtown. Four more fires were lit, and that’s when we went to bed. I could still smell smoke. When we woke up this morning, you couldn’t smell it anymore.”
A quiet morning here in Puerto Vallarta! We were allowed access to the beach but are staying close in case things change fast! @CraigSearle1 pic.twitter.com/6qJyKK67Tw
— Carolyn 🇨🇦 (@CPercySearle) February 23, 2026
But by Monday morning, the situation was a lot calmer, the Searles said. The hotel restaurant was open, the beach was open for guests and only a faint smell of smoke lingered in the air.
Some employees were even allowed to enter the resort complex, they noted.
“I felt better seeing the gate to the beach opened up, and we went for a very short walk. Not many people are out there, but we did. We got some exercise. I’m going to start to read a book, and I think we’re going to hang close to the resort, because if things changed fast, and they tend to go fast, we can at least run into the resort,” Carolyn said.
“We were not going to restaurants or anything like that. We’re staying (at the resort). No one’s going downtown,” Craig chimed in.
Artur Wilczynski, Canada’s former ambassador to Norway and a retired senior national security official, and his partner arrived at Puerto Vallarta on Feb. 13 and were supposed to leave on Sunday but couldn’t because airlines cancelled flights after violence erupted in the city.
Wilczynski recalled seeing a pillar of smoke when he went out to the balcony of his hotel room, but he thought it was from a car accident. He decided to take a walk on the beach but turned back after he saw other fires being lit.
When he got back, he could see fires to the east of the hotel and cars being torched.
“There was a black smoke all over downtown. It was quite clear that something security related was was happening. … It started at 8 a.m. By midday, it was everywhere. By early afternoon, there were military helicopters that were landing at the cruise terminal and doing low, circling flights right in front of my balcony, basically,” Wilczynski said.
“It was chaotic. … It wasn’t just arson in one place. I personally saw at least 20 different plumes of smoke from different parts of the city. From a first responder perspective, it must have been a hell of a challenge.”
Morning is still quiet as the sun comes up over the mountains in Puerto Vallarta. pic.twitter.com/5WEboZJSo9
— Artur Wilczynski (@Arturmaks) February 23, 2026
By Sunday evening, however, the situation had calmed down “quite a bit,” he said. Wilczynski was able to extend his stay at the hotel until Wednesday, when his rescheduled flight is expected to leave.
“It was eerily quiet … In the dark, you couldn’t see much, but you could still smell the acrid smoke that was over the city,” Wilczynski noted.
“We were up around 6 a.m. (on Monday) and you could see that it was already clearing a bit, but the smoke was still there. What we’re hearing is that some roads are starting to reopen. We’re getting notices from folks who are in touch with other tourists here that there’s some mobility.
“So, slowly, things are seem to be coming back. But again, folks are still being incredibly cautious, as they should be.”
Thousands of Canadians in Mexico, says federal government
In a news conference Monday morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said she is monitoring the “serious and rapidly evolving situation” in Mexico, particularly in Jalisco.
Two Canadians suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but Anand didn’t give further details about how they sustained those injuries.
She also urged Canadians to register with Global Affairs Canada to receive updates from consular officials. As of 7 a.m. Monday, about 26,305 Canadians in Mexico had registered, an increase of nearly 8,000.
Anand added that the Canada Emergency Watch and Response Centre had received 440 calls in the last 24 hours from Canadians looking for information about flights and travel advisories.
Smoke rises from the downtown or “Centro” neighbourhood of Puerto Vallarta as seen from Vidanta on Feb. 22, 2026.”I am in contact with my Mexican counterpart, who expects the situation to normalize in the coming days. Our ambassador and consular staff are working with their counterparts to ensure that Canadians remain safe. … All Canadians in affected regions should heed the direction of local authorities and travel only when it is safe to do so” she told reporters.
“We are in contact with the airlines and with Mexican authorities to ensure that service is safely restored as soon as possible. The safety and security of Canadians abroad remains our highest priority. We are going to continue to provide updates to you as the situation evolves.”
However, Anand said the federal government doesn’t have plans to send planes or the Canadian Armed Forces to help bring Canadians home at this time.
She also said neither she nor other federal government officials were told about the Mexican army’s operation and plans ahead of time.
“This is an operation that the Mexican government decided to undertake regarding the domestic affairs of Mexico. Our concern is the safety and security of Canadians, and the assistance that we are offering is to ensure that Canadians remain safe and sound,” she said.
“It is always helpful for us to know more in order to support Canadians. I appreciated having the call as soon as possible yesterday with my counterpart. We have been in communication, including this morning, and we are staying in close touch.”
