Senator warns Mexican narco-terrorists are 'hunting down Americans' in war zone Puerto Vallarta as thousands try to escape on flights

Bernie Moreno took to X on Monday to relay 'troubling' reports that narco-terrorists are 'hunting down American citizens' in Puerto Vallarta amid gangs clashing with authorities in the city.

'The drug cartels should be aware that if any American citizen is harmed in Mexico there will be a violent and terminal retribution from the US. Any USMCA negotiations should cease until this situation is resolved,' the senator added.

An ex-police officer, Oseguera, 60, was the shadowy leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), an international criminal enterprise widely viewed as one of Mexico's most powerful.

Over a relatively short period of time, Oseguera masterminded the CJNG's emergence as a criminal empire rivaling his former allies in the Sinaloa Cartel. He managed to evade arrest for years despite a $15 million bounty from the US for information leading to his arrest or capture.

CJNG has been blamed for smuggling vast quantities of drugs into the U.S., including the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which has been linked to hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths in recent years.

"Apart from the heads of the Sinaloa cartel, 'El Mencho' has been the biggest prize for many, many years," said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a security expert and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

"And it’s really stunning, just like the heads of the Sinaloa cartel, how long he managed to evade US and Mexican law enforcement gunning for him.”

The Jalisco government announced a return to normalcy on Monday evening, saying classes will resume on Wednesday and public transportation and intercity routes will resume operations tomorrow.

'No new incidents have been reported and we continue to clear highways and remove wrecked vehicles,' the government posted on X.

'Security presence has been reinforced to support those who were stranded and to guarantee safe conditions,' it continued.

'With the additional deployment of 2,500 federal personnel, we continue working tirelessly to fully restore stability.

'If this trend continues, the Red Code will be proposed to be lifted at the next session of the State Security Board.

'Jalisco moves forward with responsibility and in unity,' the government concluded.

School was canceled in several Mexican states and local and foreign governments alike warned their citizens to stay inside, as widespread violence erupted following the army’s killing of the powerful leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho” was the boss of one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico, notorious for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States and staging brazen attacks against government officials who challenged it.

President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm and authorities announced late Sunday they had cleared most of the more than 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states. The White House confirmed that the U.S. provided intelligence support to the operation to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries.

Mexico hoped the death of the world’s biggest fentanyl traffickers would ease Trump administration pressure to do more against the cartels, but many remained hunkered down and on edge as they waited to see the powerful cartel’s reaction.

An internet star trapped in Mexico was told to 'stop bringing negativity to social media' as she detailed worsening conditions at her hotel amid the cartel violence.

Conservative beauty coach Tracy Lane is stuck in Puerto Vallarta until at least Thursday after nearly all domestic and international flights were canceled following the killing of cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes.

The self-made businesswoman was in the city for the Seint Beauty makeup convention when violence erupted near her resort, she told her 197,000 followers.

Internet star trapped in Mexico told to stop complaining by followers

Conservative beauty coach Tracy Lane is stuck in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico after the killing of cartel boss Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes caused violent uproar across the country.

United Airlines has announced that it is resuming flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, though a travel waiver remains in place for affected customers.

Passengers are encouraged to check their flight status online and download the United Airlines app for the most up-to-date information.

The State Department's emergency hotline, which was set up on Sunday to help American citizens in Mexico, has already received hundreds of calls, officials announced.

Most of the calls dealt with flight cancelations.

Any US citizens now needing help in Mexico should call 1 202-501-4444.

The US State Department has announced that more areas of Mexico have 'returned to normal' following Sunday's unrest.

Still, officials cautioned US citizens in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and Ciudad Guzman to continue to shelter in place.

Representative Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas, declared on X that the operation to take down El Mencho is 'the beginning of the war against the most violent and deranged cartel in Mexico.'

He then said the Jalisco New Generation to cartel is ;more like ISIS than the mafia.'

'They are ruthlessly violent, currently terrorizing all parts of Mexico to intimidate the government back into submission,' Crenshaw wrote, arguing that 'Congress needs to actually pay attention' and pass legislation to support military, intelligence and law enforcement efforts in Mexico.

'We finally have a solid partner in the Mexican government to work with,' the Republican said. 'We are finally focusing huge intelligence collection efforts on the cartel...

'We are finally taking them on. It won't be over soon. But it's about time we started.'

Mexican authorities have seized 23,000 illegal firearms since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, officials said at a news conference Monday morning.

A majority of those weapons, 80 percent, came from the United States, they said.