Police officers stand guard in downtown Guadalajara, Jalisco state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, after the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.”
Alejandra Leyva / AP
Hilary Hutler of North Portland was traveling from Guadalajara, Mexico to the coastal city of Zihuatanejo this weekend when 20 police cars signaled the taxi she was in to turn around.
Hutler told OPB when her group pulled over to plan their next steps, she saw smoke rising further up the road.
Hutler is vacationing in Mexico, and is currently among the Oregonians in the country – or anxiously watching from afar – as organized crime groups publicly retaliate against the government for a cartel leader’s death, sparking concerns of ongoing unrest in a country with cultural, economic and social ties to the Pacific Northwest.
In Mexico, at least 73 people, including security forces and suspected cartel members, have died in the government’s attempt to capture the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the violent aftermath of his death, Mexican authorities said Monday.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, called “El Mencho,” was the boss of a fast-growing criminal network, known for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States. He died after a shootout with the Mexican military in his home state of Jalisco.
Criminal organizations in the country responded by blocking roads and setting fire to cars and buildings in multiple states across Mexico.
Local and foreign officials urged people to shelter in place in areas with concerns of increased violence. The unrest also caused several Mexican states to cancel school Monday.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm, and authorities said all of the more than 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states had been cleared by Monday.
Connecting with Oregonians in Mexico
Hutler, the vacationer from North Portland, said she had just started looking at news updates about the violence in Jalisco when her group was signaled to turn around by the police caravan.
Hutler ended up in Ixtapa, a small resort town just north of Zihuatanejo, where she booked a hotel to stay until she knew what to do next.
“The taxi ride here was a little intense,” Hutler said, adding that the taxi driver told her, “‘We’re gonna pray, drive slowly and be on the lookout.’”
Hutler said the hotel in Ixtapa was nearly full, and that it seemed like everyone was okay sheltering in place until they knew more.
As she prepares to fly home at the end of this week, Hutler said she’ll continue to follow the news and the recommendations of nearby residents, whom she says have been helpful and comforting since the onset of the unrest.
“The thing that stood out to me is the Mexican citizens are some of the kindest and most accommodating people I’ve ever met,” Hutler said. “That has just shone through throughout this whole experience. It made us feel comfortable in a trying situation.”
A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle after it was set on fire in Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, after the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.”
Armando Solis / AP
Krystal Peak is keeping track of the situation from her home in Milwaukie, Oregon. She’s getting regular email updates from her 79-year-old mother, who lives just north of Puerto Vallarta.
Peak told OPB she’s worried her mom, who has been told to stay inside, is feeling isolated.
“She’s alone with her just with her dog,” Peak, who lives in Milwaukie, told OPB. “And her usual community is all closed up and they can’t visit each other, they can’t really help and support each other. So I’m worried about her emotional and mental state of mind.”
Flights at PDX cancelled
Oregonians traveling to and from Mexico are seeing canceled flights for tourist strongholds like Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
Vehicles drive past a charred bus the day after the Mexican army killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” in Guadalajara, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.
Marco Ugarte / AP
One flight headed from Portland to Puerto Vallarta was canceled Monday morning, and another flight from the Mexican tourist spot to PDX was canceled Monday evening. A flight from Portland to Los Cabos on Monday continued as planned, according to an airport spokesperson.
Monday’s cancellations followed a few cancelled flights on Sunday. A Puerto Vallarta-bound flight on Sunday returned to PDX after news of the unrest broke.
Officials at PDX are directing travelers to monitor their airlines for the latest flight information.
Students studying abroad
Oregon colleges with students studying in Mexico are reaching out to their partner study abroad programs.
A spokesperson for Oregon State University said the school is monitoring civil disorder and reaching out to people who could be affected.
“We have two students in Mexico in an exchange program, but in an area that is not currently under a shelter-in-place recommendation from either the U.S. Embassy or ISOS,” the spokesperson said, referring to an international education security firm. “In addition, we are reaching out to Mexican international students and employees here in Oregon and offering support services.”
The University of Portland and Portland State University told OPB they do not currently have students studying abroad in Mexico. Pacific University has one student in Merida, Mexico, which is currently calm and unaffected, a school official confirmed in an emailed statement to OPB.
One student from the University of Oregon is studying in Mexico, a school spokesperson said in an email.
“We are in contact and have confirmed that they are safe and outside the areas of immediate concern,” the UO spokesperson said. “We continue to monitor the situation.”
