Visitors to a Mexican coastal city were advised to remain within their resort on Sunday after a government alert about “clashes” stemming from a federal action.
Images and footage obtained by Digital show dense, black smoke rising over the city’s skyline. The city is situated on the Pacific Coast in Jalisco state.
Guests at a resort in the area informed Digital they were instructed to stay on the property. They stated an immediate explanation for the precaution was not provided.
Later on Sunday, the U.S. State Department released a travel advisory for several Mexican regions, directing U.S. citizens to remain where they are until further updates because of “ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity.”
The advisory covers sections of Jalisco state, such as Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara; Tamaulipas state, including Reynosa and other municipalities; as well as zones in Michoacan, Guerrero, and Nuevo Leon states.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro stated in an X post that federal troops conducted an “operation” in Tapalpa earlier Sunday, resulting in “clashes” nearby.
“Also as a result of said operation, in various points of that region and in other parts of Jalisco, individuals have burned and blocked vehicles with the aim of hindering the actions of the authorities,” Navarro said in Spanish.
In several posts, Navarro noted that “the violent incidents have spread” and “blockades have shifted” while authorities work to protect residents.
Navarro added that officials have implemented a “” to ensure public safety.
“We reiterate the recommendation to avoid leaving your homes,” Navarro wrote in a subsequent post. “The clashes are occurring in several federal entities.”
Although officials did not promptly offer specifics on the federal operation, local media suggest it may have concerned the and one of its infamous leaders, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.