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Two closest companions on a birthday journey toMexicoare confined at their hotel due to escalating cartel violence and are having difficulty securing their next meal.

Misha Gardner and her friend Amanda Scott were scheduled to return home toArkansason Monday, but are now stranded in Puerto Vallarta due to travel restrictions.

The pair, on their third visit to the popular travel destination, mentioned they have been advised to stay at the Hotel Amaca resort until the city’s period of instability ends.

Notices have been placed throughout the resort indicating that ‘it is strictly forbidden to depart the premises until further notice,’KHBS reported.

The limitation has made it difficult to obtain food since the hotel lacks an on-site restaurant, Gardner stated, noting that Hotel Amaca has only a limited number of water tanks.

We had some wonderful friends who shared their food with us yesterday, which was very kind,” Gardner said to the source. “And we took everything from the minibar.

The couple eventually discovered a nearby café and seaside eatery that agreed to accommodate them.

A significant portion of the country has been under lockdown following the death of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which is among the strongest criminal groups in Mexico.

Over 70 individuals lost their lives during the effort to apprehend Oseguera Cervantes, also referred to as El Mencho, along with the subsequent events, according to officials on Monday. The death toll comprises law enforcement personnel, suspected gang members, and other individuals.

Residents believe the city may start to reopen on Tuesday, Gardner posted on Facebook.

We’re back at the hotel. We’re doing our best to stay positive,” she shared late Monday night. “We have the hotel booked for tomorrow, and then we need to come up with a plan for the rest of the week.

She mentioned that even though “things are starting to open up tomorrow and school will restart on Wednesday,” they intend to remain in place until they observe more vehicles on the roads and confirm that flights are departing.

Scott is set to return home on Saturday, while Gardner will do so on Sunday, she mentioned.

The couple has also asked their family members to reach out to the US government and their respective senators, as they “need their assistance in returning home safely.”

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico is advising American nationals tocontinue to remain in place because of the ‘ongoing security operations and associated road closures and criminal actions’‘.

The Embassy stated on Monday evening that the situation has ‘returned to normal’ in tourist areas including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum, as well as in Sinaloa and Tamaulipas.

However, flights in Puerto Vallarta remain affected, officials stated. All airports across Mexico are open, with most functioning as usual.

The U.S. Embassy stated that it continues to maintain regular communication with airlines to keep track of their developments.

Armed Mexican security personnel continued their confrontation with drug cartel fighters on Monday after the death of Oseguera Cervantes.

The capo was killed following a confrontation with the Mexican military on Sunday. On Monday, Mexican Defense Secretary Gen. Ricardo Trevilla stated that authorities had located one of his romantic partners at his hideout in Tapalpa.

He and two security personnel ran into a forested region where they sustained severe injuries during an exchange of gunfire. They were arrested and died while being transported to Mexico City, according to Trevilla.

In another part of Jalisco, military personnel killed a senior cartel figure, according to Trevilla, who claimed the individual was orchestrating violent activities and offering over $1,000 for each soldier killed.

Oseguera Cervantes led one of the most rapidly expanding criminal organizations in Mexico, recognized for smuggling fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States, as well as orchestrating high-profile assaults on Mexican government figures.

The gang reacted to their leader’s death by unleashing extensive violence, such as establishing over 250 roadblocks in 20 states and setting cars on fire.

Mexican officials stated that 25 members of the Mexican National Guard were killed in six different attacks, with approximately 30 criminal suspects beingkilled in Jalisco, and four more in the adjacent state of Michoacan. 

Additionally, a prison officer and a representative from the state attorney’s office were also killed.

The White House stated that the United States offered intelligence assistance during the mission to apprehend the cartel’s leader and commended Mexico’s military for eliminating a person who was among the most sought-after criminals in both nations.

Mexico anticipated that the death of the world’s largest fentanyl traffickers would reduce pressure from the Trump administration to take further action against the cartels, yet many remained worried while awaiting the powerful cartel’s response.

With the risk of further violence approaching, multiple Mexican states suspended classes on Monday, as both local and international authorities advised their citizens to remain indoors.

In Guadalajara, the capital of the state, some individuals went out onto the streets to carry out work and purchase necessities, marking a significant shift from Sunday, when Mexico’s second-largest city was nearly entirely closed as anxious residents remained indoors.

Over 1,000 individuals spent the night at Guadalajara’s zoo, resting in buses. Families found themselves unable to go back to their homes in neighboring regions such as Zacatecas and Michoacan.

President Donald Trump has called on Mexico to take greater action against the smuggling of fentanyl, warning of additional taxes ortake unilateral military actionif the nation fails to produce outcomes

The U.S. Department of State hadprovided a reward of as much as $15 million for details that result in the capture of El Mencho.The New Generation Cartel of Jalisco started functioning approximately in 2009.

In February 2025, the administration of Trumpdesignated the gang as a foreign terrorist group.It has been among the most ruthless drug cartels in its assaults against the military – including attacks on helicopters – and is a leader in using drones to deploy explosives and setting up mines.

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