Tourists in Mexican seaside city told to stay on resort as government warns of 'clashes'

23 Feb 2026 By foxnews

Tourists in the Mexican seaside city of Puerto Vallarta were told not to leave their resort on Sunday as a government official warned of "clashes" in the area following a federal operation.

Photos and video shared with Fox News Digital capture billowing, dark smoke clouding the skyline of the city, which is located on Mexico's Pacific Coast in the state of Jalisco.

Tourists at a local resort told Fox News Digital that they were urged to stay put at the resort. They said no reason for exercising the caution was immediately given.

The U.S. State Department later issued a travel warning for multiple areas in Mexico on Sunday afternoon, urging U.S. citizens to shelter in place until further notice due to "ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity."

US OFFICIALS WARN SNOWBIRDS OF 'VIOLENT CRIME' IN WINTER DESTINATION HOT SPOT

The travel warning was issued for parts of Jalisco state, including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala and Guadalajara; Tamaulipas state, including Reynosa and other municipalities; and areas of Michoacan state, Guerrero state and Nuevo Leon state.

Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus Navarro announced in a post on X that federal forces carried out an "operation" in the town of Tapalpa earlier Sunday, which led to "clashes" in the area.

"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 wrote in the post in Spanish.

In multiple posts, Navarro wrote that "the violent incidents have spread" and "blockades have shifted" as the government and law enforcement work to safeguard citizens.

ALLEGED SINALOA CARTEL FENTANYL PRODUCER CHARGED IN NEWLY UNSEALED FEDERAL INDICTMENT

Navarro added that the government has enacted a "Code Red" to keep the public safe.

"We reiterate the recommendation to avoid leaving your homes," Navarro wrote in a second post. "The clashes are occurring in several federal entities."

While government officials did not immediately provide details about the federal operation, local news outlets report that the operation may have involved the Jalisco New Generation cartel and one of its notorious leaders, Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes.