Puerto Vallarta, in the aftermath of El Mencho's death: We got the message; they're in charge here'

"The maintenance workers, already sunburnt, explain that the workload (though not the pay) overwhelmed them as of last Sunday: the structure was weak, the metal warped from the extreme heat, it couldn't support the weight of the roof, and everything collapsed."

"The arson attacks carried out by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) against dozens of businesses and vehicles has left Puerto Vallarta, a coastal paradise in Mexico, scarred. The retaliation for the downfall of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho, scared away thousands of tourists, triggered a wave of cancellations, and reignited the fear in everyone who already knew, underneath it all, who controlled the city."

"We got the message. It was a show of power. They're in charge here, said Karen and Chris, a Canadian couple, after taking some photos in the burned-out ruins that had been an Oxxo convenience store just a week before."

Following the capture of CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (El Mencho), the Jalisco New Generation Cartel launched coordinated arson attacks across Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, destroying dozens of businesses and vehicles. The assault reduced commercial structures to twisted metal and ash, with maintenance workers reporting heat-warped materials and structural failures. The violence triggered mass tourist cancellations and reinforced cartel dominance over the coastal city. Witnesses, including Canadian tourists photographing burned ruins, recognized the attacks as deliberate displays of power. The coordinated strikes began simultaneously across the city, with smoke visible from multiple locations by morning, forcing workers to evacuate and seek shelter as fires spread throughout the tourist destination.

Read at english.elpais.com