Huntsville residents Leslie and David Caswell got an adventure they were not expecting. They were holed up in their condominium in Nuevo Nayarit, Mexico, for two days.
Security alerted those in the gated community where they are staying that a Code Red had been issued, instructing them to shelter in place. The Caswells, fortunately, had enough food and water to wait it out on Sunday and Monday. It wasn’t until the Code Red was lifted today, Tuesday, that they began to understand the magnitude of what had occurred close by.
On Sunday, February 22, 2026, Mexican security forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of a powerful Jalisco cartel, in a major military operation. This sparked major cartel retaliation across the region, including in Puerto Vallarta — less than half an hour from where the Caswells are staying.
“We were not allowed to leave the property for two days. It was pretty serious, I guess,” said Leslie Caswell. “I do know that on the highway, which is about three kilometres from us, buses were burning, blocking off the highway, and cars were destroyed in the Soriana grocery store.”
She said they could see plumes of smoke in the distance. “The closest it came was probably a half a km before you get to the various condos where we are.”
She said at one point she saw additional police presence on the walkway leading to the condominiums at the back of the complex.
In the ten years that they’ve been visiting Mexico, she said they’ve never experienced anything like it. The Caswells arrived on January 12, and they’re scheduled to leave the last week of March.
Flights have resumed after being cancelled all of Sunday into Monday. Caswell said the airport was completely shut down on Sunday, and on Monday, there were a minimal number of only national flights. “There were no international flights, and what I found really interesting, I have this app called FlightAware, and I was tracking flights around because I just wanted to know if there were any international flights — there were three United flights coming in from San Francisco, Denver and Houston, and they were abruptly turned around and sent back.”
Things seem to be back to normal today. She said all the restaurants have reopened. Their adult children are breathing a little easier. The beach is filling up again. At their children’s insistence, Caswell said they’ve registered with the consulate.
“It was a little scary at times, but as long as we didn’t leave the property, we were okay,” she said. “I felt pretty safe being on the property, like it’s a gated complex, nobody’s getting in or out.”
She said they plan on staying as scheduled until the last week of March and hopes things remain calm. Asked if they’ll be back to visit Mexico again, Caswell said: “We’ll be returning, absolutely.”
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Boomers rather go to a cartel infested country where violence is the norm than go vacationing in Florida. Make it make sense.