URGENT UPDATE: A group of vacationing medical students from Nashville is currently trapped in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, amid escalating cartel violence following the recent killing of a notorious cartel leader. Aimen Choudhary, a 27-year-old student from Meharry Medical College, and her friends are facing a dire situation as unrest grips the region.
The chaos erupted over the weekend when the Mexican army killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Choudhary and her friends arrived at the Fiesta Americana resort on a sunny Friday, but by Saturday, the skies were filled with smoke and helicopters, signaling the onset of violence.
“People started talking about civil unrest around lunchtime. Then we started seeing smoke,” Choudhary recounted. Tour guides warned the group about the dangerous situation while they were returning from a snorkeling trip, and they suddenly found themselves without transportation back to their hotel.
“We contacted taxi services, Uber services, everything was shut down. There was no way to get back to our hotel,” she said, describing the alarming reality they faced. The port authorities offered to let them stay, but warned that leaving would compromise their safety.
Realizing the gravity of their situation, Choudhary and her friends chose to walk back to the resort, navigating streets lined with smoldering cars. “It just hit us quick … that this is in fact happening,” she added. Upon reaching the resort, they were greeted by armed men in uniform and instructed to shelter in place.
As of now, Choudhary’s flight scheduled for Tuesday is in limbo, with numerous flights canceled due to the ongoing chaos. “The best that we can do is hope,” she stated. “Right now, it’s just the unknown.”
Choudhary is not alone; another Nashville resident, Sawyer Watts, is also affected. He and his girlfriend were vacationing at the Four Seasons at Punta Mita, about an hour’s drive from Puerto Vallarta, when the violence erupted. Watts reported seeing a large plume of smoke from a fire. “One of the staffers showed my girlfriend a picture of the fire and Google translated, ‘Don’t leave the resort,’” he said.
Authorities confirmed that flight disruptions in Puerto Vallarta continue due to a lack of available flight crews, urging those in the area to seek shelter and minimize unnecessary movements.
Despite the chaos, Choudhary expressed gratitude for the support of those around her. “We are taking it one day at a time,” she said. “The people around us have been amazing, and we’re doing the best that we can.”
As this situation develops, travelers and families are urged to stay updated on safety protocols and flight status. The nightmare for these students underscores the risks faced by tourists in regions experiencing civil unrest.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
