MEXICO — A Broken Arrow man vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is stranded after cartel violence erupted across the region after the Mexican military killed one of the country's most powerful drug cartel leaders.
Cartel members are burning buildings and setting cars on fire in the aftermath of the death of "El Mencho."
The U.S. State Department urged American tourists in affected areas to shelter in place and monitor local alerts.
Steve Perkins, his wife and his friends were in the middle of an 8-night vacation when the situation turned dangerous.
"We're here on vacation with a bunch of friends for 8 nights... we moved to the downtown area to a little boutique hotel that we like a few nights ago and then this happened," Perkins said.
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Photo Gallery: Broken Arrow man stranded in Puerto Vallarta describes cartel violence: 'This is serious'
Perkins said it started with a single loud bang then they saw plumes of smoke up and down the coastline.
"We could hear gunshots periodically, and at one point we heard a lot of screaming all at once... we looked at each other like okay, this is serious," Perkins said.
Heeding the State Department's guidance to shelter in place, Perkins and his group stayed put. He told 2 News he watched as a fully armed Mexican military helicopter made several low passes over his hotel.
Perkins said he always assumed Puerto Vallarta was safe — too big a tourist draw for the cartels to disrupt. The violence changed his perspective.
"After seeing this, now we know the cartel folks are in and among the population all the time. So we're not coming back," Perkins said.
Perkins and his group made it through the night safely.
He and his wife have traveled to Mexico every year since 2012, but he said this is their last trip.
"We've never felt unsafe, not a single time until yesterday. So, as you can expect, we're never coming back to Mexico. My wife will not come to Mexico again," Perkins said.
Perkins and his wife were scheduled to fly home, but their flight was cancelled. He tells 2 News the next available flight out isn't until Sunday.
With spring break just weeks away, the State Department is warning Americans planning trips to Mexico to reconsider their travel plans. A Level 2 advisory is now in effect for several states.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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