The alert was issued on Feb. 22 following a clash between the Mexican military and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Mexican-National-Guard-buring-bus-022226-1a6e6e7c1ac6458d82dff350e4a76db6.jpg "A National Guard member stands guard near a burnt bus set on fire by organised crime groups in response to an operation in Jalisco to arrest a high-priority security target, at one of the main avenues in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on February 22, 2026. A bus set on fire by organised crime groups in response to an operation in Jalisco to arrest a high-priority security target, burns at one of the main avenues in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on February 22, 2026.")
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NEED TO KNOW
- The U.S. Department of State has issued shelter-in-place warnings for U.S. citizens in popular tourist destinations in Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala and Guadalajara
- The alert also listed the states of Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon as places to shelter in place
- The warnings come after an outbreak of cartel and military violence in the region
The United States Department of State has issued a shelter-in-place warnings for Americans at several popular tourist destinations in Mexico.
The official alert was issued on Sunday, Feb. 22, for the Mexican state of Jalisco — which includes popular tourist spots such as Puerto Vallarta, Chapala and Guadalajara — as well as the states of Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon.
“Due to ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity, U.S. citizens in the named locations should shelter in place until further notice,” the department said.
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The alert additionally advised U.S. citizens in the affected areas to “avoid areas around law enforcement activity,” “avoid crowds” and “seek shelter and minimize unnecessary movements.”
The U.S. Department of State and Mexico’s Ministry of National Defense did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The warnings come after the Mexican government initiated a military operation against the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a major drug cartel in the region, on Feb. 22, per a press release from Mexico’s Ministry of National Defense.
The Ministry stated that military personnel were attacked during the operation, forcing them to repel members of the cartel. They said that the military’s defensive actions resulted in the death of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the head of the organization.
Six other cartel members were also killed during the operation.
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The Ministry of Defense also said that three members of the military were injured during the day’s events.
In a Feb. 22 X post, Pablo Lemus Navarro, the governor of Jalisco, said the military operation triggered violence across the region, with individuals setting fire to vehicles and blocking roadways “with the aim of hindering the actions of the authorities.”
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He added that he was coordinating with three levels of government and had activated a “code red” in order to help keep the general population safe.
In a follow-up post on the platform, Navarro said that he had canceled all major events across the state for the day. In another post shortly after, he said that in-person classes would be canceled for children throughout the state on Monday, Feb. 23, in an effort to ensure the safety of students and teachers.
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Mexico’s Security Cabinet reported that approximately 20 state-owned banks had been damaged in the day’s violence, per a post on X.