Nashville student stranded in Mexico amid riots over ‘El Mencho’: “There was no way to get back”

A medical student from Nashville, Tennessee, was stranded in Puerto Vallarta, in the state of Jalisco, after violent disturbances broke out following an operation against Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.”

WSMV-TV interviewed Aimen Choudhary, who had gone snorkeling with friends. When they returned, they encountered roadblocks, canceled flights, helicopters flying overhead, and vehicles and stores on fire.

“They had told us there’s civil unrest going on in the region. As we got closer to coming back to the port, we had started seeing smoke,” she told the station.

Choudhary said tour guides warned her and her group that they were in a dangerous situation at the port. The medical student also stated that they were told they would not be able to secure transportation back to their resort.

“We contacted taxi services, Uber services, everything was shut down. There was no way to get back to our hotel,” she said. “We had contacted the hotel people and they’re like, ‘Unfortunately, the situation that we’re in, we cannot risk you guys and us sending out a taxi. That’s the safest place,’” she added.

“We at that point realized this situation is very dire and very serious”

Choudhary also explained that some people at the port told her group that the women could stay with them, but if they attempted to return to their hotel, their safety could not be guaranteed. Choudhary and her friends contacted their loved ones as well as the United States Embassy in Mexico and then decided to walk back to their hotel.

“We at that point realized this situation is very dire and very serious. Seeing the actual car still smoking, seeing the streets dead quiet,” she said. “It was one of those situations where it just hit us quick that this is in fact happening.”

United States provided intelligence support for operation against “El Mencho”

On February 22, special forces from the Mexican Armed Forces and the Immediate Reaction Special Force of the Guardia Nacional de México carried out an operation in Tapalpa aimed at capturing “El Mencho.”

According to reports, military personnel were attacked and returned fire, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. Several individuals died during air transport to Mexico City, including “El Mencho.”

Following the operation, the Mexican government stated that the mission included supplemental intelligence provided by the United States. Reuters reported that the Joint Interagency Anti-Cartel Task Force (JIATF-CC), a newly formed unit led by U.S. military personnel specializing in intelligence gathering, played a significant role in the operation.

Authorities from both Mexico and the United States clarified that the raid was a Mexican military operation conducted without direct participation from U.S. agents. Mexican officials also reported that “El Mencho” was located after authorities tracked one of his romantic partners.

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