Canadian travellers from Kitchener and St. Marys, Ont. shelter in place as violence erupts in Mexico

CTV’s Alexandra Holyk speaks with Canadian travellers in Puerto Vallarta who are being advised to continue to shelter in place amid cartel-related violence.

Canadian travellers, including some from in and around Waterloo Region, continue to shelter in place Monday after violence erupted in parts of Mexico.

On Sunday, the Mexican army carried out an operation that saw “El Mencho,” one of Mexico’s most notorious cartel leaders captured and killed.

In the hours that followed, cartel violence has gripped parts of the country, with suspected cartel members torching buses and businesses in response to the raid.

“They were rounding up people, stopping them in their cars, pulling them out and setting fire to [the cars],” said Gregory George.

George is vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, but is originally from St. Marys, Ont. He said he’s been holed up in a friend’s apartment as fires burn steps away from the front door.

“We had to evacuate because there was a concern that our building would catch fire,” George said.

George was supposed to fly back to Toronto on Monday, however, all flights in and out of Puerto Vallarta have been suspended.

“I feel safe, I’m more concerned about what’s going to happen next,” he said.

George’s flight has been rescheduled to Friday.

In a village 27 km north of Puerto Vallarta, Kitchener resident Ian Graham waits in the silence.

“It’s quiet,” he says in a video shot from the balcony of his home in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

“Everything is closed. All the shops have closed. All the restaurants, all that,” Graham told CTV News in an interview. “Everyone is just basically sheltering in place until we hear otherwise.”

‘No stone unturned’

On Monday, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said more than 26,000 Canadians are registered in Mexico, including 8,000 that contacted Global Affairs in the last 24 hours.

“I want to assure Canadians that we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that we are providing the most accurate advice possible,” Anand told reporters.

The minister also advised Canadians to follow directions from local authorities in Mexico, adding that Canada was not involved in the military operation.

Anand also said the federal government is working on a plan to help Canadians currently in Puerto Vallarta, however, when asked to provide further details, Anand said the government isn’t prepared to share that information at this time.