Known as a sunny tourist paradise, parts of the coastal city of Puerto Vallarta seem more like the set of a war film in the aftermath of violent chaos spurred by the capture and death of Mexico's most-wanted drug lord.
Dozens of incinerated vehicles lined the streets and some vandalized stores were empty Tuesday, with stunned residents and tourists still in disbelief.
kAmQxE 766=D =:<6 H6VC6 :? 2 H2C\K@?6[Q y2G:6C !6C6K[ 2 c`\J62C\@=5 6?8:?66C H9@ =:G6D :? E96 4:EJ[ E@=5 pu! 2D 96 H6?E E9C@F89 E96 A2C<:?8 =@E @7 2 8C@46CJ DE@C6 C6A=6E6 H:E9 3FC?E @FE 42CD]k^Am
kAmxE 2== DE2CE65 H96? }6>6D:@ Qt= |6?49@Q ~D68F6C2[ E96 E@A =6256C @7 E96 A@H6C7F= y2=:D4@ }6H v6?6C2E:@? r2CE6= Wry}vX[ H2D <:==65 :? 2 |6I:42? >:=:E2CJ C2:5 @? $F?52J]k^Am
kAmw:D 562E9 =65 E@ 2? @FE3C62< @7 G:@=6?46 24C@DD E96 H6DE6C? DE2E6 @7 y2=:D4@[ H96C6 >2DD24C6D 2?5 4=2?56DE:?6 8C2G6D 2C6 D@ 4@>>@? E96J 92C5=J C2:D6 2? 6J63C@H]k^Am
kAm!F6CE@ '2==2CE2[ 9@H6G6C[ 925 C6>2:?65 2=>@DE :>>F?6 E@ E96 DE2E6VD 52:=J G:@=6?46[ 364@>:?8 2 A@AF=2C DA@E 7@C p>6C:42? 2?5 r2?25:2? E@FC:DED[ 2?5 6IA2ED[ 6D42A:?8 3CFE2= H:?E6CD 324< 9@>6]k^Am
kAm&?E:= =2DE $F?52J[ H96? 3=24< E@H6CD @7 D>@<6 3=@EE65 @FE E96 DF?]Â k^Am
kAmQ(6 925 ?@ :562 H92E H2D 8@:?8 @?[ 2?5 E96? H6 D2H E96 3FD H2D 3FC?65 2?5 E96 42C H2D 3FC?65[ 2?5 E96? H6 D2H 3=24< D>@<6 2== 2C@F?5 E96 4:EJ 7C@> E96 H:?5@H[Q u2C29 $2F?56CD[ 2 db\J62C\@=5 r2?25:2? C6E:C66[ D2:5]k^Am
kAm|6>36C @7 ~D68F6C2VD 42CE6= 3=@4<65 @77 C@25D[ 3FC?65 G69:4=6D[ 2EE24<65 82D DE2E:@?D[ 3FD:?6DD6D[ 2?5 32?<D 2?5 4@?7C@?E65 2FE9@C:E:6D :? a_ @7 E96 4@F?ECJVD ba DE2E6D]k^Am
kAm!F6CE@ '2==2CE2 |2J@C {F:D tC?6DE@ |F?8F:2 C6A@CE65 @? |@?52J E92E @G6C a__ G69:4=6D H6C6 3FC?65 2?5 c_ 3FD:?6DD6D H6C6 G2?52=:K65] q6J@?5 E92E[ ab :?>2E6D 6D42A65 7C@> E96 =@42= ;2:= H:E9 DFAA@CE 7C@> 4C:>:?2=D H9@ 3FDE65 @A6? E96 5@@C 2>:5 C:@ED]k^Am
kAm%96 D<J 3=24<65 3J E96 D>@<6 7C@> 7=2>:?8 G69:4=6D H2D G:D:3=6 7C@> $2F?56CDVD DF:E6 :? 2 =FIFCJ 9@E6= 2=@?8 !F6CE@ '2==2CE2VD >2:? DEC:A]Â k^Am
kAm%96 C6>2:?D @7 2 3FD C65F465 E@ D4C2A >6E2= =2J 232?5@?65 :? E96 DEC66E[ H9:=6 pu! D2H 5@K6?D @7 DE@C6D 2?5 D9@AA:?8 46?E6CD 2=@?8 E96 D2>6 4@CC:5@C E92E C6>2:?65 4=@D65 2?5 56D6CE65]k^Am
kAmQ(6 H6C6 BF:E6 D42C65[ H6VG6 ?6G6C 8@?6 E9C@F89 D@>6E9:?8 =:<6 E9:D :? r2?252[Q D2:5 $2F?56CD[ H9@ 42>6 96C6 H:E9 96C 9FD32?5 7C@> p=36CE2[ 6I4:E65 3J E96 8@@5 C6AFE2E:@? '2==2CE2 92D 2>@?8 E96:C 76==@H 4:E:K6?D]k^Am
kAmQ$@>6 a_[___ @7 FD =:G6 96C6[Q D96 25565]k^Am
kAm$96 2?5 96C 9FD32?5[ H9@ D9@F=5 92G6 C6EFC?65 E@ E96:C 4@F?ECJ @? |@?52J[ C6>2:? DEC2?565 3J E96 42?46==2E:@? @7 7=:89ED 3J &$ 2?5 r2?25:2? 2:C=:?6D 7@==@H:?8 E96 @A6C2E:@? 282:?DE Qt= |6?49@]Qk^Am
k9am\ r@DE4@ 2EE24< \k^9am
kAm%H6=G6 <:=@>6E6CD 7C@> E96 9@E6= K@?6[ 4C@DD:?8 6>AEJ DEC66ED H:E9 >:?:>2= EC277:4[ C6D:56?ED :? E96 H6==\@77 ?6:893@C9@@5 @7 u=FG:2= '2==2CE2 H2?56C65 E9C@F89 E96 A2C<:?8 =@E @7 2 r@DE4@ H9@=6D2=6C]k^Am
kAm%96 42CE6= 8F?>6? 925 ?@ >6C4J 7@C r@DE4@ @? $F?52J[ H96C6 E96J 3FC?65 @G6C c_ G69:4=6D]k^Am
kAm$:=6?E[ y2G:6C !6C6K H2=<65 E9C@F89 E96 6IA2?D6 @7 56DEC@J65 G69:4=6D 244@>A2?:65 3J 9:D 72>:=J]Â k^Am
kAmQ&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E9:D 92AA6?65 E@ @FC 4:EJ[ H9:49 :D 2 362FE:7F= A=246[Q 96 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmp C6D:56?E @7 !F6CE@ '2==2CE2 7@C `e J62CD[ !6C6K BF6DE:@?65 H96E96C E96 8@G6C?>6?E 4@F=5 92G6 2=6CE65 E96 A@AF=2E:@? D@ E96J 4@F=5 E2<6 4@G6C 367@C6 E96 6?DF:?8 G:@=6?46]k^Am
k9am\ Vq25 x>286V \k^9am
kAm~E96C C6D:56?ED =@DE >@C6 E92? ;FDE E96:C 42CD[ 2D E96:C 3FD:?6DD6D H6C6 :?4:?6C2E65 5@H? E@ E96 46>6?E[ :?4=F5:?8 2 >@E@C4J4=6 DE@C6 :? E96 D@FE96C? {2 '6?2 ?6:893@C9@@5]k^Am
kAm$2:5 s:2K[ a_[ :?DA64E65 E96 DE@C6 H96C6 32C6=J E6? 52JD 62C=:6C 96 7F=7:==65 9:D 5C62> @7 3FJ:?8 2 >@E@C4J4=6]k^Am
kAmQ(96? x 42>6[ x H2D D@ :>AC6DD65 H:E9 2== E96 3:<6D 96C6[ 2?5 ?@H E96C6 :D ?@E9:?8]]] tG6CJ E:>6 x 42>6 9@>6 7C@> H@C< x E@@< D@>6 E:>6 E@ =@@< 2E E96>[Q D2:5 E96 J@F?8 >2?[ H9@ H@C<D 2E 2 36249D:56 4@?5@>:?:F> 4@>A=6I 7C6BF6?E65 3J 7@C6:8?6CD]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D 92D =67E '2==2CE2 H:E9 2 C62==J 325 :>286] x H@C< :? 2 4@?5@ 2?5 ?@H 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 2C6 =62G:?8[Q s:2K 25565[ 6IAC6DD:?8 H@CC:6D @G6C E96 A@E6?E:2= :>A24ED E@ 9:D 6>A=@J>6?E]Â k^Am
kAm;=2^2:^=A^>2C^;A@^56Dk^Am

