By Emily Reynoso Munoz
On February 22, 2026, CJNG Cartel leader ‘El Mencho’ was killed during an operation by the Mexican Army. Chaos ensued and students with family in Jalisco and other areas affected were bombarded by a terrifying news cycle. Tourists in Puerto Vallarta largely dominated the version of the news people were consuming through social media. Things were unsure as it took time for families to communicate with each other amidst it all.
Jacky Nery Arias, Assistant Vice President for Hispanic Serving and Culturally Sustaining Initiatives, mentioned,
“My experience is mostly hearing from family members saying that it is very difficult to tell who is an actual police officer/first responder versus armed militia because they dress similarly and all carry large guns. I have family who has been quarantined near Cancun and Mexico City for 10 days at a time because it’s not safe to leave their homes with rampant gun violence. The recommendations they hear from their local trusted sources is to trust any “stay indoors” instructions from the government as this is not a drill.”
America Perez, a student also shared,
“A lot has been going on, and it has been extremely scary. My parents are from a small rancho in Michoacan. So unfortunately, violence has always been predominant in our community. Our Oxxo’s (convenience store and gas station chain in Mexico) were being burned down. There were cars in front of our church being burned down. It’s always civilians and the innocents that are getting caught in the crossfire, and its innocent people who are losing their lives. There was a priest who [they] burned their car down and he was simply going to a nearby ranch to give service. A lot of innocent civilians are being affected by the violence. And [there’s] a lot of corruption”
The topic of femicides and how women are affected in times like these were brought up, Perez added, “…going in a little bit about the… feminicides. It’s also really sad because there’s just a lot of missing women, and we don’t know where they’re going and it’s scary. Their families demand answers, and then I think there’s a lot of organizations where mothers go look, and they literally go digging, finding bones. It’s just a lot of women are also being affected and it’s dehumanizing because women are not objects. As women we are powerful, and we are a tool for change. I think we see that as a lot of women are using their voices. We have a president who’s a woman (Claudia Sheinbaum) and being in such a machista (Patriarchal) country, that says a lot, you know? We are the change and it’s just a lot of women are falling in the cracks of everything. So that’s really scary, you know? Being a woman and then having to travel sometimes alone, like, it’s just really scary.”
Perez mentions her thoughts on travel going forward, echoing the very real fear students have that comes with deciding whether to travel back or not.
“My family travels a lot to Mexico. So, our safety has often been a concern. Like, when are we going to be able to go back to Mexico? Is it safe to travel right now? Should we not go? And we don’t want that, right? We want to go home to our motherland and simply enjoy, but because the violence is so high, we just don’t know when we can go back or when it’s even safe to go back. I have my grandparents in Mexico. They’re doing fine, thank God, but it’s just- it’s just really scary for everyone. Everything going on.”
Neri Arias shared her recommendation for students who are looking to travel to potentially affected areas.
“I would recommend that students discuss with their families and attorneys what their travel plans are, make safety plans, and keep open communication like tracking devices available while they travel to any of the affected areas in Mexico, especially since many of our students travel for the Easter holiday”
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