The US government urged Americans in several Mexican states, including popular vacation spots in Jalisco, Baja California and Quintana Roo, to shelter in place as violence erupted across the country following the death of cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.

While airports are operating normally, some domestic and international flights have been cancelled in the western Mexican cities of Guadelajara and Puerto Vallarta.

Dallas resident Adryan Moorefield was set to travel home from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday but awoke to the news that members of organized crime groups had set buses on fire, blocked roads, and clashed with authorities.

“It was such a complete shocker, and it almost felt like being in the twilight zone,” Moorefield told CNN. “We’ve been to PV before and thought that this would be a no brainer place to come and do a quick, easy beach vacation.”

American tourist Jim Beck told CNN he ventured outside his hotel in Puerto Vallarta to get breakfast on Sunday and saw “taxi cabs blown up all over town, blocking the roads.”

“Then immediately, everyone was running down the street, screaming and yelling, and they told everyone to get back to their hotels,” Beck said.

He’s been locked inside his hotel since then, waiting for guidance about when it might be safe to go outside.

Mari, another tourist who asked to go by her first name for privacy reasons, said her young family has been sheltering in their vacation rental and watching the unrest unfold outside.

“We have two little kids, and it’s really scary,” she said. “The entire bay was just covered in fire,” she added. “For hours, there was just a billow of smoke, hovering. You could not see anything across.”

If you are currently in the affected areas in Mexico, here is what to do, as per the US State Department guidance:

Seek shelter and minimize unnecessary movements. Remain in your residences or hotels.
Avoid areas around law enforcement activity.
Be aware of your surroundings.
Monitor local media for updates.
Follow the directions of local authorities and in case of emergency, call 911.
Avoid crowds.
Keep family and friends advised of your location and well-being via phone, text, and social media.

Anyone who needs help can contact these numbers:

From US & Canada: 1-888-407-4747

From Overseas (including Mexico): +1 202-501-4444 (BBC)

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