American trapped at luxury resort in Mexico told ‘no one’s leaving’ by hotel staff

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With the Jalisco New Generation cartel in Mexico causing violent destruction across the Puerto Vallarta area, many American tourists remain stranded due tocanceled flightsand closed airports.

Not far north is the posh area of Punta Mita — home toluxury resortssuch as the Four Seasons and the Ritz-Carlton.

“We were checking out, and we walked up to the bellman, and he said, ‘No one’s [leaving], you can’t drive anywhere.There are no vehicles.Theairport shut down.’ So that was the first we heard of it — [Sunday] at like 10 a.m.,” said Puccetti.

She added, “From here, you wouldn’t have any idea that there’s anything going on.”

(Wendee Puccetti)

Puccetti said she had booked her trip with avacation package agency, and so far has received only an email notice from the organization.

She said the group sent a link to a portal with flight options — the first one showing Friday — but cannot book through the platform.

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Puccetti was able to extend her stayat her current hotel,and said she’s standing by — sheltering in place — until she’s able to find the next flight out.

“The hotel’s really empty,” she said.“I think a lot of people that were supposed to be here were on those flights that either turned around and went back, or were diverted to other cities,” she said.

two out of the 14 restaurantsopen for service.

“There is a woman that has been helping us out all week,” said a U.S.vacationer at a luxury resort in Mexico.“She’s got a five-year-old boy.He was at a Sunday school yesterday, and you could just tell she was so worried about him.”(Wendee Puccetti)

“I just feel bad for thepeople that live and work here,” she said.

“There is a woman that has been helping us out all week.She’s got a five-year-old boy.He was at a Sunday school yesterday, and you could just tell she was so worried about him,” said Puccetti.

She added, “They don’t want that whole cartel stigma associated with this area because it’s never happened here before.”

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Puccetti did a lot of research prior to her trip, she said, determining Puerto Vallarta to be generally safe and the Punta Mita region known for being very safe.

“I don’t have any regrets about coming here.It’s unfortunate that it happened the way it did.”

“I mean, you could say [it’s dangerous] going downtown to parts of Chicago or New York City, or whatever,” said Puccetti.

“I don’t have any regrets about coming here,” she added.“It’s unfortunate that it happened the way it did.”

“I feel bad for the people that live and work here,” said an American tourist at a Mexican resort.This week, a rescue group based in Florida is traveling to Mexico to try to help stranded tourists get out of the country safely. (Marco Ugarte/AP Photo)

Crisis response group Grey Bull Rescue, based in Florida, has launched operation “Condor Reach” to help Americans trapped in Mexico evacuate.

�war-zone level” and nuanced — with team members deployed on Monday.

the cartels are a business as much as they are an army, the violence is entirely in their control.The Mexican army is not going to be able to really defeat the cartels,” said Stern.

“They’ve been around for many, many, many years.”