Theresa Hayduck from Yukon peered over her balcony in Puerto Vallarta on Sunday morning and spotted thick black smoke pillars marring the picturesque Mexican coastal view. She initially dismissed them as forest fires until explosions echoed nearby.
Unrest Sparks Shelter-in-Place Order
Hayduck arrived in Puerto Vallarta on Friday with a group of 13 for a relaxing getaway. Violence erupted across several Mexican states, including Jalisco’s Puerto Vallarta, after authorities reported the death of a leader from one of the country’s most powerful criminal organizations in a clash with special forces. Global Affairs Canada issued a shelter-in-place directive for the area, prompting multiple airlines to cancel flights to and from the city.
Group Keeps Spirits High
On her first trip to Mexico, Hayduck expressed gratitude despite the chaos. “This is my first time in Mexico. I feel like I’m living my best life,” she shared in a phone interview. “My first morning I just woke up with so much gratitude. And then I’m like, ‘Gosh. I’ve watched a lot of shows about the cartel, and now I’m in Mexico where one of the largest drug dealers is gone.’ So I’m just trying not to freak out.”
Travel companion Vincent Esquiro, also from Yukon, observed dozens of fires and flames rising above trees from his room at the Sunscape Resort. He heard explosions amid eerily empty streets. “No people walking. Nobody driving. Nobody out. It was very, very quiet. No birds,” Esquiro described. The hotel lobby buzzed with guests barred from leaving.
The group plans to remain at the resort until Friday, monitoring flights daily. Esquiro noted minimal initial social media reactions from friends, likely distracted by the Canada-U.S. 2026 Winter Olympics hockey game. Responses flooded in afterward. “There does seem to be a sense of ‘stay calm and carry on,’” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Former Yukon Official Shares Experience
Hayduck remains unfazed by the turn of events. “It’s -29 in Yukon, and we’re sitting in plus 29,” she noted. “We’ll just enjoy our time as much as we can and keep safe. I guess we’re all just going to hunker down in the resort.”
Doug Phillips, former Yukon commissioner vacationing in Mexico for three weeks, watched the hockey game at a waterfront restaurant near Marina Puerto Vallarta when he spotted a massive smoke pillar. Hotel staff later informed him of the lockdown upon his return. From his balcony, he counted over 15 fires igniting in downtown Puerto Vallarta and nearby areas.
Phillips described the scene as “a little scary” but emphasized safety at the hotel. “Puerto Vallarta is a safe town and the attack is not directed toward tourists,” he stated. “It’s actually more of an attack between the fights between the different cartels. Hunker down and stay where you’re safe.” His departure from Mayan Palace at Vidanta Puerto Vallarta, originally set for Monday, remains uncertain. “We’re kind of in no-man’s-land right now,” Phillips said. “I can’t wait to get back to the 25 below. And no cartel.”
