The International Labor Day holiday on May 1 was anything but peaceful in the western state of Jalisco. Guadalajara, Jalisco's capital and Mexico's second largest city, woke up Friday to the sound of gunshots as powerful criminal groups confronted government forces, leaving three soldiers dead, 12 wounded and three missing, according to Mexico's Department of National Defense.
Cities in Jalisco, including Puerto Vallarta, known for its beaches, and Ajijic, a retiree paradise near Lake Chapala, are home to the largest resident population of Americans outside the U.S., according to the U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara.
Mexican authorities identified the group responsible for the killings, which also shot down a military helicopter, blocked highways, and set fire to buses, buildings, banks and gas stations, as the Jalisco Nueva Generación ("New Generation") cartel.
This relatively new powerful criminal group has declared war on Mexican law enforcement and the military in Jalisco state. They were responsible for an ambush last month that killed 15 policemen and for an attempt on the life of the state's security commissioner. The violence on Friday erupted when the military activated Operation Jalisco aimed at capturing top leaders of the Nueva Generación cartel.
The rapidly deteriorating security situation in a relatively calm region with a strong presence of Americans and Canadians set off alarm bells in Washington. "Worrisome developments," an Obama administration official told me by email on Friday. "Need to evaluate carefully and not make snap judgments based on one-time events. It's cause for serious concern."
But the U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara, among the largest in Mexico, did not wait long before issuing two "Security Messages" on May 1st, advising American citizens to "avoid traveling in the area and to stay alert to public announcements from Mexican police and authorities." It also advised Consulate employees to remain in their homes until further notice.
In an update, the Consulate stated that in addition to the previous notice regarding criminal road blockades throughout Guadalajara and the state of Jalisco, including Puerto Vallarta, the Consulate alerted U.S. citizens that criminal roadblocks have also been reported in the nearby state of Colima.
By Saturday, the situation had been temporarily resolved. Yet the U.S. Consulate warned about more violence. In a third "Security Message," it informed American citizens that "Mexican authorities report the criminal activity that took place throughout Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and the states of Jalisco and neighboring Colima has been brought under control at this time. Major highways are clear. The shelter in place order for Consulate employees has been lifted."
Yet the Consulate warned about the possibility of more violence. "Clashes between criminal organizations and Mexican authorities may continue;" it advised Americans "to remain vigilant and monitor local media reports."
Last month, in an updated Travel Warning for Mexico, the State Department included Jalisco and Colima among the list of Mexican states where Americans should defer non-essential travel to some parts because of the strong presence of criminal groups.
The Jalisco Attorney General told The Washington Post that the Nueva Generación cartel is the "least vulnerable, least attacked" of the major drug gangs because the federal government has not been doing enough to help state authorities confront it. The official claimed that the cartel has expanded to more than 10 states in Mexico and that much of the heroin being seized on the U.S. border is smuggled by its members.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto responded on Friday by promising on
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