TAMMYE NASH | Managing Editor
Nash@DallasVoice.com
What has for years been a tropical paradise for LGBTQ+ tourists and ex-patriots last weekend became, at least temporarily, a nightmare scene for residents and visitors alike after the Mexican military arrested a well-known drug cartel leader in Jalisco state.
On Sunday, Feb. 22, government officials announced the arrest and death in custody of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, aka “El Mencho,” a former police officer who became the leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación. That cartel is known as a major supplier of fentanyl to the U.S. and has a reputation for displays of force, making it one of Mexico’s most feared criminal organizations.
According to various news reports, the Mexican Defense Department has said the operation leading to Oseguera Cervantes’ arrest was conducted as part of bilateral coordination and cooperation with the U.S., after American authorities provided complementary intelligence. Some of that information reportedly came from El Mencho’s romantic partner, officials said.
Shortly after Oseguera Cervantes’ arrest, violence erupted across the country, much of it focused on the state of Jalisco and the tourist mecca of Puerto Vallarto, prompting government officials in both Mexico and the U.S. to issue alerts warning tourists there at the time to stay off the streets and “shelter in place.” Flights into and out of the area were quickly cancelled, leaving a number of tourists stranded there.
According to multiple news reports, cartel members responded with violence ranging across the country, including erecting roadblocks and setting vehicles on fire. Numerous businesses were also targeted with arson; U.S. drag entertainer Hedda Lettuce was in Puerto Vallarta when the violence started and has posted numerous videos of the situation to their Instagram feed, including one video, taken from their window, of cartel members setting fire to a nearby store, burning the building to the ground.
News reports also indicate that the cartel violence in the immediate aftermath of El Mencho’s death had, as of Monday, Feb. 23, resulted in the deaths of at least 25 Mexican National Guard troops and more than two dozen criminal suspects. Those numbers may have gone up by press deadline, but new numbers are not available.
LGBTQ+ visitors, property owners respond
Numerous members of the North Texas LGBTQ+ community are regular visitors to Puerto Vallarta, and many others own property there. Dallas Voice spoke with some of those individuals earlier this week to get their response to the violence.
Paul Von Wupperfeld and his husband, Andy Smith, of Dallas own a condo in Puerto Vallarta. Von Wupperfeld said in an email to Dallas Voice on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 24, that they had “heard from our friends and neighbors as well as the management team at our condo, and I am relieved to share that everyone is safe and well.”
He added, “Our building, Residences by Pinnacle, and our street in [La Zona Romantica] are completely fine. No damage occurred and none of our owners, guests or staff were affected. Operations have largely returned to normal; services are running, traffic is improving and the overall atmosphere in the community is calm and stable.”
Von Wupperfeld said he and Smith are “incredibly proud” to know that “several members of the Pinnacle team — security, maintenance, reception, bar staff and housekeeping — ended up staying overnight at the building” when the violence erupted.
“They chose to remain on site to look after the residents and guests and to ensure things kept running smoothly,” he said. “They slept on lounge chairs and sofas, and, thanks to their dedication, offered reassurance and calm when it was needed most.
“This speaks to the true nature of the vast majority of people in Mexico,” he continued.
“Moments like these reveal true character, and I couldn’t be more grateful for their commitment, heart and sense of responsibility.”
Kevin Miller, owner/general manager at The Round-Up Saloon, is the son of Gary Miller and Alan Pierce, the bar’s co-owners who also own several properties in Puerto Vallarta. Kevin Miller said Tuesday that Miller and Pierce were not in the city at the time, but that the business office managing the properties they own say there has been “no damage to any of the resort properties there.”
At the time he spoke with Dallas Voice, Kevin Miller said that the “red alert” remained in place, which had “pretty much shut down Jalisco,” but that his family’s friends and neighbors in Puerto Vallarta “all seem to be fine. They are doing well. We will continue to monitor the situation.”
Robbie McGowan of Kansas City, a close friend of Dallas Voice Associate Publisher Chad Mantooth, was in Puerto Vallarta when the violence began last weekend. He told Dallas Voice on Tuesday that he has friends who were staying closer to the area where much of the attacks occurred.
“We are pretty isolated in South Shore, but it is weird to be stuck in place until the main roadway is cleared and re-opened. My friends live closer to where everything happened. The street in front of Blondie’s — my friends’ bar — looks like a war zone, with burned-out cars, buses, taxis and large city vehicles — all destroyed. My friends walked down to the beaches, but they are still all basically closed,” he said Tuesday. “It’s going to take a while to clear everything out, but hopefully by [Wednesday, Feb. 25] things will begin to open up, including the airports.”
News reports indicate that by the end of Tuesday, flights into and out of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, also in the state of Jalisco, had resumed following a two-day suspension.
Puerto Vallarta: An LGBTQ+ hotspot
According to data released by the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust, 2 million LGBTQ+ tourists visited Puerto Vallarta in 2023, and those tourists generated a record-breaking $17 billion pesos for the local economy. (As of Feb. 25, that equals $990,313,240 in U.S. dollars).
According to AARP and Expedia, there is no official count of how many LGBTQ+ retirees move to Puerto Vallarta each year, the city is known as one of the top retirement destinations for LGBTQ+ American and Canadian retirees who are drawn there by a strong and established community, year-round sunshine, affordable healthcare and a safe and welcoming environment.
The city features a dedicated LGBTQ+ district known as La Zona Romántica, the hub for the LGBTQ+ community. The city even has the Vallarta Gay Clinic, which provides primary care, emotional care, LGBTQ+ care, geriatric care and a lab and pharmacy.
Each year in May, the city celebrates the week-long Puerto Vallarta Pride, which is scheduled this year for May 17-24.
A number of other LGBTQ+ events, from Bear Pride to Halloween to New Year’s Eve, are scheduled throughout 2026.
And the LGBTQ+ visitors and property owners who talked with Dallas Voice said they don’t intend to let last weekend’s violence keep them from the festivities ahead.
“This has been devastating for us,” Kevin Miller said. “Puerto Vallarta is such a beautiful place, such a great spot to visit. And it will be again.
“There’s Pride in May, and we’d love to go down and support that as well as some of the other LGBTQ+ events throughout the year,” he added. “There’s always risk in any city. What happened makes it a little bit nerve-wracking, sure. But it won’t stop us from going down there.”
McGowan, when asked if the events of last weekend would keep him from returning, answered, “Not at all! I think we must support places that give so much value and power to me and my gay friends. I am already planning to come back for Pride in May and then stay a few days after to celebrate my birthday!”
Von Wupperfeld agreed that last weekend’s violence has not turned him and his husband against Puerto Vallarta.
“While unsettling events like this can happen anywhere, they do not define this place — any more than unrest defines Los Angeles, Baltimore or Minneapolis,” he said.
“Mexico is filled with hardworking, resilient and kind people, and this community continues to demonstrate strength and unity, especially in challenging moments,” Von Wupperfeld said.
“We look forward to getting back to Puerto Vallarta very soon and without fear.”
Dallas Voice Associate Publisher Chad Mantooth contributed to this report