Mexico Violence Snapshot

Locals and tourists in Mexico have described the "heartbreaking" unrest after one of the most powerful and feared cartels in the country unleashed a wave of violence across several states.

It comes after Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho", Mexico's most wanted man and leader of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel, was killed during a security operation to arrest him on Sunday.

Footage recorded by locals and tourists showed burnt vehicles and plumes of smoke rising above several towns and cities, including the beach resort of Puerto Vallarta.

Nashville-born Jerry Jones, who has lived in the town for more than four years, told BBC News he has "never experienced anything like this" and usually felt "safer here than in my hometown".

Jones, the owner of LGBT+ lifestyle magazine Out and About Puerto Vallarta, moved to Mexico after retiring from his job in the United States.

"I love the people here, I love the walkability of the city, how nice everyone is. It's a beautiful and fantastic place, and that's what encouraged me to come here," he said.

He said residents were "completely caught off guard" on Sunday morning as news of El Mencho's capture, and the following unrest, broke.

"The first inkling that we had that something was going on was one of our readers sent us a video of a bus being set on fire," he said.

He started seeing smoke "all the way across the city" just minutes later.

Jones said vehicles were being parked across roads and set on fire, including at one local store in which "more than 30 vehicles that were in the parking lot at the time were burned and destroyed".

- Author: Sofia Ferreira Santos, BBC

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