Wyoming Couple Defies Curfew to Help Stranded Students Amid Cartel Chaos in Puerto Vallarta

A Thermopolis couple renting a vacation home in Puerto Vallarta found themselves in the middle of a cartel-fueled war zone Sunday after Mexican security forces killed a top drug lord—but they have no plans to leave and even defied curfew to help stranded Canadian students.

“Sunday was a day from hell. We didn’t know what was going on. There were explosions and smoke and fire and gunfire,” Lindy Be Hughes told Cowboy State Daily.

The violence erupted after the death of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in a military strike aided by U.S. intelligence. Cartel members retaliated across the country, targeting tourist hotspots to pressure the Mexican government.

In Puerto Vallarta, they burned convenience stores, crashed a bus through a restaurant wall, and clashed with troops. Tourists and residents were ordered to shelter in place. “We were told that if they saw Americans on the street, they would shoot you,” Hughes said.

Despite the danger, Hughes and her husband Matthew loaded food into their car that night and drove with headlights off to deliver it to seven Canadian college students trapped in an Airbnb with only three packs of Ramen noodles.

Savannah Rossouw of Vancouver said her father connected with Hughes after learning his daughter was stuck with no food. “Lindy was so nice. She came over again, when they weren’t even supposed to leave their house. And she brought over so much food. It was great. We were like, ‘Yay, we get to eat!'”

By Tuesday, the city was rapidly reopening. Hughes spoke to Cowboy State Daily on her way to get her nails done. Tow trucks hauled away burned vehicles, and the restaurant wall was already being rebuilt. Some students have caught flights home; others will leave later this week.

Despite the chaos, the Hughes have no plans to leave. “The local community of Puerto Vallarta shatters negative stereotypes,” Hughes said. “I have girlfriends who are single, who walk home alone at night with no fear at all.”