Some Manitobans have been caught in the violent turmoil that's shaken up the Mexican city of Puerto Vallarta following a special operation that took down the leader of a powerful drug cartel. She said she could see black smoke billowing up from fires below the balcony of her Airbnb in downtown Puerto Vallarta, estimating about 20 fires from her vantage point alone. Steinbach resident Tegan Monforton says she and her daughter are hunkered down in an Airbnb in Puerto Vallarta after violence erupted in the Mexican city over the weekend. Flights between Winnipeg and Puerto Vallarta have been cancelled amid the surge in violence, including a WestJet flight set to depart from Richardson Airport on Sunday afternoon. Stranded at Puerto Vallarta airportWendy Buelow and her husband were stuck at the airport in Puerto Vallarta on Sunday evening after arriving there around 8 a.m. for their flight back to Winnipeg.

Source: CBC News February 22, 2026 22:20 UTC