Escalating violence in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, isn’t just having an impact on American tourists, but the thousands of U.S. expats who call the city home. Census data from 2020 shows more than 3,000 Americans live there.
Americans in Mexico
That number is about to rise by at least one, because American Todd Price is keeping his plans to retire there in the next few months.
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“I was definitely very nervous and stressed watching what was happening there yesterday,” Price, who lives in Atlanta, told Straight Arrow News. “I’ve been vacationing to Puerto Vallarta for probably 20 years, and I’ve always felt safe there.”
Following the Mexican military’s killing of Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, or CJNG, leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, extreme violence broke out across Puerto Vallarta and other cities across the state of Jalisco.
At first, people there weren’t sure what was going on.
“I’m getting texts and videos from my friends down there, and they didn’t know what was happening,” Price said. “They just see these pillars of smoke all across the city, black smoke, and no clue about why, and there was no information available.”
Price said so far, it’s mostly just been property damage as opposed to violence towards civilians. Gang members have mounted attacks against law enforcement.
“They started torching convenience stores and whatnot,” he said. “In fact, my friends that lived down there, just down the street was an OXXO convenience store where I used to go shopping all the time when I was down there, and it got burned.”
For now, Price’s plans haven’t changed.
“My intent was to move there at the end of March,” he said. “I’m pretty sure the dust will be settled before that happens. But I’m just keeping my eye on things and seeing how things pan out. If I need to delay my move, I can.”
Violence concerns
Price said part of why he still plans to move to Puerto Vallarta is that violence isn’t exactly new for Americans.
There were 96 homicides in Atlanta in 2025, and the number of aggravated assaults and robberies went up last year compared to the year prior.
“I’ve had friends and family say, ‘Oh, you’re going to Mexico, like, aren’t you worried? Aren’t you nervous?’” Price said. “And I’m like, about what? I could get mugged in Atlanta if I’m out too late, walking in the streets at night.”
He doesn’t believe Puerto Vallarta will be seeing this level of violence on a regular basis.
“There’s going to be situations like yesterday, where there’s going to be things happening that are outside of your control,” Price said. “And I think that’s the exception and not the norm.”
Completely changing his plans to retire there would prove difficult.
“I already purchased a condo down there, so I own property,” Price said. “So, trying to figure out in the long-term, if I decide against moving, what I do with property that I already own there.”
Meanwhile, he believes there’s a silver lining to all of this.
“They’re moving on the cartel, so they’re pissed off because one of their guys was taken out, right?” Price said. “So, that’s a good thing in the long run that they’re dismantling this criminal organization.”
Cartels and tourists
While cartels are no strangers to violence, it’s not often that tourists are the targets. When cartels target tourists, it’s typically more of a financial scheme.
“As a general rule, there is a desire to, on both the Mexican government’s part and also cartels, who use tourist areas to launder money and cash businesses to launder money, to try to leave those areas alone to minimize violence in those areas,” Dr. Nathan Jones, associate professor of security studies at Sam Houston State University, told SAN.
That’s been Price’s experience in his travels to the city.
“Tourist activity helps them launder their money,” Price said. “And so, my friends have always said, ‘Oh, well, it’s kind of a symbiotic relationship here. They don’t want to mess with the tourists, because that, you know, they basically help them.”
Jones agreed.
“There is a moment when organized crime moves from organized crime and it can essentially legalize and legitimize itself,” he said. “Some of the key areas where they will attempt to do that is in tourist areas. So, yeah, you could view it as like a symbiotic relationship.”
What we’re seeing in Jalisco now is not typical.
“This, though, is altogether different from the kind of quote, unquote, normal violence we would see in tourist areas on occasion, even though that’s always kind of limited,” Jones said.
For those who do have a trip coming up to Puerto Vallarta or Jalisco, Jones had some advice.
“Follow all U.S. and Mexican government warnings, which are, at this point, are probably going to be to ‘don’t go,’” he said.
