Cartel violence has plunged a popular Mexican tourist area into chaos, leaving Americans trapped inside resorts and unable to get home, veteran border official Art Del Cueto said Monday on Newsmax.
"The big concern for me is, as you mentioned, look, [these are] popular tourist towns. There's Americans that were vacationing there right now that are stuck in their resorts, that were not able to get to the airport," Del Cueto said during an appearance on "Wake Up America."
A wave of retaliatory violence is sweeping across parts of Mexico after the country's security forces killed the leader of one of its most powerful criminal organizations.
In response, heavily armed cartel operatives have unleashed road blockades, torched vehicles, and seized critical infrastructure in cities, including popular resort areas.
"The cartels have taken over some parts of the airport," Del Cueto said. "At the same time, they went to some of the roads coming in and out of the city with bulldozers, and they tore up the roads so that makes it even more difficult to get anybody in the city.
"It's very, very chaotic."
The result, he said, is a frightening ordeal for Americans who traveled to the resorts seeking rest and relaxation rather than a security crisis.
"I feel for the Americans that are there because they were vacationing — not being able to come home," Del Cueto said.
He made clear he would not have chosen to travel there under the current volatile circumstances when asked how he would respond.
"First off, I wouldn't be there, but if I was there, I'd probably be by myself, and I would be doing everything I could to try to get the heck out of there," Del Cueto said.
He noted that navigating a dangerous and fast-moving situation can be even harder for Americans facing a language barrier.
"Fortunately, I'm very fluent in Spanish, so I think that makes it easier for some," Del Cueto said.
As conditions deteriorated, some tourists attempted to leave, only to be turned back once they reached the airport, he said.
"I do know that some of the people that were there as tourists, they were taken to the airport through the shuttle buses from some of the resorts, and then they were immediately turned around and brought back, and they were told, 'Look, you're not going anywhere,'" Del Cueto said.
With roads destroyed and parts of the airport reportedly in cartel hands, he said Americans on the ground are now waiting for official guidance.
"I think everyone there now is just waiting to see what direction they get from the State Department, but I am very much aware that there are several Americans that are stuck in these resorts," Del Cueto said.
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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