Jalisco woke up bleary-eyed Monday morning after a day of unprecedented violence across the state, triggered by the federal operation that killed drug kingpin "El Mencho."
Once the scale of the disturbances had become clear on Sunday, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus ordered a "Code Red" lockdown, recommending that all businesses close and people remain sheltered in their homes.
While many were able to return home safely, others were left stranded with no way to move due to the carnage unfolding on the streets of Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, and on highways around the state.
Public transport shut down quickly on Sunday after the Code Red was issued. Businesses also closed rapidly, with restaurants quickly ushering breakfasting customers outside. Churches canceled services, and the Sunday car-free Vía Recreativa activity was called off.
In Puerto Vallarta, tourists rushed back to their hotels and Airbnbs to shelter inside as vehicles and stores were set on fire. The normally bustling high-season Malecón was deserted, with smoke from burning vehicles hanging in the air.
Motorists on state highways were stuck for hours in their vehicles as roads closed. Patrons at the Guadalajara Zoo were trapped inside and forced to spend the night with limited access to food and supplies.
Chaos ensued at the Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta airports, where many flights were canceled. Panic caused a mass evacuation at Guadalajara's airport after a false alarm about gunmen inside the terminal. Videos of people sheltering behind desks for no reason were widely circulated on social media, adding to an already confused situation.
With a limited taxi service available and Uber and Didi apps working sporadically, some passengers unable to reach hotels or other accommodations were forced to spend the night inside the terminal.
And with supermarket and convenience store doors closed, queues began to form in the evening at mom-and-pop corner shops as residents searched for food supplies.
The chaos at the airports continued Monday, passengers said, with airlines struggling to rebook travelers stranded after Sunday's cancellations. Puerto Vallarta was most affected, with many international flights in and out of the airport remaining canceled.
Guadalajara streets were eerily quiet for a Monday, as most businesses stayed closed. Oxxo convenience stores — a chief target of criminal gangs the day before — were all shuttered, as were some gas stations and pharmacies. Most supermarkets stayed open, however. Restaurants were mostly closed, and only a few cafes opened.
Public transportation in the metro area was only slowly getting back up to speed Monday, with some buses running and a reduced service on the Tren Ligero, Macrobus and Mi Macro Periférico networks.
Lemus' update
In a social media post on Monday morning, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus provided an update on security reinforcements and the path to normalcy:
"Two thousand members of the Mexican Ministry of Defense have arrived in our state to join the security effort," he wrote. "We will gradually be resuming activities and services, such as public transportation and the return to classes. We are in constant communication with the municipalities, especially Tapalpa and Puerto Vallarta.
"We recognize the work of the armed forces, President Claudia Sheinbaum, and her team. We urge citizens to continue acting prudently and to stay informed through official channels.
"Now is the time to work harder than ever, with unity among all levels of government, because everyone's goal is to restore peace."