GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, Mexico — More than 1,000 people visiting the Zoológico de Guadalajara were forced to remain inside the park and sleep in its parking area late Sunday and overnight after widespread road blockades and violent incidents erupted across the state following the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the suspected leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, authorities and local reports said.
The violence began on Feb. 22, 2026, after Mexican military forces engaged Oseguera Cervantes in an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, killing him, according to federal and local officials. The killing triggered retaliatory attacks, vehicle burnings and highway blockades that made travel unsafe, leaving numerous groups of tourists and local residents unable to exit the city.
State police and emergency teams moved to secure those who were stranded inside the zoo, a major cultural and tourist attraction in Guadalajara that draws thousands annually and houses more than 2,000 animals across hundreds of species.
Officials from the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública de Jalisco said the visitors came from several Mexican states, including Aguascalientes, Nayarit, Guanajuato, Michoacán and Zacatecas, and were unable to leave after narcobloqueos closed key roadways. Families, including children, stayed in 21 buses, five vans and four private vehicles in the zoo’s parking lot under police supervision, awaiting clearance of major routes.
The state’s public social services agency, DIF Jalisco, provided blankets, potable water and diapers, CNN-affiliated local coverage confirmed, and zoo facilities such as restrooms remained available for use as families overnighted where they were trapped.
Some children from Nayarit and their parents were among those sheltered inside the zoo after the violence prompted transport shutdowns and heightened security protocols across the Guadalajara metropolitan area, local social media posts and news outlets reported.
The broader unrest also contributed to transportation disruptions beyond the zoo. Reports indicated that around 300 tourists were stranded at the Puerto Vallarta airport after operations were suspended as a precaution, and authorities worked to organize secure transport routes for travelers once highways reopened.
Authorities have not provided a specific timetable for reopening all blocked roads, but state and security officials continue to prioritize restoring safe travel conditions. The situation in Guadalajara and surrounding regions remains fluid as security operations progress and families await guidance on returning home.
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