The Mexican state of Jalisco, soon to be a focal point for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, is capturing attention for troubling reasons. Concerns are rising over the possibility of a serial killer at large in Puerto Vallarta, a favored destination for American tourists.
Jalisco is under the microscope again following the grim discovery of three murdered women in Puerto Vallarta, each bearing similar traits. This unsettling development echoes the violent events of February, when the Jalisco New Generation Cartel wreaked havoc in retaliation for the death of their leader, El Mencho.
The recent surge in violence threatens to tarnish Jalisco’s image as a prime tourist spot. Notably, Guadalajara, the state’s capital, is slated to host four World Cup matches, including a high-profile game against South Korea.
Puerto Vallarta, a vibrant coastal town cherished by American visitors, now finds itself at the center of global attention, for reasons both good and bad.
Local police are actively investigating the trio of deaths, analyzing evidence, surveillance footage, and various reports, after the women’s bodies were discovered over an 11-day period.
City police said they were reviewing evidence, surveillance footage, and reports related to the deaths of three women, whose bodies were found within 11 days of each other.
All the women who died were in their early to mid-30s and had tattoos, with their bodies found partially undressed and in isolated areas, police said.
The investigation remains in its early stages, officials said, as they look into the possibility that the womenâs bodies were simply transported to Puerto Vallarta after being murdered elsewhere.
The cartel had been extremely active in the area after the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, one of Latin America’s most powerful cartel bosses, who was killed in February at a hideout west of Puerto Vallarta.
His death triggered a mass uprising from cartel members across Jalisco, as images of burning vehicles and road stops became the norm and upended hundreds of tourists’ visits to the state.
Jalisco was listed under countries for Americans to “reconsider travel” to by the US Department of State, with neighboring state Michoacán listed as a place to completely avoid due to safety concerns.
Guadalajara itself is at the center of a missing persons crisis in Mexico, which has more than 130,000 people listed as missing, according to officials.
The United Forces for Our Disappeared in Nuevo Leon (FUNDENL), an NGO that works to help find the missing, recently stated that the number of missing could fill up three stadiums for the World Cup.
