Bay Area residents stuck in Puerto Vallarta amid unrest after killing of drug lord 'El Mencho'

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, plumes of black smoke could be seen rising as vehicles were set on fire on Sunday.

The unrest is in connection with the killing of the powerful leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho."

Flights are being canceled, and U.S. citizens are being told to stay put.

ABC7 Eyewitness News spoke with several Bay Area residents in Puerto Vallarta during the unrest.

Producer Juan Carlos Guerrero and his wife were set to fly home around 5 p.m. Sunday. But when they woke up this morning, their flight was canceled, and the airport was shut down.

People have reported hearing sounds of explosions. Cars and businesses have gone up flames.

RELATED: Mexican army kills leader of powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, 'El Mencho,' during operation

In the heart of Puerto Vallarta, heavy smoke could be seen billowing into the sky.

Jeanne Allen and her husband from Alameda spend three months of the year in their condo in the Zona Romantica part of Puerto Vallarta -- also known as Old Town.

Sunday morning, they learned about all the unrest in one of Mexico's most popular tourist destinations.

"We looked out and we saw fires to the north and to the south," Allen said. "Everybody in the world has been emailing, texting me, calling me."

Fire destroyed an OXXO convenience store half a block away from her condo. Allen also lives about four blocks away from one of the many car fires set on Sunday.

MORE: Mexico detains brother of drug kingpin 'El Mencho'

The U.S. Embassy is telling Americans to shelter in place because of the unrest reportedly linked to a military operation targeting El Mencho.

"The streets are empty. The beaches are empty. It's frightening. It really is," Allen said.

Guerrero said his trip took a surprising turn. He is in Puerto Vallarta to celebrate a friend's 60th birthday.

"Yeah, we got here on Thursday and everything was wonderful," Guerrero said. "We got to go whale watching. We did lots of beautiful things. And then we woke up to this, this morning on the day that we're supposed to fly out."

From his hotel, he could see billowing black smoke.

"We're about 10 miles south from Puerto Vallarta. We're a little more isolated. But you could see a lot of smoke rising from the area of downtown Puerto Vallarta," Guerrero said.

Guerrero says they sheltered in place and then learned about the cartel activity.

"I followed news from Mexico City -- a lot from Mexico in general -- and there's been other times that they've captured the drug kingpins from Mexico. And that's, you know, led to a lot of violence and a lot of, precisely, of the car fires -- which are a way the car fires that they're using to block the roads, is basically to keep the military from getting into areas that the cartel doesn't want them to get into," Guerrero said.

Guerrero said he can't get a flight back until Friday. He's trying to get out earlier.

But they are a one-hour drive from the airport, and he says there's no telling what they could see along the way.