Mexican authorities are searching for 23 inmates who escaped from a prison in Puerto Vallarta amid a surge of violence reportedly launched by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) on Sunday, according to BBC reports.
Puerto Vallarta, a popular Pacific coast beach resort, was among several cities where CJNG members allegedly blocked roads and set vehicles on fire in retaliation for the killing of their leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho,” by security forces.
During the unrest, armed men reportedly rammed one of the prison gates with a vehicle, enabling the escape of 23 inmates, officials said.
More than 70 people — including 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard — were killed during the operation targeting El Mencho and in the violence that followed.
Authorities have launched a large-scale manhunt as tensions remain high in the region.
