After the death of their leader, Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel retaliated, leaving violence and destruction in their path. For one Dauphin resident, it turned a vacation into a nightmare. CKDM NewsNow got the chance to speak with Rachelle Strand Fidierchuk, who is still in Mexico.
"The day it all went down I was in the pool at our villa and the maintenance guy Antonio who doesn't speak English was kicking me out. Thank goodness for Google translate. I was told I need to go to my room and not come out till we are told to. We were in lockdown cause the cartel leader was killed and the cartel was rebelling. I asked him twice if I should worry and he said yes," Strand Fidierchuk said in a Facebook message.
Rachelle is in Sayulita, 1 hour north of Puerto Vallarta, and said she is safe. While things were starting off, there was lots of uncertainty.
"When things started unfolding and information was unclear, it was stressful. It's unsettling. The unknown is the scariest part. In the moment, when you don't know what's next, your mind goes everywhere," said Strand Fidierchuk.
Rachelle said she and other guests at her villa were confined to their rooms for 2 days, and now there is a lot more military and police presence.
"Things are slowly getting back to normal but it's still pretty quiet. It scared quite a few people. I've been out and about and it feels safe to me now," said Strand Fidierchuk.
She said though it definitely wasn't fun at the time, it will be a story to tell in the future. Her return flight is booked for Saturday, February 28th.
