2/22/2026
Working in a newsroom on the weekends can be very hit or miss when it comes to receiving breaking news. I can come in on any given Saturday and sit at my desk for eight hours without a single news alert, and the next day the world is seemingly burning itself alive, or vice versa.
This past weekend was one of those ‘bipolar’ moments.
Saturday the 21st started pretty similar to other Saturdays recently. I came into work to check for breaking news from the AP or CNN, but found none. Checked for some local news and didn’t find much. Had a few press releases in my inbox to read and wrote up a couple articles, scheduled some social posts, then went out to shoot some local VOSOTs for our evening newscasts.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I spent most of it waiting for a news alert informing me of US strikes in Iran or something else that was cynical but plausible like that.
Sunday, however, was a bit different.
I came into the newsroom and started my day the same as Saturday. I came in and checked the various beats for any breaking news or overnight press releases, but didn’t find much. Watched the US Men’s Hockey Team win the gold over Canada. Then, I went out to shoot some reporter B-Roll and a VOSOT about a local ski race.
When I came back from my shoots, I found some concerning reports coming out of Jalisco, Mexico.
On X (formerly Twitter), I came across numerous videos and photos depicting armed men storming an airport in Guadalajara and people running for their lives; other videos showed cars burning all over the region with gunshots ringing in the background. There were also reports of cartels clashing with the Mexican Army, and videos of dead soldiers hidden behind a content warning.
When I checked the AP and CNN, I saw reports of an operation conducted by the Mexican military that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.”
I came to learn that Oseguera was the alleged leader of Mexico’s powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and had a $15,000,000 bounty on his head by the United States.
The US Embassy in Mexico had also released a statement urging Americans in the region to shelter in place amid the violence occurring.
When I came across this violent story, I had many questions. Were the videos AI-generated (the first question I ask every time I come across a video online)? Is anyone from the area on vacation there *[1]? Was the US involved directly in the operation?
Slowly, more details began to come in that confirmed cartel members were engaged in violent operations across the region, setting cars on fire and trading gunfire with Mexican National Guard members * [2].
Some information also came out from the US Government stating that the US had provided information on Oseguera, but did not have boots on the ground. I admit I was relieved to hear no US personnel were involved, but wondered how the intelligence given would impact the country.
I shared these details with the on-call manager, and posted an article from CNN regarding Oseguera’s death. When our producer came in at 2pm, I shared what I had seen and said we should be on the lookout for a National PKG from CBS or CNN. Then, I went on break.
When I came back, I checked our comments on the post about the operation in Mexico and checked X for any updates. In our comments, I found a couple individuals who stated they were in the area witnessing the violence. Immediately, I messaged them on Facebook identifying myself as a journalist and asking what they could share with us.
One of the individuals, Lisa Kind, said she was willing to talk on the phone. In a 9 minute phone call, Kind told me what I had feared when I first saw the videos on X.
Kind said that she was a member of the Onalaska Hilltopper Rotary Club and that they were in Porta Vallarta distributing water filtration systems to people in the area. She said they provided the filters on Saturday, and woke up Sunday morning to cars burning outside their hotel.
Kind said that her group had gone out to breakfast, and came across a man speaking Spanish who told them (via a translating app) that the cartel had taken over the town. She said they couldn’t believe it when they read the translation.
The group was told to shelter in place at their hotel, but didn’t receive much information from hotel staff. Instead they relied on news from people back home and various details coming from social media.
Kind also told me that people inside the hotel had packed the pools and were seemingly trying to enjoy their vacations. She described this to me as odd.
At the time of our call, around 5 pm local time, Kind said she could see military helicopters and smoke around the city. The groups flights for that day had been cancelled, and they didn’t know when they would be able to fly out.
I thanked her for sharing their experience of the events unfolding in Jalisco, and told her to share with me if there were any developments. She sent me some photos and a video of the events they witnessed.
After my call, I got to work confirming the information that was shared with me. I got in contact with the Onalaska Rotary Club president who confirmed the group was there, and shared videos and photos of the group and what they were seeing.
With this information confirmed, I was able to pass it along to the producer to be used in 10pm broadcast. At this point, it was time for my shift to end.
I went home, got Chipotle with my girlfriend, and then watched Shrek while I checked my phone for updates on the situation unfolding in Mexico.
I also watched our 10pm show and our coverage of the events, wondering what would happen on Monday.
FOOTNOTES:
*[1] My parents had stayed in Porta Vallarta a few times so it made sense that people in the community could possibly be there, but I wasn’t sure how to immediately confirm that information.
* [2] It was confirmed on Monday that 25 soldiers of the Mexican National Guard were killed during Sunday’s events.
