Authorities capture 4 escapees after Puerto Vallarta jailbreak; 19 remain at large

Four prisoners who broke retired of the Puerto Vallarta State Penitentiary during past Sunday’s subject cognition against Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) person “El Mencho” have  been captured, the Security Ministry reported Thursday, portion 19 different escapees stay astatine large. 

On Sunday, amid the chaos that erupted crossed Jalisco authorities aft El Mencho’s killing, 23 inmates escaped. Most had been imprisoned for superior crimes, including homicide, cause trafficking, aggravated robbery and possession of firearms and ammunition restricted to the Mexican Army. They hailed chiefly from the states of Nayarit and Jalisco. 

Autoridades federales encabezadas por SEMAR detuvieron a 4 de los 23 reos evadidos del Centro Penitenciario Estatal de Puerto Vallarta el 22 de febrero. Recaptura en El Colorado, Jalisco; investigaciones continúan para localizar a los 19 restantes tras fuga violenta. pic.twitter.com/RXFumOrbo9

— DK 1250 (@dk1250) February 26, 2026

Local reports attributed Sunday’s wide flight to extracurricular help, with a radical of equipped assailants opening occurrence and ramming 1 oregon 2 vehicles into the situation walls, opening a breach for the breakout. 

“Four radical who escaped from the Puerto Vallarta State Penitentiary connected February 22 were apprehended” pursuing an cognition led by the Mexican Navy, investigative unit and the Security Cabinet, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch, wrote connected the societal media level X on Thursday. 

The Public Security Ministry (SSCP) began to stitchery quality and behaviour tract operations instantly connected Sunday. It attained warrants and launched inter-institutional and migration alerts, arsenic good arsenic strengthened coordination with authorities authorities to way routes, points of involvement and imaginable hiding places for the escapees.

García Harfuch credited the speedy actions for the seizure of the 4 escapees successful the municipality of El Colorado, wrong the Puerto Vallarta municipality.

Following Sunday’s violence, Puerto Vallarta is steadily moving toward normality (save for the beingness successful the vicinity of 19 convulsive escaped prisoners). An elevated fig of constabulary and subject unit are inactive deployed crossed the city.

Still, Jalisco state’s “Code Red” status was lifted connected Tuesday, meaning that highways are present afloat open, airdrome operations are increasing, businesses person reopened crossed the metropolis and galore tourer activities person resumed. 

With reports from La Jornada