Violence erupted in Mexico on Sunday following the killing of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho. But Project DYNAMO had boots on the ground, ready to help trapped American citizens, by Monday morning.
Project DYNAMO, a nonprofit organization founded by U.S. military veterans during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, provides rescue, aid and assistance to Americans in crisis zones worldwide. When news began to spread that many American tourists were threatened by the spreading wave of cartel violence, they were able to use established connections in Mexico to respond.
“As soon as we saw what was going on, we deployed immediately,” said Mike Dinesman, Project DYNAMO’s director of operations and chief planning officer, who had direct contact with the U.S. ambassador and his staff. “I was here on the ground early Monday morning, evaluating the situation.”
El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was killed during a government operation intended to capture him. In response, armed cartel groups clashed with Mexican security forces, blockaded roads, and set fires to buildings and vehicles. Americans were advised to shelter in place in five Mexican states, but a majority of the violence happened in the city of Guadalajara, encroaching on the nearby vacation hotspot of Puerto Vallarta.
“After the violence on Sunday, there was a lot of blockading of roads and streets, and that really had a lot of people scared and nervous,” said Dinesman. “Our focus was to watch and see what 24 hours was going to do, to understand the situation.”
Project DYNAMO quickly processed more than 100 registrations of U.S. citizens who were ready to be evacuated if the violence worsened. Dinesman established potential maritime solutions for direct evacuation from Puerto Vallarta, as well as up and down the coast if necessary.
Currently no Americans have requested evacuation, as the violence died down considerably by Tuesday. But Dinesman is making sure Project DYNAMO is ready to spring into action if the situation changes. “After an event like that, it’s expected that the top people who are still in the [cartel] will try to exert force to gain control of the organization, and that can have a lot of spillover,” he said. “So while it seems calm, that doesn’t mean that it’s all done.”
Dinesman, a former Green Beret with years of experience in the intelligence field, is glad that Project DYNAMO’s presence can reassure Americans who saw their vacations unexpectedly upended.
“The Puerto Vallarta that they knew on Saturday disappeared completely and became a new city on Sunday,” he said. “Every single day is a new day. What we bring to the table is maintaining situational awareness so that those people can trust in us.”
U.S. citizens and allied foreign nationals who require assistance are strongly encouraged to register immediately through Project DYNAMO’s evacuation intake form.
