Puerto Vallarta Says No Tourists Involved In Kidnapping

Tourism Board Releases Statement On Restaurant Incident

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board has declared that “no tourist was involved or affected” in the early-morning kidnapping of as many as 16 people at an upscale restaurant.

The Mexican resort sent out the following statement to media:

“The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board deeply regrets the events that occurred this morning in one of the city’s restaurants and confirms that no tourist was involved or affected in this incident. As an immediate safety measure, security has been reinforced in Puerto Vallarta to ensure that residents as well as tourists can continue with their normal activities.

“The Governor of the State of Jalisco, Aristoteles Sandoval, announced earlier that an investigation involving different security forces on the Federal, State and Municipal, levels was launched, as well as the authorities of the neighboring state of Nayarit, to find those responsible. Early findings from the investigation led by the State Attorney of Jalisco, Eduardo Almaguer, stated that in a first examination, the victims and perpetrators belong to criminal groups from another region of the country, confirming the likelihood of this being an isolated case.

” ‘As representatives of the tourism community of Puerto Vallarta, a city recognized by the warmth of its people and the ease with which visitors enjoy the destination’s diverse offerings, we do not tolerate violence of any kind,‘ said Agustin Alvarez general director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board.

“ ‘We are following the instructions by the different government authorities and encourage the community to do the same; as well as pay attention to information and facts solely communicated by the authorities in charge, in order to dispel false rumors and avoid confusion that do not represent the actual situation in Puerto Vallarta and ensure we do not compromise the security of our residents and tourists.’ ”

“It is important to note that the authorities are taking the necessary measures and Puerto Vallarta is fully operational with all tourism services and attractions open and following their regular schedules without any interruptions.

“We hope that this isolated and unprecedented event has minimal impact in our city. We are committed to proactively providing accurate information from official sources in a timely manner in order to keep our industry, residents and travelers informed, safe and well taken care of at all times.”