TAPALPA, Mexico — Maria Dolores Aguirre’s corner store has lived off the tourism that flows into her cobblestoned town of Tapalpa, tucked away in the mountains of Mexico’s state of Jalisco.

Then gunshots erupted and helicopters flew overhead as the Mexican army killed the country’s most powerful drug lord Sunday just a few kilometres from her home. The killing sparked a surge in violence and put the country on edge.

Now the 50-year-old Aguirre worries that the bloodshed will deal a blow to her livelihood and change towns like hers. Many others in Jalisco are grappling with the same concerns, from the Pacific Ocean beaches to the capital of Guadalajara, which will host matches in June for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“It’s going to affect us. It’s collateral damage,” Aguirre said. “The government is going to have to have a lot of security. … The entire world just saw what happened and, of course, people are going to think twice about coming.”

President offers ‘every guarantee’ for World Cup

In the capital, workers were busy Tuesday fixing up the exterior of the soccer stadium that will host World Cup matches. Cyclists zipped around outside the stadium as the city snapped back to its normal rhythms.

President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked Tuesday at her daily news briefing what guarantees there are that World Cup matches will be held in Jalisco. “Every guarantee,” she said, adding that there was “no risk” for fans coming to the tournament.

Also Tuesday, the Portuguese soccer federation said it was “closely monitoring the delicate situation” in Mexico. Its national team was scheduled to play Mexico’s team in a friendly on March 28 at the newly renovated Azteca Stadium, which is scheduled to host the opening match of the World Cup on June 11.

Mexico was scheduled to play Iceland on Wednesday in a friendly in Queretaro.

Fighting between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Mexican security forces raged on in a number of states Monday, fuelling fears that more violence is to come.

More than 70 people died in the attempt to capture Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes and its aftermath, authorities said Monday. Known as “El Mencho,” he was the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico, known for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States and staging brazen attacks against Mexican government officials.

The White House confirmed that the U.S. provided intelligence support to the operation to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest.

The death of Oseguera Cervantes came as Mexico’s government has stepped up its offensive against cartels in an effort to meet demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to crack down on criminal groups. He has threatened to impose more tariffs or take unilateral military action if the country does not show results.

Mexico hoped the death of one of the world’s biggest fentanyl traffickers would ease that pressure, but many people were anxious as they waited to see the powerful cartel’s reaction.

Oseguera Cervantes died after a shootout Sunday with the Mexican military. Mexican Defense Secretary Gen. Ricardo Trevilla said Monday that authorities had tracked one of his romantic partners to his hideout in Tapalpa. The cartel leader and two bodyguards fled into a wooded area where they were seriously wounded in a firefight. They were taken into custody and died on the way to Mexico City, Trevilla said.

Unease looms over tourist towns

In the aftermath, a sense of unease simmered in tourist towns.

The Pacific Ocean resort city of Puerto Vallarta also was hard hit by cartel reprisals, frightening tourists.

Steve Perkins, 57, was visiting Puerto Vallarta with his wife, Gayle, and some friends. They were on their hotel room’s terrace when explosions and black smoke started appearing around the city Sunday morning.

Their return to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was delayed when their flight was cancelled Monday, and they were rebooked for March 1.

Perkins and his wife have been taking annual trips to Puerto Vallarta since 2012 and have always felt safe, until now. He said they don’t plan on returning to Mexico.

“There’s a lot of Americans trapped here,” Perkins said.

Aguirre worked next to her son in the small neighborhood shop her family has owned for 50 years. The 15-year-old’s classes were cancelled due to the violence.

Aguirre said it was unclear whether the military or the cartel was in control of the area surrounding her. The other question on her mind was if this was a one-off event, or if more violence was in store.

“We don’t know if these people (cartel leaders) are permanently here or not,” she said. “If they really did kill this leader, it could be that they fight between each other to win control or see who will lead it.”