By Anne Tergesen

The violence in the Puerto Vallarta area is unnerving America's community of expat retirees in Mexico, a destination popular with the growing number of people retiring abroad.

The Pacific coast tourist city is home to thousands of American retirees. They include Bill Huebsch, a 79-year-old New Yorker who spends about two months a year in nearby Nuevo Nayarit, also known as Nuevo Vallarta, where he purchased a condo with his late wife, Joanne, in 2012.

Huebsch had just checked out at the supermarket when the store locked its hurricane gates to protect customers from the threat of gunmen from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, who went on a violent rampage on Sunday after the Mexican military killed their chieftain, Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera.

Three hours later, the store let customers leave. On his ride home, Huebsch passed trucks and a bus the cartel members had set on fire.

"It was shocking," said Huebsch, who said that while there is violent crime in New York City, the violence in Puerto Vallarta was coordinated and widespread.

More Americans are choosing to spend their golden years abroad, and the violence in Puerto Vallarta is underlining the risks. Advisers to people considering expat retirements are telling clients to consider the risks of natural and man-made disasters, from political upheaval to organized criminals. That is in addition to the financial and personal preparations that come with moving abroad.

Jonathan Lachowitz, founder of White Lighthouse Investment Management in Bedford, Mass., and Lausanne, Switzerland, said some ultrawealthy clients contract with security and insurance firms to provide varying levels of assistance in the event of unexpected trouble overseas.

Lachowitz, who is also chairman of American Citizens Abroad, recommends that expats give relatives in the U.S. copies of their passports and other important documents. He suggests that those moving abroad have contacts in their new home country, back in the U.S. and at the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy.

American Citizens Abroad, a nonprofit advocating on tax and other issues Americans living abroad face, estimates there are 5.2 million U.S. citizens living and working overseas. A survey of their membership indicates that two-thirds are age 60 and over.

Once a fringe idea, retiring abroad has become more popular, said David Kuenzi, an adviser at Creative Planning International who works with people who do so. Kuenzi said those who settle abroad should remain vigilant about security issues. Ecuador, for example, is less safe than it used to be.

Still, there are lots of draws to moving abroad, retirees say. Many countries have lower costs of living than the U.S. Some have visas designed for retirees, many of whom enjoy the opportunity to travel and immerse themselves in a different culture. Some seek adventure, others self-reinvention.

Joyce Kinnear, 60, and her husband, Scott Kinnear, 63 -- who both retired in their 50s -- moved to the Puerto Vallarta area in 2023, attracted by a culture that reminds her of San Francisco. They had previously spent six years in rural Panama.

She said she was at a tourist market near her home in the small town of Bucerías, up the coast from Puerto Vallarta, on Sunday when she saw smoke billowing in the distance. On her way home, she drove past burning cars. The authorities closed the highways and some neighbors couldn't get home, the former Californian said. Highways and stores in her town have since reopened.

Kinnear said recent events aren't causing her and her husband to reconsider where they live. The U.S. has its own problems with violence, she said, citing mass shootings.

Ken Schmier, 75, said he and his wife recently purchased a $2.5 million condo on the beach in Puerto Vallarta. "I can see the thing depreciating in half in the last day," said Schmier, before adding that he was joking. The real-estate developer, who also lives in Larkspur, Calif., said he believes the area is safe thanks in part to its thriving tourist economy.

Kinnear said she and her husband did a lot of research before settling in Bucerías, which is far from areas where drug-related violence typically occurs. She said they try to take precautions such as driving during daylight and checking online to see if there are problems where they are headed.

Lachowitz recommends that people looking to move abroad establish contacts among those who have made a similar move, perhaps by joining local expat Facebook groups. That way, they can get an understanding of the financial and administrative issues they might face and help with assessing safety concerns.

Write to Anne Tergesen at anne.tergesen@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 24, 2026 12:07 ET (17:07 GMT)

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