A Mexican drug lord was eliminated in a military operation on Sunday with furious gang members now running riot around one of the cities set to welcome in droves of football fans this summer.
The sport’s biggest spectacle is set to take place across three different countries this year in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Mexico, the most passionate footballing nation out of the three, will host 13 games across Mexico City, Monterrey and the currently under-siege city of Guadalajara.
In just 108 days, the country will host the first two World Cup matches of this year’s bumper tournament.
But Guadalajara – Mexico’s second-largest city – is currently flooded with gunmen who all have revenge on their mind.
Cartel members ran rampant through the city after Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes was killed by Mexico’s special forces.
The highly dangerous Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC) crime boss, known as El Mencho, was taken out during a firefight in Jalisco – sparking wide-scale revenge attacks on civilian areas in the region.
Terrifying footage showed tourists fleeing through Guadalajara airport as armed cartel members stormed through the travel hub firing off shots.
Hundreds of roadblocks were imposed by the gangs as they successfully shut down the city in a violent protest.
Cars were set alight as thick plumes of smoke made Guadalajara look like a war zone, according to terrified witnesses.
Frightened tourists and locals were forced to bunker down in their homes and hotels as gunfire went on for hours.
Football matches in Mexico have already been postponed in the past 24 hours with one being abandoned on the pitch after gunfire rang out around the ground.
Jalisco’s Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro declared a code red in the state, pausing all public transport and cancelling mass events and in-person classes.
Threats to life were so severe overnight that the US, UK and Canadian governments all issued warnings to tourists.
They urged people to avoid the city and its surrounding regions at all costs and warned those trapped among the chaos to stay inside somewhere safe.
Global Affairs Canada warned of “high levels of violence and organized crime,” across Mexico at this moment.
The warnings come as millions of fans from all across the globe continue to make travel plans to North America in just a few months time.
Tensions are already threatening to bubble over in the US thanks to protests over immigration policies.
But the possible threat of clashes with murderous cartels in Mexico could throw the global sporting extravaganza into serious jeopardy.
Estadio Guadalajara – which sits in the centre of Guadalajara – is due to host Korea Republic vs the winner’s of a European playoff tie on June 11.
On June 18, the city will become a cacophony of noise when Mexico play against Korea – with the world’s eyes fixed on Guadalajara.
Colombia will then play at the stadium on June 23, followed by a huge clash on June 26, between Uruguay and Spain.
Guadalajara will host no games after the group stage with Mexico only having matches up until the round of 16 in Mexico City.
England are likely to play in Mexico City if they win their qualifying group in the US.
The chaos across the country has already caused major issues for football games.
An international friendly between Mexico and Iceland scheduled for Wednesday in Queretaro has been cancelled by the Mexican Football Federation in recent hours.
Two top-tier fixtures in Queretaro vs Juarez and Chivas vs America were postponed on Sunday with two in the second division also called off.
It comes as tennis authorities have been urged to pull players out of Mexico following the eruption of violence in the region.
