Travel chaos has erupted in some of Mexico’s most popular tourist regions on Sunday, following a Mexican military operation to kill a top drug cartel leader.
Mexican military officials killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel on Sunday February 22, Mexico’s Defense Ministry said in a statement posted on X. The mission was carried out using intelligence support provided by the US government, the Trump administration said.
News of El Mencho’s death brought a quick onset of violence throughout Mexico’s western state of Jalisco, with organized crime groups setting buses on fire, blocking roads, and continuing conflicts with the military, CNN reports.
As a result, the US Embassy in Mexico has advised US tourists in the following regions to shelter in place through Monday, February 23: Guadalajara (Jalisco), Puerto Vallarta (Jalisco/Nayarit), Ciudad Guzman (Jalisco), Cancun (Quintana Roo), Playa del Carmen (Quintana Roo), Cozumel (Quintana Roo), Reynosa (Tamaulipas state), Tijuana (Baja California), and Michoacan. The affected areas are located primarily in Western Mexico, in addition to the Yucatán Peninsula in the Southeast and two cities along the US-Mexico border (Tijuana and Reynosa). Popular destinations including Mexico City and Oaxaca, for example, are not included in the government’s shelter in place advisory.
Flights to and from Jalisco’s airports, including Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, were largely suspended on February 22, leaving many international tourists stranded. Widespread flight cancellations and delays continued on Monday, February 23, but some international air service resumed on Monday afternoon.
Here’s the latest on what travelers should know about the ongoing situation in Mexico.
What’s happening at Jalisco’s airports?
Officials at Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) were reassuring travelers late on Sunday that the facility remains safe. “The situations reported in various parts of the State did not impact the airport’s internal operations or the safety within its facilities,” airport officials said February 22 in a statement on X. “The airport is under the protection of personnel from the National Guard (GN) and the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA).”
However, while the Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara airports remain operational, many airlines are still suspending the majority of their flights, and the hubs are difficult to reach due to road closures in the area. “While no airports have been closed, roadblocks have impacted airline operations, with most domestic and international flights cancelled in both Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta,” the US Embassy said on February 22. “All ride shares are suspended in Puerto Vallarta. Some businesses have suspended operations.”
As of Monday afternoon, there were a total of 74 canceled flights into and out of Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR), according to FlightAware data, while nearby Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) had 65 cancellations.
Many major carriers in the US, Canada, and Mexico are continuing to suspend their flights to and from the region through at least Tuesday, February 24. However, some international flights were scheduled to restart in the region as of Monday afternoon.
Flight cancelations and travel waivers
Here’s a look at how airlines in the US, Canada, and Mexico are responding to the situation in Mexico:
Air Canada
Canada’s largest airline said it would cancel all service to and from Puerto Vallarta on February 23. “The security situation in Puerto Vallarta is ongoing, and local authorities have issued a shelter-in-place order,” Air Canada said in a statement on X. “We are monitoring the situation and are working to bring our customers back as soon as it is safe to do so. We will share more information as soon as possible.”