American and Canadian airlines Flights were canceled to parts of Mexico on Sunday after Mexican officials said drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” was killed in a military operation, sparking clashes in Jalisco state and prompting travel advisories.
United Airlines has canceled all of its Sunday flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
“United Airlines flight operations to/from PVR (Puerto Vallarta) and GDL (Guadalajara) are canceled today,” United Airlines said in a statement to FOX Business.
Southwest Airlines also canceled all flights arriving and departing from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, according to FOX 26.
GREAT DRUG LORD “EL MENCHO” KILLED DURING MEXICAN MILITARY OPERATION WITH SUPPORT OF AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE
American and Canadian airlines canceled flights to parts of Mexico on Sunday following the death of Mexican drug lord El Mencho during a military operation. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images / Getty Images)
American Airlines said it halted its remaining Sunday service to Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and Mazatlán.
“Due to the situation in Guadalajara (GDL), Mazatlán (MZT) and Puerto Vallarta (PVR), American has canceled flights to and from GDL, MZT and PVR for the remainder of the day on Sunday, February 22,” the airline said in a statement to FOX Business. “We will continue to monitor the situation and make any additional changes to our operations as necessary to ensure the safety and security of our customers and team members.”
Air Canada announced that it has temporarily suspended operations in Puerto Vallarta.
No additional cancellations had been announced beyond Sunday upon publication.
Several airlines said they have issued travel waivers allowing affected passengers to change their reservations without a change fee.
TOURISTS AT MEXICAN BEACH RESORT TOLD TO STAY AT RESORT AS GOVERNMENT WARNS OF “AFFRONTOCS”
No flight cancellations were announced after Sunday. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Flight changes occur after Mexican troops reportedly conducted operations earlier Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco, targeting El Mencho, a former police officer turned leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, whom U.S. authorities have identified as one of the United States’ main suppliers of fentanyl.
Government officials have warned of clashes in Jalisco and broader criminal activity, prompting the U.S. Embassy in Mexico to issue shelter-in-place advisories for several states.
El Mencho enjoyed a US$15 million bounty and rose to power after the arrest of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel. Over the past 15 years or so, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación has grown from a regional criminal group to a global trafficking organization operating from its stronghold in Jalisco.
Some airlines have announced that they have implemented exemptions allowing passengers affected by cancellations to rebook their flights without change fees. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“I just learned that Mexican security forces have killed ‘El Mencho,’ one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug lords,” US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in an article on X. “This is a great development for Mexico, the United States, Latin America and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”
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Mexico’s Defense Ministry said the operation was carried out through bilateral coordination and cooperation with the United States, and that U.S. authorities provided additional intelligence that contributed to El Mencho’s assassination.
FOX Business has reached out to Southwest and Air Canada for additional comment.
Bonny Chu of Fox News and Reuters contributed to this report.
