Airlines halt Puerto Vallarta flights after cartel leader’s killing
In this screenshot from a social media video, smoke rises from burning vehicles amid a wave of violence, with ignited vehicles and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states following a military operation that a government source said killed Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” on Feb. 22, 2026, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.
Stringer | Reuters
US and Canadian airlines suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and some to Guadalajara, following violence in the country after the Mexican military killed a cartel leader.
The U.S. State Department on Sunday told U.S. citizens to shelter in place, citing “ongoing security operations, associated road closures, and criminal activity.”
Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and others canceled flights to Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination on Mexico’s Pacific coast, and Guadalajara, also in the state of Jalisco. Airlines have waived change fees for affected passengers.
Some Mexican states also canceled schools on Monday after the country’s military killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes. Known as “El Mencho,” he led one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico, the Associated Press reported; He was notorious for smuggling fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States and launching brazen attacks against government officials who opposed it.
He was killed during a gunfight in his hometown of Jalisco, the AP said.
