Airlines cancel flights to parts of Mexico amid reports of cartel leader ‘El Mencho’ killed

HOUSTON – Airlines in the US are canceled Sunday flights to Mexico after the reported killing of a Mexican cartel leader leads to clashes in the area.

Mexico flights canceled Sunday

FILE – A United Airlines plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, United States on April 22, 2023.  (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

What we know:

United Airlines confirmed with FOX 26 Houston that all flights to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Guadalajara (GDL) were canceled for Sunday.

Southwest Airlines says their flights arriving to and departing from PVR were also canceled.

American Airlines says they canceled their remaining Sunday flights to PVR, GDL, and Mazatlán.

What we don’t know:

As of this report, no flight changes have been announced for after Sunday.

What you can do:

United Airlines says they have waivers in place to support customers who are impacted by the cancellations. Flyers are also encouraged to go to United.com to check flight statuses and other updates, and download the United mobile app for the “Agent on Demand” tool to speak with an agent for more help.

Southwest Airlines says they’ll have sections to support their impacted customers.

American Airlines has issued a travel alert for flights to, through, and from Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. Passengers impacted by the alert will be able to rebook their flights without change fees.

‘El Mencho’: Cartel leader killed

Big picture view:

The cancellations come amid reports of a Mexican cartel leader being killed on Sunday.

According to the Associated Press, the Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.” He is said to have been “Mexico’s most powerful cartel.”

Cervantes’ death has reportedly led to burning vehicles blocking roads for hours, which is said to be a cartel tactic to block military operations.

The US State Department has issued a travel warning for various parts of Mexico, including parts of Jalisco like Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.