Mexican Cartel Retaliation Disrupts Flights in Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, And Manzanillo—Drug Boss ‘El Mencho’ Killed

by Gary Leff

Mexican security forces killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel (“CJNG”) leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes – known as “El Mencho” – on Sunday. He was wounded and later died during an air transfer. Multiple cartel members were killed, others were detained, and weapons and armored vehicles were seized. Cervantes carried a U.S. reward of up to $15 million for his arrest.

Panic inside the Guadalajara airport was caught on video, with people running and taking cover behind ticket counters, though airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico denied any armed incursion into the terminal. There was certainly gunfire, though it’s possible this was outside the terminal.


The cartel retaliated across Jalisco and several other states with widespread vehicle burnings and “narco-blockades” of burning vehicles used to block roads.

People were also reported running through the Puerto Vallarta airport. Air Canada and United cancelled Puerto Vallarta flights due to unrest there.

Here’s passengers evacuating Puerto Vallarta airport:

WestJet diverted and canceled flights involving Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and Manzanillo. Manzanillo airport could not be reached by road due to blockades.

Aviation in Mexico has come under cartel threat in the past as the government made moves against them. And it’s taken the Mexican military to protect tourists from cartel violence on the Cancun beaches. Of course, the U.S. Border Patrol themselves are no strangers to extra-curricular cooperation with Mexican cartels. Strictly speaking, cartel violence of this sort is the literal definition of a failed state.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Yikes. About 14 days out from peak spring break. I wonder how many Americans will cancel.

  2. “Strictly speaking, cartel violence of this sort is the literal definition of a failed state.”

    Seriously Gary?

    How about “Violence at this level and intensity is what might be expected in a civil war.”

  3. Ahh Mexico…..the land of opportunity. Still think we have it so bad here…..you know with our “king” and all?

  4. Not such a bad call to classify drug cartels as narco-terrorists then. Don’t see how else you can describe such behavior.

  5. “you know with our “king” and all?”

    If we had a “king”, we wouldn’t seem those lame protests by those paid Anti 1ce protestors lol #brainwashedmuch

    Good luck to those in PV..

  6. I used to go to Mexico quite a bit in the 1980s and a few times in the 1990s. Since then it has became too dangerous. I feel sorry for the people there who have to live with the violence that they are not part of.

  7. @CHRIS we had plenty of similar issues with the J6ers trying to overthrow the government. And the defeated candidate fomented the riot. So, no, not that different.

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