Travel Chaos in Mexico: Visitors Disturbed by Cartel Violence
Despite assurances from President Claudia Sheinbaum and her security minister on Monday that Mexico was returning to normal after a weekend of cartel violence, many vacationers in Puerto Vallarta and other cities still faced canceled flights and shelter-in-place warnings.
The travel disruptions began on Sunday when criminal groups set up blockades, burned vehicles, and attacked businesses in retaliation for the capture and killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, Mexico’s most wanted drug kingpin. In response, foreign governments, including Canada and the US, issued travel advisories and shelter-in-place recommendations for their citizens traveling in the country, leading to dozens of flight cancellations to various parts of Mexico.
During her daily morning press conference, Sheinbaum stated that all commercial flights were expected to resume by Tuesday. Security Minister Omar García Harfuch added that 85 roadblocks organized by criminal groups in response to Oseguera’s killing on Sunday had been cleared, indicating that the country was returning to normal.
However, visitors on the ground painted a different picture. Joanne Vaccaro, a 71-year-old American tourist, first learned of the danger when she attempted to travel by car on Sunday with her companions in San Pancho, a picturesque town an hour outside of Puerto Vallarta. Hotel staff informed her that she couldn’t leave due to road closures and violence.
“We couldn’t leave, and all of the businesses in the town were closed, so there was no food,” said Vaccaro. “We did find a mini-mart that was open, so we stood in line for one hour and we were able to get basically junk food; not a whole lot was left in the supermarket.”
Among the areas worst affected by the violence are Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, cities in the western state of Jalisco, where Oseguera—leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as “El Mencho”—was captured by Mexican special forces on Sunday and later died in custody.
Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, Nuevo León, Baja California, and Quintana Roo have also experienced major disruptions and business closures. In Jalisco alone, there have been more than 200 violent incidents reported in Oxxo stores and gasoline stations, according to Femsa, the owner of the convenience store chain. The company stated that it has begun reopening stores “as conditions allow.”
On Monday, Aeromexico announced that flights to and from Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, and Tepic were “progressively normalizing,” with regular operations expected by Tuesday at the latest. Yet, concerns have proliferated that the violence may continue to spread.
Canada expanded its list of affected areas late on Sunday, advising its citizens to follow local authorities’ directions, including shelter-in-place orders, and to travel only when safe. Foreign Minister Anita Anand stated on Monday morning that more than 26,000 Canadians had registered with Global Affairs Canada, a surge of 8,000 in just 24 hours.
“We know the actual number of Canadians in Mexico is likely much higher,” she noted. The government’s registration system experienced initial technical difficulties due to the surge in volume but is now functioning well.
Air Canada, the northern nation’s flagship carrier, announced late Monday that it would resume service to Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday, with Guadalajara flights to follow a day later.
The fallout from Sunday’s raid rattled markets, particularly transport stocks due to road closures and flight disruptions. The Mexican peso fell as much as 0.9% on Monday, dropping more than any of its emerging-market peers. Five- and 10-year credit default swaps climbed, while Mexican stocks tracked by the Mexbol index slumped as much as 1.8%, led by losses in airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico.
Airline carrier Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB, known as Volaris, retreated as much as 7.7%, the most in 10 months amid doubled trading volume. The $2.6 billion iShares MSCI Mexico ETF fell as much as 2.9%, marking the biggest intraday drop in three weeks.
In Puerto Vallarta area hotels, staff continued operations as usual, though visible signs of worry and fatigue were evident among employees. One group of visitors from Winnipeg reported their flight was canceled, and hotel staff had to sleep outside because they couldn’t safely travel home. Lines formed at hotel front desks as people waited for information on available rooms.
In the Punta Mita area, a nearby luxury tourist destination, hotel staff were also stranded, and one of the beaches was closed off, according to a visitor who requested anonymity due to safety concerns. The hotel management sent out an email to homeowners in the area, politely asking if anyone would be willing to house the stranded staff. While some agreed, others were hesitant to take in strangers, fearing potential links to the drug cartels.
Vaccaro remained uncertain whether her flight from Puerto Vallarta on Wednesday would be canceled. In San Pancho, she noted that restaurants and other businesses had begun to reopen on Monday. “People are trying to figure out how and when they’ll be able to get out of here,” she said. “We just have to see how the situation unfolds.”
On late Monday afternoon, the security check at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport was eerily empty, with departures information screens dotted with orange-coded flight cancellations.
Puerto Vallarta lifelong resident and taxi driver Tomas Rivera Mascorro braved the drive to the airport, passing several charred vehicles and a Corona truck burnt to a crisp. “This area is known as the friendliest city in the world,” Mascorro, 53, told Bloomberg. “We’re not used to seeing this kind of violence.”
Top photograph: Stranded passengers line up at Guadalajara Airport in Tlajomulco, Jalisco, Mexico, on Feb. 23, 2026; photo credit: Ulises Ruiz/AFP/Getty
Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
Despite assurances from President Claudia Sheinbaum and her security minister on Monday that Mexico was returning to normal after a weekend of cartel violence, many vacationers in Puerto Vallarta and other cities still faced canceled flights and shelter-in-place warnings.
The travel disruptions began on Sunday when criminal groups set up blockades, burned vehicles, and attacked businesses in retaliation for the capture and killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, Mexico’s most wanted drug kingpin. In response, foreign governments, including Canada and the US, issued travel advisories and shelter-in-place recommendations for their citizens traveling in the country, leading to dozens of flight cancellations to various parts of Mexico.
During her daily morning press conference, Sheinbaum stated that all commercial flights were expected to resume by Tuesday. Security Minister Omar García Harfuch added that 85 roadblocks organized by criminal groups in response to Oseguera’s killing on Sunday had been cleared, indicating that the country was returning to normal.
However, visitors on the ground painted a different picture. Joanne Vaccaro, a 71-year-old American tourist, first learned of the danger when she attempted to travel by car on Sunday with her companions in San Pancho, a picturesque town an hour outside of Puerto Vallarta. Hotel staff informed her that she couldn’t leave due to road closures and violence.
“We couldn’t leave, and all of the businesses in the town were closed, so there was no food,” said Vaccaro. “We did find a mini-mart that was open, so we stood in line for one hour and we were able to get basically junk food; not a whole lot was left in the supermarket.”
Among the areas worst affected by the violence are Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, cities in the western state of Jalisco, where Oseguera—leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as “El Mencho”—was captured by Mexican special forces on Sunday and later died in custody.
Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, Nuevo León, Baja California, and Quintana Roo have also experienced major disruptions and business closures. In Jalisco alone, there have been more than 200 violent incidents reported in Oxxo stores and gasoline stations, according to Femsa, the owner of the convenience store chain. The company stated that it has begun reopening stores “as conditions allow.”
On Monday, Aeromexico announced that flights to and from Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, and Tepic were “progressively normalizing,” with regular operations expected by Tuesday at the latest. Yet, concerns have proliferated that the violence may continue to spread.
Canada expanded its list of affected areas late on Sunday, advising its citizens to follow local authorities’ directions, including shelter-in-place orders, and to travel only when safe. Foreign Minister Anita Anand stated on Monday morning that more than 26,000 Canadians had registered with Global Affairs Canada, a surge of 8,000 in just 24 hours.
“We know the actual number of Canadians in Mexico is likely much higher,” she noted. The government’s registration system experienced initial technical difficulties due to the surge in volume but is now functioning well.
Air Canada, the northern nation’s flagship carrier, announced late Monday that it would resume service to Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday, with Guadalajara flights to follow a day later.
The fallout from Sunday’s raid rattled markets, particularly transport stocks due to road closures and flight disruptions. The Mexican peso fell as much as 0.9% on Monday, dropping more than any of its emerging-market peers. Five- and 10-year credit default swaps climbed, while Mexican stocks tracked by the Mexbol index slumped as much as 1.8%, led by losses in airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico.
Airline carrier Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB, known as Volaris, retreated as much as 7.7%, the most in 10 months amid doubled trading volume. The $2.6 billion iShares MSCI Mexico ETF fell as much as 2.9%, marking the biggest intraday drop in three weeks.
In Puerto Vallarta area hotels, staff continued operations as usual, though visible signs of worry and fatigue were evident among employees. One group of visitors from Winnipeg reported their flight was canceled, and hotel staff had to sleep outside because they couldn’t safely travel home. Lines formed at hotel front desks as people waited for information on available rooms.
In the Punta Mita area, a nearby luxury tourist destination, hotel staff were also stranded, and one of the beaches was closed off, according to a visitor who requested anonymity due to safety concerns. The hotel management sent out an email to homeowners in the area, politely asking if anyone would be willing to house the stranded staff. While some agreed, others were hesitant to take in strangers, fearing potential links to the drug cartels.
Vaccaro remained uncertain whether her flight from Puerto Vallarta on Wednesday would be canceled. In San Pancho, she noted that restaurants and other businesses had begun to reopen on Monday. “People are trying to figure out how and when they’ll be able to get out of here,” she said. “We just have to see how the situation unfolds.”
On late Monday afternoon, the security check at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport was eerily empty, with departures information screens dotted with orange-coded flight cancellations.
Puerto Vallarta lifelong resident and taxi driver Tomas Rivera Mascorro braved the drive to the airport, passing several charred vehicles and a Corona truck burnt to a crisp. “This area is known as the friendliest city in the world,” Mascorro, 53, told Bloomberg. “We’re not used to seeing this kind of violence.”
Top photograph: Stranded passengers line up at Guadalajara Airport in Tlajomulco, Jalisco, Mexico, on Feb. 23, 2026; photo credit: Ulises Ruiz/AFP/Getty
Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
