Foreign Office issues Mexico travel warning after drug cartel violence

Travellers successful nan southwest Mexico authorities of Jalisco person been warned to enactment indoors arsenic unit erupted pursuing the sidesplitting of a supplier cartel kingpin. Footage connected societal media shows hose passengers seeking screen arsenic Guadalajara airdrome comes nether attack.

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, nan formidable leader of nan Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a Mexican subject cognition pinch US assistance successful nan municipality of Tapalpa.

In nan aftermath of nan sidesplitting of nan man wide known arsenic “El Mencho”, unit has erupted successful revenge crossed nan state.

The Foreign Office is warning: “Serious information incidents person been reported connected 22 February crossed nan authorities of Jalisco, including successful Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, pursuing a national law-enforcement cognition against organised crime successful nan municipality of Tapalpa.

“Authorities successful Puerto Vallarta person issued a nationalist advisory to enactment indoors. Routes to airports whitethorn beryllium blocked. Incidents are besides being reported successful different parts of nan country. You should workout utmost caution, travel section authorities’ advice, including orders to enactment indoors and debar non‑essential recreation successful affected areas.”

The US Embassy successful Mexico City urged American citizens passim nan authorities of Jalisco arsenic good arsenic immoderate different parts of nan state to “shelter successful spot until further notice”. The security alert warned of “ongoing information operations and related roadworthy blockages and criminal activity”.

Many flights to nan airports successful nan celebrated Pacific edifice of Puerto Vallarta and nan World Cup 2026 big metropolis of Guadalajara diverted and cancelled.

At slightest 30 flights departing from US, Mexican and Canadian airports for Puerto Vallarta person either returned to their starting points aliases diverted to different airports. Dozens much person been cancelled. As a result, galore thousands of visitors successful nan Pacific edifice who were expecting to time off connected Sunday are stranded.

Puerto Vallarta airdrome posted a connection connected X (formerly Twitter) saying: “By determination of nan airlines, today, Sunday, February 22, 2026, each world operations and astir of nan home flights person been canceled.

“We impulse passengers and users to stay calm and travel each instructions provided by airdrome unit astatine each times.”

The connection added: “The situations reported successful various parts of nan authorities did not effect nan airport's soul operations aliases nan information wrong its facilities.

“The airdrome is nether nan protection of unit from nan National Guard (GN) and nan Ministry of National Defense (Sedena), arsenic portion of ongoing coordination efforts pinch national authorities.”

Air Canada posted a connection to passengers connected X, saying: “Due to an ongoing information business successful Puerto Vallarta impacting nan airport, Air Canada has temporarily suspended operations location today. We are monitoring nan business and successful interaction pinch section authorities who are moving to resoluteness nan issue.

“Customers are advised not to effort to spell to nan airdrome unless their formation is shown arsenic operating connected aircanada.com, and will beryllium straight notified of changes to their itineraries. We will stock much accusation arsenic soon arsenic it becomes available.”

An master connected Latin America astatine nan conflict monitoring group Acled warned of further instability.

Sandra Pellegrini said: “The sidesplitting of CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes marks a important operational improvement for Mexican forces, but nan reported contiguous road blockades and arson attacks show really quickly cartels tin mobilise retaliation to show continued control.

“Past cases propose activity removals seldom trim unit agelong term, and alternatively often trigger instability arsenic factions compete for power.”

The latest informing does not impact nan main resorts for British holidaymakers connected nan Caribbean coast, notably Cancun. The upsurge successful unit is taking spot 1,000 miles away.

The only cancellations astatine Cancun airdrome are to and from Guadalajara because of nan information business – and besides immoderate flights serving nan New York area owed to utmost wintertime upwind successful nan northeast US. Sunday flights connected Tui from Manchester and Birmingham, British Airways from Gatwick and Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow are each operating normally.

But nan Foreign Office updated its proposal connected Monday to warn: “There are reports of blockades connected intercity roads crossed affected states. Please show section media and travel proposal from authorities and section carrier companies earlier making a determination to travel. If you do determine to travel, we urge intercity roadworthy recreation during daylight hours.”

The FCDO already warns against recreation to galore parts of Mexico because of drug-related violence. The charismatic proposal says: “Drug-related unit successful Mexico has accrued complete caller years. Do not go progressive pinch narcotics of immoderate kind.

“Some areas of Mexico person a precocious crime complaint owed to fighting betwixt rival organised crime gangs. In these areas, location is simply a consequence of being caught successful nan crossfire aliases of being mistaken for a pack member.”

Read more: The countries connected nan Foreign Office “do not travel” list