Chaos erupted at one of Mexico’s busiest airports on Sunday, as travelers fled in terror due to a surge in cartel violence in a popular resort area. The unsettling scene unfolded at Guadalajara International Airport, where footage captured by The Post shows passengers hurriedly exiting with their luggage, while others sought refuge behind service counters. Both locals and tourists found themselves in a state of panic, trying to escape the latest wave of cartel retribution.
The unrest, which sent shockwaves through the Pacific resort city of Puerto Vallarta and the wider state of Jalisco, was triggered by a Mexican army operation that successfully targeted notorious drug kingpin, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes. This led to a clampdown on local businesses, with tourists advised to stay within the safety of their hotels, and prompted Jalisco officials to shut schools on Monday as a precaution.
The situation at the airport was tense, with travelers and personnel on edge. In response, the Pacific Airport Group issued a statement reassuring the public that the Mexican National Guard had been deployed to maintain order at Guadalajara airport. They clarified that no violent incidents had occurred there, attributing the alarm to “panic among passengers.”
The cartel violence shut down businesses, forced tourists to remain holed up in their hotels, and has prompted Jalisco officials to order schools closed on Monday.
It also has every one jumpy.
The Pacific Airport Group said in a statement Sunday that the Mexican National Guard had been dispatched to the Guadalajara airport, but said no incidents had taken place there, and attributed reports to the contrary to “panic among passengers.”
Oseguera Cervantes, 53, the head of the violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was under indictment in the US for drug trafficking, with a $15 million bounty on his head.
