Flights from MSP to Puerto Vallarta canceled amid unrest over killing of Mexican cartel leader

Airlines flying between the Twin Cities and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, have scrapped flights Monday amid unrest that broke out in Mexico following the killing of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in a military operation.

Delta Air Lines canceled two flights from the Twin Cities to the popular tourist destination Monday. On Sunday, two flights that took off for the Mexican city returned to the Twin Cities.

Sun Country Airlines also diverted two flights on Sunday, which eventually returned to the Twin Cities, according to data on the flight tracking website FlightAware.

A Sun Country flight to Puerto Vallarta at 7:24 a.m. Monday was canceled, according to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport website.

“Our priority is the safety of our customers, and we are working to get passengers to and from their destination when safe,” a Sun Country spokesperson said in an email. “If customers do have travel booked to Puerto Vallarta, change fees are currently being waived for this situation.”

The airline said it was working with local authorities to determine when it would be safe to resume operations.

Delta, the dominant carrier at the airport, issued a travel advisory saying travelers with trips in, out or through Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara may be affected through Feb. 26 due to civil unrest.

Travelers on Monday and Tuesday were advised to closely monitor their flight status, Delta said. The airline also issued a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights

On Sunday, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” was wounded in an operation to capture him in Jalisco. He died while being flown to Mexico City, the U.S. Defense Department said in a statement.

Violence erupted across Mexico, prompting the U.S. State Department to tell Americans in the Jalisco State (including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara), Tamaulipas State, areas of Michoacan State, Guerrero State, and Nuevo Leon State to shelter in place until further notice.