The wanted leader was killed during operation to capture him, officials said.
Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer
North Texas’ hometown carriers Southwest Airlines and American Airlines canceled flights to parts of Mexico Sunday after the country’s army killed the leader of a powerful cartel during an operation to capture him.
“Southwest Airlines has canceled the four flights we had scheduled to fly into Puerto Vallarta today and the four turns back,” the company told The Dallas Morning News in an email.
“We will set up extra sections to support our Customers affected by today’s cancellations, once it is safe to do so. Nothing is more important to Southwest Airlines than the Safety of our customers and our employees,” the company said in the email.
Southwest is the dominant carrier at Dallas Love Field, where it operates 18 of the 20 gates.
American, which operates its central hub at DFW International Airport, told The News in a statement that it canceled flights to and from Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara for the remainder of the day. The airline said it had issued a travel alert to allow affected customers to rebook travel plans without change fees.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and make any additional changes to our operation as necessary to ensure the safety and security of our customers and team members,” American said in the statement.
American was originally scheduled to operate three flights from DFW Airport to Puerto Vallarta International Airport and four flights back, according to scheduling data from Diio by Cirium. American also had four flights scheduled between Guadalajara and DFW Airport on Sunday, according to Diio.
Southwest operates flights to Puerto Vallarta from other markets it serves but does not have flights between Dallas and Puerto Vallarta because it cannot fly internationally from Love Field due to the remnants of a law passed in 1979.
Other major airlines like Air Canada, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines warned that flights to the region may be disrupted.
The U.S. Department of State’s consular affairs urged U.S. citizens to shelter in place until further notice due to security operations “and related road blockages and criminal activity in many areas of Mexico.”
“Roadblocks have impacted airline operations, with some domestic & int’l flights canceled in both Guadalajara & Puerto Vallarta,” government officials said on X. “Taxis/ride shares are suspended in Puerto Vallarta. Seek shelter and remain in residences or hotels.”
The flight cancellations came after the Mexican Army killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.” He was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Jordan Parker is the aviation beat reporter for The Dallas Morning News. Prior to joining the newsroom in August 2025, he spent three years at the San Francisco Chronicle as a breaking news reporter covering everything from crime to protests to natural disasters. He graduated from Sacramento State University, where he studied journalism, in 2022.
