US, Canadian airlines cancel Puerto Vallarta flights after reported killing of cartel leader ‘El Mencho’

U.S. and Canadian airlines canceled flights Sunday to parts of Mexico after Mexican officials said drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” was killed in a military operation, triggering reported clashes in Jalisco state and prompting travel advisories.

United Airlines canceled all Sunday flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, according to Fox 26 and Reuters.

“United Airlines flight operations to PVR are canceled,” United Airlines said in a statement to Reuters.

Southwest Airlines also canceled all flights arriving in and departing from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, according to the reports.

MAJOR DRUG LORD ‘EL MENCHO’ KILLED IN MEXICAN MILITARY OPERATION WITH US INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT

American Airlines said it halted its remaining Sunday service to Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and Mazatlán.

Air Canada said it has temporarily suspended operations in Puerto Vallarta.

No additional cancellations had been announced beyond Sunday as of publication.

Several airlines said they issued travel waivers allowing affected passengers to rebook without change fees.

TOURISTS IN MEXICAN SEASIDE RESORT TOLD TO STAY ON RESORT AS GOVERNMENT WARNS OF ‘CLASHES’

The flight changes come after Mexican troops reportedly conducted operations earlier Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco, targeting El Mencho, a former police officer who became the leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, which US authorities have identified as a major supplier of fentanyl to the United States.

Government officials warned of clashes in Jalisco and broader criminal activity, prompting the U.S. Embassy in Mexico to issue shelter-in-place advisories for multiple states.

El Mencho carried a $15 million U.S. bounty and rose to power following the arrest of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former head of the Sinaloa Cartel. Over roughly the past 15 years, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación has expanded from a regional criminal group into a global trafficking organization operating from its stronghold in Jalisco.

“I’ve just been informed that Mexican security forces have killed ‘El Mencho,’ one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a post on X. “This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”

The Mexican Defense Department said the operation was conducted as part of bilateral coordination and cooperation with the U.S., and that U.S. authorities provided complementary intelligence that contributed to El Mencho’s killing.

FOX Business reached out to United, American, Southwest and Air Canada for additional comment.

Fox News’ Bonny Chu and Reuters contributed to this report.