LOS ANGELES – After 13 hours of travelling, Claudia Gomez landed at Los Angeles International Airport to the news that her travel had been extended by 48 hours. Gomez was one of the many affected by the flight cancellations to and from Guadalajara, Jalisco, on Feb. 22.
Early Sunday morning, the Mexican military held an operation in Tapala, Jalisco, where infamous drug lord Nemesio Osegura Cervantes, otherwise known as “El Mencho,” was wounded during the gunfire. He later passed away from his injuries while being flown to Mexico City.
Oseguera Cervantes was known for being one of Mexico and the U.S.’ most wanted drug lords and the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
This standoff was a result of the Mexican government’s long-standing battle with cartels and corruption.
El Mencho’s death then triggered a series of violent attacks in the surrounding areas of Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. Cars and businesses were being burnt to the ground, and roads were being blocked.
Since the initial operation there have been at least 62 deaths related to this cartel crackdown, including 25 members of the Mexican National Guard and 34 suspected gang members.
As a result of this violence, foreign entities were forced to take precaution. The U.S. Embassy issued a statement to all American tourists in Mexico to shelter in place. Airlines like Viva Aerobus at LAX cancelled its flights to both Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.
Other airlines that fly to Mexico out of LAX looked like ghost towns, terminals that are usually full of bustling travellers were empty.
Viva Aerobus traveller, Claudia Gomez arrived in Los Angeles to board her connecting flight to Guadalajara. She had been travelling from China all day with her daughter. Once they landed, they were informed that instead of flying to Guadalajara that same night, their flight had been moved to Tuesday.
Unaware of the chaos that erupted, Gomez inquired why her flight had been moved. That is when she was informed all flights to her destination had been cancelled.
“When we were told what happened we went to the airline,” she said “we were offered a same day flight to Mexico City, but we missed it.”
Gomez and her daughter eventually got their travel situation resolved and were placed on a flight to Mexico City for the following day. However, they were left stranded with no place to stay.
“Because it wasn’t an airline issue, they weren’t held liable for finding us a place to stay at,” Gomez added.
Many more like Gomez faced travel complications. Every single flight that was scheduled to come into LAX on Sunday was cancelled.
As of right now, flights have resumed to normal. The U.S. Embassy still advises any citizens and government staff in Jalisco to not travel outside of their metropolitan areas. They also state that any U.S. citizen in the affected area is subject to a curfew during nighttime hours.
