Airlines are canceling flights to Mexico after El Mencho was killed in the line of duty

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

United Airlines has canceled all Sunday flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.

“United Airlines flight operations to/from PVR (Puerto Vallarta) and GDL (Guadalajara) have been canceled today,” United Airlines said in a statement to FOX Business.

Southwest Airlines also canceled all flights to and from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday.

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“Southwest Airlines has canceled four flights scheduled to fly to Puerto Vallarta today and four are being diverted,” the airline said in a statement to FOX Business. “We will continue to assess the situation as the situation develops. Nothing is more important to Southwest Airlines than the safety of our customers and our employees.”

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

“Due to the situation in Guadalajara (GDL), Mazatlán (MZT) and Puerto Vallarta (PVR), American has canceled flights to and from GDL, MZT and PVR for the remainder of Sunday, Feb. 22,” the airline said in a statement to FOX Business. “We will continue to monitor the situation and make any additional changes to our operations as necessary to ensure the safety and security of our customers and team members.”

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

No additional cancellations have been announced this Sunday as of publication.

Most airlines say they have issued waivers that allow affected passengers to rebook without change fees.

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No flight cancellations were announced in the days after Sunday. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The flight changes come after the Mexican military reportedly carried out operations early Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco, targeting El Mencho, a former policeman turned 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 have warned of conflict in Jalisco and widespread criminal activity, prompting the US Embassy in Mexico to issue shelter-in-place advisories in several states.

El Mencho managed a total of $15 million US and stepped down following the arrest of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, former head of the Sinaloa Cartel. Over the past 15 years, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación has grown from a regional gang to a global human trafficking organization operating from its stronghold in Jalisco.

Some airlines have announced that they have permits in place that allow passengers affected by cancellations to rebook their flights without rescheduling. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images/Getty Images)

“I was recently informed that the Mexican security forces killed ‘El Mencho,’ one of the bloodiest and most brutal drug lords,” US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on the X website. “This is a huge development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. Good people are stronger than bad.”

canceling flights to Mexico

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The Mexican Ministry of Defense said that the operation was carried out as part of coordination and cooperation with the US, and that the US authorities provided the corresponding intelligence that contributed to the killing of El Mencho.

FOX Business has reached out to Air Canada for further comment.

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