WASHINGTON − Most airports in Mexico are operating normally now, the State Department said on Monday evening as it narrowed its shelter-in-place advisory for U.S. citizens.
U.S. citizens in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding areas in Jalisco and Nayarit are still being encouraged to remain in place “due to road blockages and criminal activity” related to a Mexican military raid the previous day.
But the government said “the situation has returned to normal” in most areas, and multiple airlines had resumed operations in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.
“Confirm that your flight is on track for departure from Guadalajara or Puerto Vallarta before you depart for the airport,” the Feb. 23 advisory added.
The U.S. State Department had previously issued and expanded a shelter-in-place advisory for Americans in Mexico to include popular tourist destinations amid escalating violence after the killing of a powerful drug cartel leader in a military operation.
It included Baja California state, including Tijuana, Tecate and Ensenada; Quintana Roo state, including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Tulum; as well as Sinaloa, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, San Luis, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Zacatecas and other areas.
The warnings came after Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” died in a Feb. 22 military operation that Mexico carried out in coordination with the United States.
President Donald Trump had issued repeated warnings that he was looking to conduct land strikes on the cartels inside Mexico before the arid.
Airlines canceled flights in the immediate aftermath of the military operation. At a Feb. 23 news conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said flights were expected to resume on Monday, Feb. 23, or Tuesday, Feb. 24.
While no airports were closed, the U.S. government said on Feb. 22 that roadblocks were impacting airline operations, with most domestic and international flights cancelled in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. “All ride shares are suspended in Puerto Vallarta. Some businesses have suspended operations,” the U.S. embassy and consulates in Mexico said.
Americans traveling abroad who need assistance can call+1-202-501-4444 from outside the United States or dial +1-888-407-4747 from the United States or Canada.
The U.S. government is also encouraging Americans traveling abroad to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive updates about health, weather, safety, and security at their destinations. They can also follow the “U.S. Department of State – Security Updates for U.S. Citizens” WhatsApp channel.