Flight disruptions at Mexican airports after drug lord killed in shootout
A violent backlash sparked by Mexican security forces shooting dead a top drug lord has caused flight disruptions at a number of the country's airports.
Tourists in popular areas such as Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara have been left stranded and unable to return home.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday (today AEDT) that airlines have suspended some flights as a "preventive measure", particularly to Puerto Vallarta.
"We expect that during the course of today, or by tomorrow at the latest, all flights will be restored," she said.
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Smoke rises from cars on fire at a supermarket parking lot in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, yesterday. AP
A National Guard officer stands guard in Mexico City, Mexico, yesterday. Getty
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Many flights to other destinations including Cancun, Los Cabos and Mexico City are still going ahead, airlines say.
Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, a former police officer, led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, as it became one of the "most powerful and ruthless criminal organisations" inside Mexico, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Security forces from several federal branches of Mexico's military carried out the operation in the town of Tapalpa in the western state of Jalisco on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
More than 70 people died in the attempt to capture Cervantes and the aftermath, authorities said on Monday.
Other transport services popular with tourists have also been impacted by the violence.
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A charred vehicle sits at a damaged supermarket in Guadalajara on Sunday, after the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. AP
Taxis and buses have been blown up by cartel members around Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
Roads and highways have also been blocked.
Australian authorities have warned travellers to take care.
"Serious security incidents have been reported across the state of Jalisco, including in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, following a federal law-enforcement operation against organised crime," the government's Smartraveller website said in its advice.
"Authorities in Puerto Vallarta have issued a public advisory to shelter in place. There may be transport disruptions, including by air. Stay alert and follow the advice of the local authorities."
"We continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico overall due to the threat of violent crime," Smartraveller said.
"We also continue to advise reconsider your need to travel to the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Guanajuato, Sonora, Colima and Chiapas."
See the website for the government's full advice.
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