The Department of Foreign Affairs of Trade (DFAT) has issued fresh travel warnings for Mexico as parts of the country remain on high alert following the killing of a major drug lord and retaliatory violence.
While DFAT hasn’t increased its overall travel advice level from level two (“Exercise a high degree of caution”), it has warned of a rise in potential violence across the country, including in popular tourist destinations like the coastal city of Puerto Vallarta.
“We continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico overall due to the threat of violent crime,” it states on its Smartraveller website.
“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.
“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.”
In an update this morning, the department raised its travel advice level for Jalisco to level three.
“We now advise reconsider your need to travel to the state of Jalisco,” it states.
Elsewhere, DFAT warns of security incidents in Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leo.
“We also continue to advise reconsider your need to travel [level three] to the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Guanajuato, Sonora, Colima and Chiapas,” it says.
“There are lower levels within some of these locations.”
According to CNN, the US State Department has received hundreds of calls to its crisis hotline after violence erupted in Mexico following the reported killing of Oseguera Cervantes (aka “El Mencho”).
The flood of calls comes as the US Embassy and Consulates in Mexico urge American travellers in Guadalajara (Jalisco), Puerto Vallarta (Jalisco/
Nayarit), Ciudad Guzman (Jalisco), Tijuana (Baja California), Chiapas, and Michoacan to “shelter in place… due to ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity”.
In its security update on 23 February (local time), however, it states that the “situation has returned to normal” in some areas like Quintana Roo State (including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum), Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas.
Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office has advised against “all but essential travel to parts of Mexico”.
Air update
Many flights to/from Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city, have been disrupted.
On X, Air Canada says that services to and from PVR (Puerto Vallarta) will be cancelled tomorrow (Tuesday).
“We are monitoring the situation and are working to bring our customers back as soon as it is safe to do so. We will share more information as soon as possible,” it writes.
According to Reuters, United Airlines says it has also suspended its PVR flights.
Mexican flag carrier, Aeromexico, has issued protection policies for flyers, applicable to passengers with tickets issued on/before 22 February and valid until 7 March 2026. The policy relates to routes to/from PVR, Guadalajara, Manzanillo and Tepic.
The US Government says that in Puerto Vallarta, “flights continue to be disrupted due to availability of flight crews”, leaving thousands of tourists potentially stranded.
However, it adds that “all other airports in Mexico are open, and most airports are operating normally”.
“If you are travelling via any airport other than Guadalajara or Puerto Vallarta, we have received no indication of any security-related flight disruptions. Check with your airline to confirm your flight status and schedule,” it says.
Meanwhile, some toll roads have been impacted, “reportedly in Puebla, Guerrero, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, San Luis Potosi, Tijuana, Queretaro, Veracruz, and Mazatlán, due to February 22 blockades”.
The unrest in Mexico comes just months before Guadalajara is set to host the world’s biggest sporting event, the World Cup.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Mexico remains at level two overall, but the patchwork of state warnings and flight disruptions is the real story. For travel advisors, this is about proactive client contact, flexible air options and monitoring Smartraveller updates closely. Hotspots can change quickly, and so can sentiment.
