SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Many Americans staying in Mexico are flying home Tuesday night after cartel violence shut down travel — and many of them are heading back to the Bay Area.
Mexican cartel violence affecting Bay Area travelers
People flying into San Francisco International Airport Tuesday evening said they were relieved to be home after their Mexico vacation took a dangerous turn. Violence broke out after the Mexican army killed one of the world’s most powerful drug cartel leaders.
“We were safe and removed from it all, but on our way out we saw businesses that were burned. Their lives were disrupted,” said Arthur, who flew home from Puerto Vallarta. “It was like pandemic vibes, except for smoke and fear.”
David Kennedy was visiting from San Francisco. Kennedy said he could hear gunfire from his resort about two miles from downtown Puerto Vallarta. He said one of his favorite destinations was then blanketed in smoke from cars and businesses set ablaze. Kennedy said when flights were canceled, he worried he wouldn’t make it home in time for a funeral.
“Wow, what a crazy trip. I went down to Puerto Vallarta like I have been for 20-plus years,” said Kennedy. “Never imagined something like this would happen. Saturday night I was up late — I’m a night owl. I heard all these fireworks — they were gunshots. You could see smoke and flames coming from downtown. The supermarket I was at the day before, where I always stop and get supplies, was on fire — that very same store I was in not 12 hours before. It was two days of intense stress.”
Sarah Kahn said she was staying at a resort that went into lockdown, forcing guests and employees to shelter in place.
“We were trying to go to the other pool in our resort, and they barricaded all the doors,” said Kahn. “Yeah, we are safe, but it was a little gnarly. Everything got very quiet very quickly. All of a sudden, we saw helicopters overhead — that’s when we knew it got serious.”
Some travelers said they worry about how this could impact tourism in Mexico.
“Everybody we talked to was like, ‘this has never happened before, and this is totally crazy.’ So, 100% it’s going to affect tourism going forward, but hopefully they can bounce back because it really is an incredible place,” said a traveler named Hannah.
“I’ll go again, but I don’t know. It was scary as hell,” added Kennedy.
The U.S. State Department has placed five Mexican states on a “Do Not Travel” list.
Travelers are urged to use increased caution across Mexico due to threats of terrorism, crime and kidnapping. However, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico says the security situation has stabilized and airline operations are normal.
Sara Stinson
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