GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Sam Champeau, who lives in De Pere, was on vacation in Puerto Vallarta when a cartel leader was killed, now she's unable to return home. Still, she says she feels safe.
- Champeau was supposed to fly out of Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, but she was told to return to her resort instead.
- Champeau says they've seen smoke in the distance and helicopters flying, but that by Monday, most of the city was back to normal.
- The U.S Mexico Embassy said Monday that most Mexico airports were operating normally.
Sam Champeau travelled to Puerto Vallarta to celebrate her mom's birthday and retirement.
"It's beautiful, I love it here," she says. "The people are super nice."
Champeau says they were supposed to fly back on Sunday, Feb. 22, but were unable to.
“Once we got closer to the airport, we kind of saw some black smoke coming up, but at that point, we didn’t really know what was going on, they just turned us around and sent us back," she says. "We were supposed to be here for a week, and hopefully not too too much longer.”
When they got to their resort, Champeau says they started to learn more information.
The Mexican military shot and killed a powerful drug cartel leader Sunday morning. After the operation, other cartel leaders burned vehicles and blocked roads in Jalisco.
Due to the chaos, many flights were delayed, and the U.S Mexico Embassy told travellers in Puerto Vallarta and other areas of Jalisco to shelter in place.
“Obviously its a little bit scary when you’re in a different country and you know they’re telling us it’s the cartel... but even then, I don’t think there was ever a point that we felt unsafe," Champeau says.
Champeau says they’ve seen some smoke off in the distance and military helicopters flying over head, but Monday was less chaotic than Sunday.
“For the most part, things seem to be getting back to normal," she says.
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As of Monday, the U.S Mexico Embassy continues to suggest U.S citizens shelter in place if they are in Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Ciudad Guzman, Tijuana, Chiapas and Michoacan.
The Embassy also said that despite incidents on Sunday, the areas of Quintana Roo State– including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum– Sinaloa and Tamaulipas have returned to normal.
Most airports are also operating normally, though there are still security-related flight disruptions at the Guadalara and Puerta Vallarta airports, according to the Embassy.
Emma Hendricks, a travel agent with Destination Travel in De Pere, says she encourages people who are currently traveling in Mexico to stay informed and listen to instructions.
“Follow the rules– anything they’re telling you, follow it," she says. "But then also, if you are going there, just sit tight for now because you never know, things could change in a matter of hours or minutes.”
Hendricks says she advises international travellers to always be prepared.
"I don't say I treat it any different than if you're travelling inside the United States because things that happen outside the country happen inside the country every single day," she says. "We see hurricanes come through, we see big storms like the East Coast is having right now."
While Hendricks says the agency is used to working around travel issues, this situation is unique.
“Rarely do we something this big impacting our work," she says.
Hendricks recommends consulting a travel agency for any international travel plans and to consider travel insurance.
"You don't really expect the unexpected, so having that travel agent to have your back during this situation is super important," she says.
As far as Champeau and her mother, they have no idea when they’ll be able to get to leave.
“For me it’s an inconvenience at worst," Champeau says. "My thoughts are more with the locals and the folks in Mexico who are going to have to continue to deal with whatever comes after."
