A Brevard County couple is stranded in Puerto Vallarta after violence erupted near the airport, forcing the resort to lock down and cancel flights. The incident occurred late Sunday night, hours after the U.S. Department of State issued a security alert following the killing of a powerful Mexican cartel leader. The couple, whose names were not disclosed, had planned to return to Orlando on Sunday but were instead trapped at the resort after gunfire was reported outside the airport. 'We saw black helicopters going by and military ships in the bay,' one of the travelers said. 'It was scary. We were told to stay inside.'
The couple, who were attending a family wedding in Puerto Vallarta, described waking up to smoke and chaos. The airport shut down abruptly, leaving flights canceled and no clear path back to the United States. 'We were pulled back into the kitchen to get down,' the traveler said. 'It felt like it was right outside the resort. The charter bus was less than a mile away.' The Department of State's alert urged Americans in the area to seek shelter and limit movement, compounding the couple's uncertainty.
The resort, located near the airport, became a temporary refuge for stranded tourists. Officials at the Mexican Consulate in Orlando declined to comment on the situation when the couple visited, saying they had not received prior reports of similar incidents. 'It’s hard to tell how close the violence really was,' the traveler said. 'But it felt pretty close.' The couple said they were unsure how long they would remain stranded, with no clear information on when flights might resume or how to safely return home.
The violence follows the weekend killing of a cartel leader, which authorities say has triggered a wave of retaliatory attacks. The couple's experience highlights the unpredictable risks faced by travelers in the region. 'The uncertainty is the hardest part,' the traveler said. 'You’re stuck, and you don’t know what’s going to happen next.'