A vacation flight from Milwaukee turned into a frightening ordeal for a group of Wisconsin travelers after the Mexican army killed a leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, causing panic at the Puerto Vallarta airport Sunday morning.
READ ALSO | Pewaukee couple stuck in Mexico after cartel leader killed, security operations disrupt travel
Patti Beck of Rochester was among a travel group from the Waterford area aboard a flight to Puerto Vallarta when the situation unfolded. After landing, passengers were held on the tarmac for about an hour and a half as panic spread outside the aircraft.
"We see all the employees, as well as traveler,s running away from the airport. Literally running away," Beck said. "On the tarmac."
Beck said the mood on the plane shifted quickly from excitement to uncertainty.
"Everybody is excited, ya know, the vacation is gonna start, and we sat there. And we sat there," Beck said.
Watch: Wisconsin vacationers caught in Puerto Vallarta chaos after Mexican army kills cartel leader
After smoke became visible, the pilot made the call to turn around.
"Then the pilot came on and said we are leaving. I'm really sorry, but your safety is the most important thing, and we are heading back to Milwaukee," Beck said.
The flight back was met with relief from passengers.
"When we were up over the ocean, everyone started clapping," Beck said.
The return trip was not without its own anxiety, however.
"You cross your fingers as you're going up that someone doesn't shoot you down," Beck said.
Meanwhile, other Wisconsin travelers who had already arrived in Puerto Vallarta were navigating the situation on the ground. Bill Peterson and Cynthia Peterson of Sussex flew in on Friday and were vacationing in Zona Romántica, a southern part of Puerto Vallarta, when everything unfolded.
The couple witnessed some of the unrest firsthand.
"We came upon an intersection where we could see a car across the road that was burning with police tape across. But we never felt unsafe at the time," Bill Peterson said.
By the following day, the couple said conditions had improved.
"Today, things are much quieter. And we have every hope that things will be resolved in the next day or two," Bill Peterson said.
The Petersons, who are visiting friends, plan to return home Friday. In the meantime, they are sheltering in place but say they feel safe.
"We're taking it day by day to see how the situation goes," Cynthia Peterson said.
Bill Peterson said they want their loved ones back home to know they are not in danger.
"We just want to make sure our family stays calm, we're fine and we're safe," Bill Peterson said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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