Santa Barbara / Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee Members Stranded in Mexico

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) Six members of the Santa Barbara / Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee are stranded due to criminal activity in several Mexican states.

 Their situation follows the killing of a drug kingpin by the Mexican army.

"El Mencho" the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel died during an operation to capture him today.

A pentagon task force played a supporting role . 

It happened in Jalisco, where the cartel is known for trafficking fentanyl to the United States.

Gil Garcia said they had planned to fly home from the Guadalajara Airport on Sunday.

Garcia said they could hear machine gun fire and see helicopters flying overhead about an hour away from where "El Mencho" was captured.

They said burning cars and buses stopped their driver from picking them up.

They have rebooked the flight for Friday, Feb. 27, in hopes the airport will reopen.

Gil Garcia, Marti Correa de Garcia, Maria Garcia, Alicia Baltadano, Mike Hernandez and Angela Cipriano are spending time in a hotel lounge in El Grullo, Jaslisco where they are feeling a sense of camaraderie as they experience what is happening together.

They said they came to El Grullo for a week at a health spa treatment and were happy with the results.

Today they were called by the driver and advised not to go outside where the military is gathering to fight with the cartel.

"We all feel deep concern for friends and relatives in Jaliso; many of which live in our sister city Puerto Vallarta.," said Garcia.

The U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy in Mexico has warned U.S. citizens to shelter in place during the ongoing security operations.