American Company Books Every US-Bound Flight To Evacuate Employee Amid Mexico Unrest

Violence broke out across parts of Mexico on Sunday following reports that notorious drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), had been killed. The unrest triggered widespread disruption, bringing road traffic to a standstill and forcing flight cancellations, with chaos reported at several of the country's busiest airports. Amid the turmoil, a US-based tech firm stepped in to help one of its employees leave the country safely. Cloud platform company Vercel arranged seats on every available flight headed to the United States from Guadalajara in a bid to ensure their staff member could get out.

The employee, Andrew Barba, later shared his appreciation for the extraordinary effort in a post on X.

Barba, who works as a software engineer at the company, said he and his wife were at Guadalajara's airport when the violence escalated. As tensions mounted, the couple took shelter inside a restroom while uncertainty loomed. Internet connectivity was unreliable, numerous flights had been called off, and it was unclear when they would be able to depart.

Meanwhile, Vercel's leadership team in the United States mobilised quickly. Determined to secure a safe exit, they purchased tickets on all US-bound flights from the airport, hoping at least one aircraft would manage to depart.

Their strategy ultimately succeeded. Barba and his wife were able to board one of the flights that took off and later arrived safely in Dallas, Texas. Having been with the San Francisco-based company for nearly three years, Barba publicly thanked his employer for going to such lengths to protect him during the crisis.

"10 hours ago I was in Guadalajara on way to Puerto Vallarta when chaos broke out in the airport and had to hide in a bathroom. Vercel leadership got together and didn't stop until my wife and I were safe. Internet barely worked so they booked every US bound flight on our behalf, chancing that one would take off. Eventually one did. We just landed in Dallas. The US flight was Plan A but they were ready to act on a Plan B and Plan C if they had to. We are beyond grateful," Barba wrote.

See the post here:

10 hours ago I was in Guadalajara on way to Puerto Vallarta when chaos broke out in the airport and had to hide in a bathroom. Vercel leadership got together and didn't stop until my wife and I were safe. Internet barely worked so they booked every US bound flight on our behalf,…

— Andrew Barba (@andrew_barba) February 23, 2026

Internet users were all praises for the company and expressed relief for the employee for making it out of the country safe. One user wrote, "That's leadership. When things get chaotic, you don't want statements. You want action and backup plans. Glad you're safe."

Another commented, "Lucky you had money and helpers to help. So many are not so fortunate. And the locals that cannot evacuate. Hope you are thankful for your privilege."

"That's a wild turn of events; it's crazy how quickly a trip can turn into a survival story. Glad you made it out safe, though," said a third.