Fontana Radio Host Stranded in Jalisco Violence After Canceled Ontario Flight

A Fontana radio host and Spanish-language media personality was stranded in western Mexico as escalating violence in Jalisco disrupted highways, triggered flight cancellations to Ontario International Airport and left travelers scrambling for a way home.

José Quintero — host of “La Vale Show” on CALI 93.9, Los Angeles’ largest reggaeton radio station, and creator of the Echale Podcast — had traveled to Mexico for business and family. He was scheduled to return to the Inland Empire on Sunday evening, Feb. 22.

“I was supposed to land back home Sunday evening at 8 PM at Ontario Airport,” Quintero said.

Instead, his return unraveled as violent unrest spread across Jalisco following the reported killing of cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes on the morning of Feb. 22.

Authorities reported coordinated road blockades, buses and commercial trucks set on fire, targeted commercial properties and efforts to disrupt major transportation corridors in and around Guadalajara.

At least two Ontario International Airport flights to Guadalajara were canceled: Volaris VOI1863 (11:02 p.m., Feb. 22) and VOI1861 (12:42 a.m., Feb. 23). Guadalajara is Ontario’s second-busiest international route, with 217,587 passengers in 2025.

As of the afternoon of Feb. 23, 2026, The Associated Press reported that at least 73 people had died across Mexico in the attempt to capture “El Mencho” and the violent aftermath.

Quintero said travel on the ground became dangerous almost immediately.

“Saturday morning, I was in Tingüindin, Michoacan, but I had to spend the night in Ocotlán on Sunday because I couldn’t get to the airport — everything was blocked,” he said.

He described the atmosphere as chaotic and frightening.

“It was horror — gun shots at night, buses, big rigs, vehicles on fire,” Quintero said. “Motorists who seemed to work for the cartel were roaming the area and being vigilant.”

Driving between Michoacán and Jalisco, he said he encountered widespread road closures.

“We were very close. Driving from Michoacan to Jalisco, there were over 12 blocked roads that we had to go around. We saw over 20 vehicles burned,” he said.

Beyond the violence itself, Quintero said the struggle to rebook travel compounded the crisis.

“It has been a nightmare with Volaris,” he said. “Our flight was supposed to leave at 6:55 PM Sunday afternoon (Feb. 22), and they didn’t tell us it was canceled until 5 PM.”

He said attempts to rebook online repeatedly failed.

“When trying to book another flight, I kept getting errors,” he said.

Quintero said he contacted the airline’s WhatsApp support and later called customer service.

“I reached out to Volaris’ WhatsApp, and they said they were going to take 30 minutes to get back to me — it took hours,” he said. “I called and waited one hour the first time, and then they hung up. The second time, the same thing happened.”

On his third attempt the following morning, he briefly reached a representative.

“Third time around 7 AM, I got through to someone after 30 minutes. They tried to help and said the only flights available were until Thursday, and then the call dropped,” Quintero said.

Rather than wait several more days, he purchased a one-way ticket to Los Angeles through Aeroméxico.

“I ended up coming to the airport and booking a flight to Los Angeles via Aeromexico, which has been so easy to work with and cheap,” he said. “If I wanted a one-way ticket from Guadalajara (GDL) to Ontario, it was going to cost $1,200 versus Aeromexico at $400. I noticed the price hike as soon as this incident happened.”

At the airport, he said Volaris counters were overwhelmed.

“When I got to the airport, Volaris lines were immensely long. Thank God I don’t have to fly with them,” he said.

Quintero said locals described the violence as unusually prolonged and widespread.

“From locals, they said it’s the first time they’ve experienced it like this,” he said. “They’ve experienced similar issues before, but those dissolved within hours. This is the first time they’ve felt it worsen to where vibrant cities and towns become ghost towns.”

As of 5:05 p.m. Pacific time Feb. 23, Quintero said he was boarded on his Aeroméxico flight to Los Angeles and waiting to take off — ending what he described as a tense and uncertain journey home.

For Inland Empire residents with family and business ties to Guadalajara, the disruption underscores how quickly violence abroad can ripple into local communities and travel plans.