About 200 family members and search collectives blocked all entrances to Los Cabos International Airport on the afternoon of March 23, halting operations at Baja California Sur’s busiest air hub. The Los Cabos airport blockade, which began around 1:30 p.m., demanded state authorities locate several young people reported missing in the municipality. The roads reopened after officials confirmed the missing individuals had been found.
Two Missing Cases Sparked the Protest
The demonstration centered on two disappearance cases. Juan Luis Chico Torres, 29, was last seen on Saturday, March 21, in San José del Cabo. He is described as having a stocky build, standing 1.68 meters tall, with light brown eyes. Omar Antonio García Rosas was reported missing Monday morning in the Costa Azul area, a coastal neighborhood between San José del Cabo and the Tourist Corridor.
Protesters physically shut down the primary entrances and exits to the airport on the Transpeninsular Highway. The closure forced airport administrators to issue urgent advisories warning passengers of significant delays reaching the terminals. No alternate routes to the airport were available during the blockade.
State Prosecutor Responded at the Scene
State Prosecutor Flor Leticia Peña Martínez and Baja California Sur Attorney General Antonio López Rodríguez traveled directly to the blockade site. They told families that active investigations were underway with technical advances and offered access to case files at the FGE (state attorney general’s office) in La Paz. Authorities also called for public tips on the cases.
The blockade was the second major disruption at SJD airport in a single week. Just five days earlier, on March 18, CATEM union truck drivers blocked access near the Fonatur roundabout in San José del Cabo over roughly 10 million pesos ($555,000 USD) in unpaid wages from a construction company. That blockade was suspended after government mediation.
Blockade Cleared After Youths Located
By March 24, state officials confirmed that the missing youths had been located, and demonstrators reopened the highway. The underlying concern over disappearances in the Los Cabos municipality remains unresolved, and search collectives have pledged to continue pressing the state government for faster investigations.
Travelers with flights out of SJD this week should monitor road conditions and allow extra time to reach the airport, as protest activity has recurred at this location. The story was first reported by Colectivo Pericú.