Doctor Coss Airport

While there is no single official statement regarding its closure, the airport was likely shut down as part of Mexican military (SEDENA) counter-narcotics operations. The municipality of Doctor Coss and the surrounding region became a major conflict zone for drug cartels (notably the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas) in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The Mexican government actively located and destroyed hundreds of clandestine or unauthorized airstrips ('narcopistas') in northeastern Mexico during this period to disrupt cartel logistics. Doctor Coss Airport's remote location and proximity to the U.S. border made it a strategic asset for illicit activities, leading to its probable abandonment or forced closure by authorities.

The site is completely abandoned and non-functional. Recent satellite imagery shows the faint outline of the dirt runway, but it is heavily overgrown with scrub brush and grass. The surface is eroded and shows no signs of maintenance, making it unusable for any type of aircraft. The surrounding area is undeveloped rural land, and the former airport has effectively reverted to nature.

Doctor Coss Airport was never a commercial or major public airport. It was a small, private, unpaved airstrip. Its intended legitimate purpose was likely for general aviation, serving local ranchers, agricultural operations (such as crop dusting), or private landowners. It held no significant role in national transportation. Its primary historical significance is tied to the security landscape of the 21st century in northern Mexico, serving as a case study of how private infrastructure was co-opted for or shut down because of organized crime.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airport. Given its history, remote location, lack of infrastructure, and the availability of major airports in the region (like Monterrey International Airport) for legitimate air traffic, there is no economic or logistical incentive for its restoration. Its reopening is considered extremely unlikely.