Mesa de Los Saucedo Airstrip

While no single official reason is publicly documented, the airstrip's location is the primary indicator. It is situated in the remote, mountainous municipality of La Yesca, Nayarit, an area historically part of the 'Triángulo Dorado' (Golden Triangle), a region notorious for the cultivation and trafficking of illicit drugs. The most probable reason for its closure is its association with narco-trafficking. It was likely either a clandestine airstrip discovered and rendered inoperable by Mexican military (SEDENA) or naval (SEMAR) forces, or it was abandoned by its operators. This is a common fate for the numerous unauthorized airstrips in the Sierra Madre Occidental region.

The site is completely abandoned and defunct. Analysis of recent satellite imagery confirms the former runway is unmaintained, heavily overgrown with grass and shrubs, and shows significant signs of surface erosion. It is unusable for any type of aircraft in its current condition. There are no buildings, hangars, or any supporting infrastructure present. The land has effectively reverted to its natural state.

Mesa de Los Saucedo was a rudimentary, high-elevation (approx. 3,400 ft) dirt airstrip. Its 'significance' was purely local and likely twofold. Officially or unofficially, it would have served as a vital lifeline for the isolated communities in the surrounding Sierra, allowing small, STOL-capable (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft like Cessna 206s or Pilatus Porters to deliver people, medicine, food, and essential supplies to an area with limited or no road access. Concurrently, its remote and strategic location made it an ideal logistical asset for drug cartels to transport narcotics, weapons, and personnel, a common dual-use scenario for airstrips in this region.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Mesa de Los Saucedo Airstrip. The prospects are considered non-existent due to several factors: 1) The Mexican government's active policy is to seek out and destroy such clandestine airstrips to disrupt cartel operations, not restore them. 2) There is no legitimate economic or social demand that would justify the cost and security risk of rebuilding and operating a formal airport in this specific, sparsely populated location. 3) Any attempt to clear or use the runway would immediately attract the attention of military and law enforcement authorities.