Spencer, Iowa (NorthwestIowaNow.com) — International news hit a little too close to home this week. Spencer Media Group’s TJ Johnson, who co-hosts the morning show on More 104.9, was on vacation in Puerto Vallarta Mexico last week, and was at the airport ready to return to Iowa last Sunday, February 22. That’s when a targeted Mexican military operation killed the alleged head of a dangerous drug cartel that day. That sparked violent cartel retaliation, with gunmen using burned vehicles to block roads and airports, trapping thousands of tourists in extremely unsafe conditions.

Johnson had cell phone service and was able to check in with Northwest Iowa Now while continuing to search for a way to get out of Mexico. This morning, he was in the Spencer Media Group building for the first time in almost two weeks. We asked TJ to tell us what he experienced that day:

The high-stakes ordeal ended when Johnson finally secured a flight home, and he said the airplane burst into applause once they had reached the safety of U.S. airspace.

HERE IS THE FULL INTERVIEW THIS MORNING WITH JOHNSON: