US State Dept. Updates Travel Warning to Mexico

(Dive Travel Business News - May 10, 2010) --The U.S. Department of State has issued a Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens traveling to and living in Mexico about the security situation in Mexico.

The State Department said the Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major drug trafficking routes. Nevertheless, crime and violence are serious problems.

The State Department said it is imperative that U.S. citizens understand the risks involved in travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and who to contact if one becomes a victim of crime or violence, according to the warning. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where criminal activity might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable. U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are urged to contact the consular section of the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy for advice and assistance.

One of Mexico’s most powerful drug gangs is based in the state of Sinaloa. The city of Mazatlan has experienced a recent increase in violent crime, with more murders in the first quarter of 2010 than in all of 2009. U.S. citizens should defer unnecessary travel to the state’s capital city of Culiacan and exercise extreme caution when visiting the rest of the state.

The state of Michoacán is home to another of Mexico’s most dangerous drug gangs, “La Familia.” In April 2010, the Secretary for Public Security for Michoacán was shot in a gang ambush. Security incidents have also occurred in and around the state’s world-famous butterfly sanctuaries. U.S. citizens should not take the dangerous, isolated road through Ciudad Altamirano to the beach resorts of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo.

The popular beach resort of Acapulco has also been affected by narcotics-related violence. In April 2010, three innocent bystanders were killed in a shootout between Mexican police and gang members during broad daylight in one of the city’s main tourist areas. Also that month, numerous incidents of narcotics-related violence occurred in the city of Cuernavaca, in the state of Morelos, a popular destination for American language students. U.S. citizens traveling to towns and villages with large indigenous communities located predominantly but not exclusively in southern Mexico should be aware that land disputes between residents and between residents and local authorities have led to violence. In April 2010, two members of a non-governmental aid organization, one of whom was a foreign citizen, were murdered near the village of San Juan Capola in Oaxaca.

According to the State Department, the situation in northern Mexico remains fluid. In recent months, drug gangs have used stolen trucks to block major highways and thus prevent the military from responding to criminal activity, most notably in the area around Monterrey. Also in Monterrey, they have kidnapped guests out of reputable hotels in the downtown area, blocking off adjoining streets to prevent law enforcement response. They have also attacked Mexican government facilities such as military barracks and a customs and immigration post.

The situation in the state of Chihuahua is a special concern. U.S. citizens should defer non-essential travel to Ciudad Juarez - where 2600 people were killed in 2009 - and to the Guadalupe Bravo area southeast of Ciudad Juarez. U.S. citizens should also defer travel to the northwest quarter of the state of Chihuahua, including the city of Nuevas Casas Grandes and surrounding communities. From the United States, these areas are often reached through the Columbus, N.M., and Fabens and Fort Hancock, Texas, ports of entry. In both areas, American citizens have been victims of drug-related violence. The Consular agency in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, was closed temporarily in February 2010 in response to firefights between police and gangs and between rival gangs. There have been recent incidents of serious narcotics-related violence in the vicinity of the Copper Canyon in Chihuahua.

Travelers on the highways between Monterrey and the United States (notably through Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros) have been targeted for robbery that has resulted in violence and have also been caught in incidents of gunfire between criminals and Mexican law enforcement. Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Tijuana. U.S. citizens traveling by road to and from the U.S. border through Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Durango and Sinaloa should be especially vigilant. Criminals appear to especially target SUVs and full-size pick-up trucks for theft and car-jacking along these routes. Gangs have also erected unauthorized checkpoints on roads and killed motorists who have not stopped at them.

Although narcotics-related crime is a particular concern along Mexico’s northern border, violence has occurred throughout the country, including in areas frequented by American tourists. U.S. citizens traveling in Mexico should exercise caution in unfamiliar areas and be aware of their surroundings at all times.

For more information, visit www.travel.state.gov.