The U.S. State Department has issued an updated Travel Advisory for travelers to Mexico, warning of an “increased risk of crime and kidnapping.”
According to the State Department, violent crimes such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery are “widespread and common” in Mexico.
Gunfire broke out on a beach in Mexico’s Caribbean coast resort of Cancun Tuesday, sending tourists scrambling for cover. (Grand )
The updated Travel Advisory provides new information on the states of Coahuila, Nayarit, and Zacatecas in Mexico.
Travelers are advised to “exercise increased caution when traveling to” Coahuila, Mexico, and Nayarit, and to “avoid traveling to” Zacatecas.
The advisory also updates the kidnapping risk information for the states of Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Baja California, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Sonora, Nuevo León, Puebla, Quintana Roo, and San Luis Potosi.
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The advisory states that “U.S. citizens are advised to adhere to restrictions on U.S. government employee travel.” Some of these restrictions include not hailing taxis from the street but instead using ride-share services like Uber or regulated taxi stands, and not traveling alone to remote locations.
The advisory also mentions that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified Mexico as having a high level of COVID-19 and encourages visitors to check the latest Travel Health Information.
Last week, the State Department issued a shelter-in-place alert for U.S. citizens due to reports of “multiple vehicle fires, roadblocks, and heavy police activity” in Tijuana and the surrounding area.
Armed members of the National Guard drive past the site of a burnt collective transport vehicle after it was set on fire by unidentified individuals in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on August 12, 2022. (GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images)
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About 350 National Guard troops have been deployed to Baja California to support the existing federal troops in the state, according to Reforma.
Although no injuries were reported in Tijuana, the criminal activity caused traffic congestion throughout the city and temporarily closed access to the U.S. border crossing.
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Here is a list of Mexican states where travel is not advised at the moment:
Do Not Travel To:
- Colima state due to crime and kidnapping.
- Guerrero state due to crime.
- Michoacan state due to crime and kidnapping.
- Sinaloa state due to crime and kidnapping
- Tamaulipas state due to crime and kidnapping.
- Zacatecas state due to crime and kidnapping.
Reconsider Travel To:
- Baja California state due to crime and kidnapping.
- Chihuahua state due to crime and kidnapping.
- Durango state due to crime.
- Guanajuato state due to crime and kidnapping.
- Jalisco state due to crime and kidnapping.
- Morelos state due to crime.
- Sonora state due to crime and kidnapping.
Police officers arrest a resident for alleged robbery in Tijuana, Mexico, on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. (Jonathan Alpeyrie/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling To:
- Aguascalientes state due to crime.
- Baja California Sur state due to crime.
- Chiapas state due to crime.
- Coahuila state due to crime.
- Hidalgo state due to crime.
- Mexico City due to crime.
- Oaxaca state due to crime.
- Nayarit state due to crime.
- Nuevo Leon state due to crime and kidnapping.
- Puebla state due to crime and kidnapping.
- Queretaro state due to crime.
- Quintana Roo state due to crime and kidnapping.
- San Luis Potosi state due to crime and kidnapping.
- Tabasco state due to crime.
- Tlaxcala state due to crime.
- Veracruz state due to crime.
