State Department Issues Travel Alert For Mexico

The U.S. Department of State has issued a travel warning for certain parts of Mexico due to increased criminal activity:

Areas such as Baja California Sur, where the popular tourist destination Cabo San Lucas is, and Quintana Roo, where Cancun and Riviera Maya are located, have seen a spike in homicide rates this year.

“U.S. citizens have been the victims of violent crimes, including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery in various Mexican states,” the travel advisory states. The advisory notes that resort areas and tourist destinations in the country don’t typically have the same level of drug-related violence and crime seen in other parts of the country.

According to the advisory, “gun battles between rival criminal organizations or with Mexican authorities have taken place on streets and in public places during broad daylight.” Further, while the U.S. government has various checkpoints operated by military personnel or law enforcement officials, in some areas criminal organizations have set up “unauthorized checkpoints” and have killed or abducted those who haven’t stopped at them. The State Department urges Americans to “cooperate at all checkpoints.”

If you’re planning on traveling to Mexico for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, please stay safe and vigilant!

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