U.S. State Dept. Issues “Travel Warning” for Mexico

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

U.S. State Dept. Issues “Travel Warning” for Mexico


March 15, 2010 | Posted in: Educate Yourself, News, Politics, Travel Safety

The U.S. government rightly points out that millions of U.S. citizens visit Mexico every year with absolutely no problems.

However – violence in the country has increased.

Over the weekend, 13 people were killed in and around the resort area of Acapulco – including five police officers – and as the Los Angeles Times reports, three people connected with the U.S. embassy in Ciudad Juarez were “killed in broad daylight near the city’s border with El Paso.”

The State Department has now issued a travel warning due to “security concerns” in Mexico:

“Some recent confrontations between Mexican authorities and drug cartel members have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades. Large firefights have taken place in towns and cities across Mexico, but occur mostly in northern Mexico, including Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Chihuahua City, Nogales, Matamoros, Reynosa and Monterrey.” - U.S. State Dept. website, 3-14-10

Read more about this here – and for the kids I suggest the State’s Dept.’s publication, “Spring Break in Mexico – Know Before You Go”. For travel alerts on other countries and more, go to travel.state.gov.


U.S. State Dept. Issues “Travel Warning” for Mexico

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I'm chuckling, see , cuz we recently had a little to-do about this.

Right JWC?

I'm still waiting for the State Department to issue a Traveling to Branson warniing.

[buff Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close buff]

With the health scares and security issues in Mexico.owners are giving away rentals dirt cheap and there are scores of travel deals throughout mexico. if I didn't work for a living Id be visiting places in Mexico I could never get to whether it be a time share or an A1.

Im doing Punta Mita near Nuevo Vallarta July 10th

Grand Mayan NV July 17th

El Cid Towers July 24th.

If I get kidnapped by some renagade drug deals or shot on site Im cool as long Im drinking a margarita or have a beer in my hand. Gods will .

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

And some cruise companies are planning to discontinue some Mexico cruising itineraries...NCL won't be doing the Mex. Riviera itinerary after 2011.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

I'm chuckling, see , cuz we recently had a little to-do about this.

Right JWC?

I'm still waiting for the State Department to issue a Traveling to Branson warniing.

I absolutely agree that violence in Mexico is a big problem. It was your absurd post that I replied to.

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

Here's a link to an AOL feature on safety in Mexico. I think it does a fair, balanced job of looking at the issue.

How Safe is Mexico? - AOL Travel News

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Current Travel Warnings

For the latest warnings everywhere:

Current Travel Warnings
Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff. The countries listed below meet those criteria.

Philippines 04/02/2010
Algeria 04/02/2010
Lebanon 03/29/2010
Iran 03/23/2010
Kenya 03/16/2010
Haiti 03/15/2010
Mexico 03/14/2010
Colombia 03/05/2010
Eritrea 03/02/2010
Central African Republic 02/26/2010
Yemen 02/25/2010
Iraq 02/25/2010
Saudi Arabia 02/18/2010
Pakistan 01/07/2010
Sudan 12/31/2009
Somalia 12/31/2009
Mauritania 12/02/2009
Chad 11/23/2009
Mali 11/19/2009
Sri Lanka 11/19/2009
Nepal 11/19/2009
Guinea 10/17/2009
Cote d'Ivoire 09/22/2009
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 09/01/2009
Israel, the West Bank and Gaza 08/14/2009
Afghanistan 07/23/2009
Burundi 07/22/2009
Nigeria 07/17/2009
Uzbekistan 06/16/2009
Georgia 04/09/2009

[bjones9942 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bjones9942]

Thanks for the info! Very well written.

Here's a link to an AOL feature on safety in Mexico. I think it does a fair, balanced job of looking at the issue.

How Safe is Mexico? - AOL Travel News

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

Thanks for the article, it provides a good contrast to the fear mongering.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Current Travel Warnings

For the latest warnings everywhere:

Current Travel Warnings
Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make an area dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff. The areas listed below meet those criteria.

Philippines 04/02/2010
Algeria 04/02/2010
Branson 04/07/2010
Lebanon 03/29/2010
Iran 03/23/2010
Kenya 03/16/2010
Haiti 03/15/2010
Mexico 03/14/2010
Colombia 03/05/2010
Eritrea 03/02/2010
Central African Republic 02/26/2010
Yemen 02/25/2010
Iraq 02/25/2010
Saudi Arabia 02/18/2010
Pakistan 01/07/2010
Bonita Springs 04/07/2010
Sudan 12/31/2009
Somalia 12/31/2009
Mauritania 12/02/2009
Orlando 04/07/2010
Chad 11/23/2009
Mali 11/19/2009
Sri Lanka 11/19/2009
Nepal 11/19/2009
Guinea 10/17/2009
Cote d'Ivoire 09/22/2009
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 09/01/2009
Williamsburg 04/07/2010
Israel, the West Bank and Gaza 08/14/2009
Afghanistan 07/23/2009
Burundi 07/22/2009
Nigeria 07/17/2009
New Orleans 04/07/2010
Uzbekistan 06/16/2009
Georgia 04/09/2009

[alanmj Banned Find all posts View Profile Close alanmj]

Some years ago - mid-90s to be precise - a colleague of mine was attending a scientific conference in Buenos Aires. Before he went he had to get permission from the State Department as he was working at Lawrence Livermore - he himself was studying rock properties under high temperatures and pressures and had nothing to do with WMD research.

The State Department gave him permission, and included in the letter a factlet advising him on safety concerns for Buenos Aires. He wrote back to the State Department thanking them for the factlet, but pointing out that according to their own data, Buenos Aires was - and is - a far safer place in terms of crime statistics than Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, etc., etc., and asking why he didn't get warning factlets before he visited those cities. No response...

Yes, random violence can occur anywhere at any time. The point here is to reduce to as low as possible the probability of such an occurrence. You know what to do when travelling in major U.S. cities - which areas to avoid, when not to be out on the streets, when to be vigilant and sensitive to potential trouble. When on holiday those radar senses are muted, both because of the lack of knowledge about the area but also because you are on "holiday", and expect that being away means away from it all...

Funnily enough, one of the safest places in the whole middle East is inside the old walled city of Jerusalem. During the daytime you will never experience any problems - apart from harassment by the market sellers - as the bombs are all in the new town. The old city is too holy for all sides. Same cannot be said for Gaza however, and I did get myself quite worried when I drove through Gaza some years ago and got lost. Stupid to go through it - my common sense let me down as I was in holiday mode. I would put Ciudad Juarez at this time in the same category as Gaza - although we had a lovely Christmas Day there some years ago I would not go there today.

Strangely, I don't find Branson on the list of high crime statistic U.S. cities:
United States cities by crime rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There must be a huge cover-up going on, with the bodies being driven out of town to other places, like Detroit...

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Strangely, I don't find Branson on the list of high crime statistic U.S. cities:
United States cities by crime rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There must be a huge cover-up going on, with the bodies being driven out of town to other places, like Detroit...

It must be true since it's on the Internet (Post #10)

Actually, joking aside, Branson was on the most dangerous US Cities crime list. I believe it was one month last year. That was a source of a few chuckles then.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I had to dig a little, like maybe a minute, but here it is:

Branson Missouri: Branson Missouri - The 34th Most Dangerous City in America

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

I don't know about Juarez because we haven't been there in years, but I do know about Tijuana, which we drive through four or six times a week, taking no special precautions, because we cross the border to San Diego for shopping/to see a movie/etc. 2 or 3 times most weeks we are living in Rosarito. Obviously, we do not feel threatened or we wouldn't be in Rosarito in the first place, and we wouldn't drive through Tijuana without any concern. Unlike the dangerous areas of most U.S. cities, the dangerous areas of Tijuana are not areas tourists would wander into accidentally; they are on the far, far east side of the city, and I can't imagine a tourist--or anyone else--getting there without planning to. On the other hand, I can definitely imagine getting off the freeway in the L.A. area (and we'll leave Detroit and New Orleans out of the discussion) only to discover I never should have taken that exit.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Wow, with such anti-American sentiment, I would think taking you off the freeway in LA, or Detroit, and shooting you, would be patriotic.

PS: Please notice the smilie.