State Department issues unusual Mexico travel alert

The State Department has issued a strongly-worded Travel Alert for US citizens traveling and living in Mexico. Bottom line: next time you go south of the border, you have to be street smart.

The government says because of the Mexican government’s crackdown on drug trafficking organizations, Mexican drug cartels are engaged in an escalating, extraordinarily violent fight for the control of the highly lucrative narcotics trafficking trade between the US and Mexico.

The State Department reports that,

Some recent Mexican army and police confrontations with drug cartels have taken on the characteristics of small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and, on occasion, grenades.

Firefights have taken place in many towns and cities across Mexico but particularly in northern Mexico, including Tijuana, Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez. The situation in northern Mexico remains fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements cannot be predicted.

Evidence of the devastating wave of new crime and violence was cited in the State Department Alert, including:

1. More than 1,600 cars were reportedly stolen in Ciudad Juarez in the month of July 2008 alone,
2. Bank robberies along the Mexican border are up dramatically,
3. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Ciudad Juarez this year,
4. Rates for robberies, homicides, petty thefts, and carjackings have all increased over the last year across Mexico generally, with notable spikes in Tijuana and northern Baja California,
5. Cuidad Juarez, Tijuana, and Nogales are among the cities which have recently experienced public shootouts during daylight hours in shopping centers and other public venues,
6. Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, Tijuana, and along Route 15 between Nogales and Hermosillo.

If you’re planning to travel to Mexico anytime soon, you need to be “street aware” and use your “street smarts.” Take precautions. Only travel in groups. Visit only business and tourist areas you know to be “safe” and legitimate.

Avoid areas where drug dealing and prostitution probably or may occur. Be extremely careful at night, or stay in your hotel. Don’t go to areas of Mexico where violence and daytime shootouts have been occurring.

Stay clear of demonstrations or large public gatherings. Don’t carry expensive items such as digital cameras or other gear in plain sight. Don’t wear expensive jewelry in public. Don’t display large amounts of cash or other valuables. Dress plainly. Carry minimal ID and credit cards.

If you feel you must drive in Mexico, stick to the main roads and only drive during daylight hours. If possible, stay mostly on Mexico’s toll (“cuota”) roads, which are generally more secure, as you travel between destinations. Make sure you provide your itinerary to a friend and/or family member with whom you are not traveling.

Carry a GSM enabled cell phone that functions and is activated for international calls. If your phone is CDMA based, such as from Verizon or Sprint, it will not work in Mexico. Mexico has only GSM service. Both AT&T and T-Mobile are GSM based in the US, however, even if you have a phone from one of those cellular carriers, make sure it has the right frequencies for Mexico, and that your phone is activated for international service. If necessary, rent an “international cell phone” from one of the many reputable companies providing internationally-activated GSM based phones.

I have been to Mexico many times and have found the Mexican people to be a very friendly, warm citizenry. There are many splendid attractions to visit there, and some wonderful resorts. During the upcoming months if you’re traveling to Mexico, I would be very wary, extremely alert for trouble and problems, and very careful when there.

Before any US citizen or resident travels outside the country, I always recommend they carefully review the US Department of State, Country Specific Information, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts for each of their destinations. The information contained in the reports about a country’s, Entry/Exit Requirements, Safety and Security, Crime, Medical Facilities and Health Information, Traffic Safety and Road Conditions, Children’s Issues, and a whole host of other information is absolutely invaluable.