US Warns of Violence in Tourist Destinations
Mexico News Daily, August 22, 2017
Crime increases in five Mexican states have triggered a new travel warning for Mexico by the United States Department of State, which offers a new caution about several tourist destinations.
The alert cites increased criminal activity in Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Quintana Roo and Veracruz, warning U.S. citizens about gun battles between rival criminal organizations or with authorities on the streets and in public places during broad daylight.
Caution is urged in Baja California, including Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada, Tecate and Mexicali, particularly at night.
As with several other state-specific warnings, that for Baja California says most homicides appear to be targeted, criminal organization assassinations, but turf battles have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. visitors.
The warning announced that U.S. government personnel are only allowed to travel on the Mexicali-Tijuana toll highway during daylight hours.
Criminal activity and violence remain an issue throughout Baja California Sur, said the State Department, which included Los Cabos and La Paz in its warning, making the same caution about violence in tourist areas.
In Chiapas, including Palenque and San Cristóbal de las Casas, U.S. officials must now remain in tourist areas and are not permitted to use public transportation.
Inter-city travel at night is prohibited for government personnel in Colima, as is traveling within 19 kilometers of the border with Michoacán and traveling on highway 110 between La Tecomaca and the Jalisco border.
U.S. citizens should defer non-essential travel to the Jalisco border region, including the city of Tecoman.
There is now a total ban on personal travel by U.S. government personnel in Guerrero, eliminating the option of traveling to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo by air.
The warning advises of an increase in homicides in Quintana Roo and has included the tourist destinations of Cancún, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya and Tulum in its advisory.
In Veracruz, U.S. government personnel must remain in tourist areas and are not allowed to use public transportation. Road travel should be limited to daylight hours.
The full warning can be read here. It replaces the one issued last December.
