Crime, violence in Mexico

The Department of State has issued a Travel Alert stating that while millions of people safely visit Mexico each year, violence in that country has increased.

Unnecessary travel to parts of Michoacán and Chihuahua should be delayed. Mexican drug cartels are engaged in violent conflict, both among themselves and with Mexican security services, along the US-Mexico border. Criminals have followed and harassed US citizens in their vehicles in border areas, including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros and Tijuana. 

Large firefights have taken place in towns and cities across Mexico but occur mostly in northern Mexico, including Tijuana, Chihuahua City, Monterrey and Ciudad Juarez. Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nogales are among the cities which have experienced shootouts during daylight hours in shopping centers and other public venues. 

For US government employees, nonessential travel is restricted within Durango, parts of Chihuahua and all parts of Coahuila south of Mexican highways 25 and 22 and the Alamos River. This is due to an increase in assaults, murders and kidnappings in those three states.

The situation in Chihuahua is of special concern. Defer nonessential travel to the Guadalupe Bravo area southeast of Ciudad Juarez and to the northwest quarter of the state of Chihuahua, including the city of Nuevo Casas Grandes and surrounding communities.

Mexican authorities report that more than 1,000 people have been killed in Ciudad Juarez in the first six months of 2009. In 2008, this city of 1.6 million people experienced more than 17,000 car thefts and 1,650 carjackings.

Robberies, homicides, petty thefts and carjackings all have increased over the last year across Mexico generally, with notable spikes in Tijuana and northern Baja California.