The US State Department has updated its Travel Advisory for visitors, noting an increased risk of violence and kidnapping. As a result, US travelers may want to reevaluate their plans to visit Mexico.
According to the State Department, Mexico has a high rate of violent crime, including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robberies.
New details on the states of Coahuila, Mexico, Nayarit, and Zacatecas are included in the updated Travel Advisory.
When visiting Coahuila, Mexico, and Nayarit, travelers should take extra precautions. They should avoid visiting Zacatecas.
There is also updated information on the abduction risk for these states: Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Baja California, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Sonora, Nuevo León, Puebla, Quintana Roo, and San Luis Potosi.
The warning advises US residents to abide by the limitations on travel for US federal employees. One restriction is to avoid hailing cabs on the street and instead use ride-sharing services like Uber or authorized taxi stands. Another restriction is to avoid going alone to remote regions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that Mexico has a high level of COVID-19, and the advisory advised travelers to consult the most recent travel health advice.
The State Department warned US citizens to stay indoors last week after receiving reports of many vehicle fires, roadblocks, and intense police activity in Tijuana and the surrounding area.
According to Reforma, about 350 National Guard personnel were flown in to bolster the thousands of federal personnel already stationed in the state of Baja California.
Although no injuries were recorded in Tijuana, the crime caused traffic to become backed up throughout the city and temporarily prevented entry to the US border crossing.
