U.S. Urges Spring Breakers To Avoid Mexico Due To Risk Of Kidnapping

LOS ANGELES, CA — With spring break less than a month away, the U.S. Department of State is warning travelers to avoid Mexico due to the current risk of kidnappings and homicides.

Mexico is a spring break destination for millions of Americans. Every year, California’s college and high school students cross the border to let loose. But this year, the danger isn’t worth it in much of the country, according to the State Department.

“Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread and common in Mexico,” The State Department warned. “The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted. In many states, local emergency services are limited outside the state capital or major cities.”

The U.S. recently issued its highest-level warning, outright telling travelers not to go to Guerrero, Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.

The government is also strongly urging people to reconsider travel plans to:

• Baja California state due to crime and kidnapping.
• Chihuahua state due to crime and kidnapping.
• Durango state due to crime.
• Guanajuato state due to crime and kidnapping.
• Jalisco state due to crime and kidnapping.
• Morelos state due to crime.
• Sonora state due to crime and kidnapping.

According to the state department, Travelers should also exercise Increased Caution When Traveling To:

• Aguascalientes state due to crime.
• Baja California Sur state due to crime.
• Chiapas state due to crime.
• Coahuila state due to crime.
• Hidalgo state due to crime.
• Mexico City due to crime.
• Mexico State due to crime.
• Nayarit state due to crime.
• Nuevo Leon state due to crime and kidnapping.
• Oaxaca state due to crime.
• Puebla state due to crime and kidnapping.
• Queretaro state due to crime.
• Quintana Roo state due to crime and kidnapping.
• San Luis Potosi state due to crime and kidnapping.
• Tabasco state due to crime.
• Tlaxcala state due to crime.
• Veracruz state due to crime.

The suspicious death of a California public defender, who died last month while celebrating his first anniversary with his wife at a Rosarito Beach resort, has drawn a spotlight to the growing danger south of the border.

Last week, the family of 33-year-old Elliot Blair released an autopsy contradicting the Mexican government’s official report that he fell off a balcony down the hall from his resort hotel room. A lawyer for Blair’s family said the report shows he sustained 40 fractures to the back of the skull as well as "road rash" on his knees and a toe injury, which indicated he was dragged, attorney Case Barnett said.

"It was just not a fall -- it looks like he was beaten," Barnett said.

About 90 minutes before he was found dead, the couple were driving back to their hotel room when a Rosarito police officer pulled him over and shook him down for $160, Barnett said.

Blair was pulled over for rolling through a stop sign, Barnett said. The officer asked for a sum higher than $160, but they only had $160 on them so he accepted that and let them go, Barnett said. Blair told the officer he was a public defender from Orange County and let him know where they were staying, Barnett added.

Given the danger in Mexico right now, the State Department is asking Americans traveling to Mexico to adopt the same restrictions placed on U.S. government employees who travel there. They may not travel between cities after dark nor hail taxis on the street. They must rely on dispatched vehicles, including app-based services like Uber, and regulated taxi stands. They are encouraged to avoid traveling alone, especially in remote areas.

Americans traveling in Mexico are urged to:

• Review the U.S. Embassy's webpage on COVID-19.
• Visit the CDC’s web page on Travel and COVID-19.
• Keep traveling companions and family back home informed of travel plans. If separating from your travel group, send a friend your GPS location. If taking a taxi alone, take a photo of the taxi number and/or license plate and text it to a friend.
• Use toll roads when possible and avoid driving alone or at night. In many states, police presence and emergency services are extremely limited outside the state capital or major cities.
• Exercise increased caution when visiting local bars, nightclubs, and casinos.
• Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry.
• Be extra vigilant when visiting banks or ATMs.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.
• Follow the U.S. Embassy on Facebook and Twitter.
• Review the Country Security Report for Mexico.
• Mariners planning travel to Mexico should check for U.S. maritime advisories and alerts, which include instructions on reporting suspicious activities and attacks to Mexican naval authorities.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel