As the world reopens, Americans are traveling worldwide for spring vacation. Mexico is a hot spot for college students, couples, and families, but recent rising violence has caused hesitation and panic – leading the State Department and CDC to issue a series of dire travel warnings.
Beaches And Automatic Weapons
Popular destinations along the Riviera Maya, such as Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Cancun, have become a battleground for drug lords. As tourists tan, these sunny spots have been hit with a string of murders as gangs battle to control property and power in the drug trade.
Experts in Mexican drug cartels warn, “it is not safe to go to the resorts.” Tourists have been told that they are entering a war zone with a target on their backs, especially college and high school kids visiting for spring break. According to experts, being in a different country, especially one you’re unfamiliar with that has different laws and regulations, puts you at a higher risk. Playa del Carmen has seen the worst violence this year. The Mexican military and law enforcement both roam the beaches heavily armed.
In early March, British businessman Chis Cleave, aged 54, was executed in front of his 14-year-old daughter right outside Playa del Carmen. Four dismembered adult male bodies were found two weeks later in a residential area right outside the tourist hotspot as well. The reasoning behind both incidents of violence is not clear, but authorities are doing their best to identify motives and suspects. Earlier in the year, two Canadian citizens were killed in a shoot-out in Playa del Carmen hotel. Five days later, a nearby beach club manager was found dead.
Last year, an American female was hit by a stray bullet during a shoot-out in Cancun. In July, a Texas firefighter was found dead in the same city; authorities suspect he was kidnapped and killed, but cannot piece together why. In October, a Californian blogger and a German tourist were killed in a gang shoot-out in Tulum. This past November, four Americans were killed at a five-star hotel in Cancun when cartel gunmen opened fire on the beach during a Day of the Dead celebration.
Dissuasion From the Government
Playa del Carmen beaches, Mexico (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The finger has been pointed at the two central cartels in this area of Mexico: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Gulf Cartel. The US Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly discourage Americans from traveling to Mexico. Not only has the CDC raised Mexico’s travel advisory rating to a level 4 due to a “very high risk for COVID-19,” but both departments have concerns beyond just the virus. These issues include the risk of crime, sexual assault, and illegal drug use.
A number of Americans and other international visitors have “reported losing consciousness or becoming injured after consuming alcohol that was possibly unregulated,” according to the US Embassy in Mexico. Travelers should engage in heightened awareness and stay on alert to avoid being drugged or consuming unregulated alcohol and avoid violent crime. The State Department encourages all Americans to reconsider traveling to Mexico entirely due to the high risk of kidnapping, murder, and corruption. As we have seen from these cases over the last year, staying in your resort won’t guarantee your safety. So maybe it’s time to rethink that Mexico vacation; your life might depend on it.
~Read more from Keelin Ferris.
