I have to say I have traveled in Guerrero, precisely in Taxco, one of the beautiful Mexican Pueblos Magicos (magic towns) at about 2-hour bus from Mexico City. Beginning around 2006, criminal groups began to use kidnappings and the ransom money they got from desperate families to help fund those activities, according to Vctor Manuel Snchez Valds, a research professor at the Autonomous University of Coahuila, Mexico. But Im not sure, he wrote. Shows how much people think the problem in their community are property crimes (home broken, car theft, etc. 8 bodies found in Cancun, Mexico, prompting travel warning - USA TODAY The gang has been a longtime enforcer of the Gulf Cartel, whose battle against their archrivals the ferocious Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel has recently resulted in shocking gangland-style violence along the Riviera Maya, a sun-drenched stretch of beaches on the Yucatan Peninsula that is Mexicos biggest tourist hub. Some areas of Mexico have increased risk of crime and kidnapping. Cartel expert tells tourists, 'Don't go' to Mexico right now My sister is always struggling with money and drugs: I own a house with my husband and mother. Businesswoman beheaded after husband 'wouldn't pay' ransom, found a week after she was kidnapped allegedly with a note claiming she was killed because her husband didnt want to pay a $207,000 ransom, 366 murders over the past 80 days in the Gulf state of Veracruz, telling radio journalist Ciro Gomez Leyva, American tourists risk death to vacation in Mexico, Veracruz prosecutor Jorge Winckler Ortiz reported that his office, as well as the FBI, were investigating, travel advisory for Americans visiting Mexico last year. The fact that in a long period of time there has been not a single kidnapping in Yucatan is due to some of the strategies deployed at the state level, such as the installation of the Coordination Table for the Construction of Peace and the operation of the Multidisciplinary Group of Justice. Christopher Burgess is a writer, speaker and commentator on global security issues. Americans Urged 'Do Not Travel' To Mexico For Spring Break, Kidnapping These criminal organizations have found a special interest in the region due to the drug and people trafficking network. Despite the uptick in violence at tourist destinations and the deployment of troops, Lopez Obrador said the country is forging ahead with ambitious plans to construct an international airport in Tulum by 2023, as well as a 900-mile train route that would link resort spots in Quintana Roo to some of the regions far-flung historic and ecological sites. Most of the detainees do not exceed 23 years. One kidnapper cut off a victims finger when family members couldnt raise funds to release him, court documents say. Mexico can be a very dangerous place. MRIDA, Yucatn, (October 15, 2021).- The civil associationAlto al Secuestroannounced thatYucatnis among the 8 states of the Republic that reportzero kidnappings, the other states are Campeche, Chiapas, Tlaxcala, Aguascalientes, Nayarit, Durango and Coahuila. But their journey ended instead in Yucatan, each locked in a house and held for US$10,000 ransom. Travelers should "exerciseincreased caution when traveling to" Coahuila, Mexico and Nayarit and "not travel to" Zacatecas. CAN TACOS BE HEALTHY should tacos be considered Junk food or health food? He covers organized crime, immigration, farm policy, and anything in between. Organized crime, like any successful business, adapts to changing market conditions. While its unclear whether the high-profile arrest will lead to the Jalisco Cartels retreat, the rival Gulf Cartel also faces challenges with the recent death of their leader, Ariel (El Tigre) Trevino Pena, who was killed by the Mexican army in a shootout in Matamoros in October. CANCUN CLUB SHOOTING LEAVES 5 DEAD, 5 WOUNDED, AUTHORITIES SAY. However, experts agree that negative news about the violent situation discourages tourists from going to southern Baja California. Zambada Garcia, who headed up his own eponymous criminal operation before joining the Sinaloa Cartel alongside El Chapo, is reportedly in ill health and in hiding. We were lucky to escape, and if our story can prevent one other person from going through what we went through, and what we almost had to go through, it would be worth it., Criminals have splintered into smaller gangs. Cancun and other Mexican vacation cities remain top destinations for U.S. travelers despite several safety warnings in 2017 and early 2018. They tied her up and went to look for Frank and, while they were gone, she was able to free herself and make a run for it. Kidnapping has been a problem in Mexico for decades, but its gotten much, much worse in recent years. The president of Alto al Secuestro highlighted that there was a 40 percent decrease in this crime between January and August of this year compared to the same period, but in 2019. The states Americans have been strictly told to avoid are Colima, Guerrero, Michoacn, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas. The U.S. State Department recently updated Mexico's travel warning for U.S. Right now you have factions fighting for leadership within the Sinaloa Cartel to control the sale of opioids, and you have the larger cartels all fighting each other, he told The Post. (many of these crimes are never reported to the police). In two articles for Medium, the photographer relates how on Jan. 8, while staying with a friend in Cordoba, 16 men armed with military-grade weapons walked into the apartment, beat him up and dragged him away. Likewise, it indicated that the police of the Poniente Sector were notified but, according to it, they did not pay attention. Five years later, the young men are still missing. Who knows what kind of information she will give to authorities, Almonte told The Post. 17 CIA tips on how to think like a spy and stay safe while on vacation, Gun violence, safety concerns are keeping travelers away, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. When Jennifer and Frank Massabki traveled to Mexico in May 2017, they had recently gotten engaged and were looking for potential locations to host their wedding later that year. According to local news reports, a note was left with the body saying she was killed because her husband 'didn't want to pay' the ransom. Sevigny told Fox News he left forMexico City after he was releasedand because his passport was stolen, he had to go to the U.S. Embassy for help. In 2017 the FBI investigated 116 kidnappings in Mexico. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! (Courtesy of John Sevigny). But after what occurred over the next few days, they didnt know if they ever wanted to set foot in the country again. The Gulf Cartel also has cells in some border towns in Texas, and alliances with mobsters in Italy. However the tragic death of Susana Carrera, whose body was found a week after she was kidnapped allegedly with a note claiming she was killed because her husband didnt want to pay a $207,000 ransom, is just one of the dozens of kidnappings and murders reported in the first two months of the year. Walt and his team plan retaliatory kidnappings. According to a study by the National Commission on Human Rights in Mexico, 85 to 95 percent of Mexicans believe the police are corrupt. This story has been shared 114,982 times. Among those kidnapped was American photographer John Sevigny, who was in the city of Cordoba in the state of Veracruz. The state ofBaja California cannot clean its face from the violence that thedrug traffickingleft. The couple rented a car from an American company in Mexico City and had been on the road for about an hour when another vehicle rear-ended them. Inside bloody world of Cancun's cartel wars as gangsters behead and People keep asking me if Tulum is safe. The attempted kidnappings highlight a concerning trend in Jalisco, where the number of women reported missing has risen steadily in each of the last four years, peaking at 1,161 disappearances in . To put things in perspective, consider that the murder rate in Mexico's Yucatan State is 2 per 100,000. On Monday in a press briefing,Department spokesperson Ned Price said there were no reports to share on U.S. citizens being injured or killed in the incident. Mexico kidnap: The inside story. However travelers should always do some basic research before choosing a vacation destination and some areas of the country are more dangerous than others.. Between 2000 and 2006, there were about 400 kidnappings a year, which, while still a lot . There is also updated information on the "kidnapping risk"for the states of Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Baja California, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Sonora, Nuevo Leon, Puebla, Quintana Rooand San Luis Potosi. July 4, 1956, WestburyWhen Mrs. Weinberger checks on her sleeping 1-month-old son, Peter, all she finds is an empty carriage and a ransom note, promising the baby will be returned "safe and sound" once the $2,000 demand is met. We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and The month of August of this year registered a decrease of 5.7 percent in the crime of kidnapping compared to the same period of 2019, as reported by Stop Kidnapping. The report presented on Monday warned thatSalamanca and Tecomncomplete the list of the top five violent cities. The following is a . Cartels and kidnapping in PV - Puerto Vallarta Forum The death of a Mexican businesswoman snatched by sicarios while picking up her child at a friend's home and who body was found decapitated inside a black bag briefly rattled and heightened fears . While five Mexican states including Michoacan and Sinaloa are listed as places not recommended for travel, the advisory for Veracruz has no restrictions. Tourists continue to flock to Mexico each year, even throughout the COVID pandemic. For many, this municipality is much more interesting and refined thanTijuana, which is why during the holidays a large number of young Americans come attracted by good seafood and lively nightlife. 8 Lessons From A Horrifying Express Kidnapping In Mexico (January 2020) Country Summary: Violent crime - such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery - is widespread and common in Mexico. After the 'Colado' was kidnapped, his alleged captors sent photographs to the man's family to ask for a ransom of about 10 million pesos. He is a former Senior Security Advisor to Cisco and served 30+ years within the CIA which awarded him the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal upon his retirement. Although violent crime is rare (but not impossible), petty crime is common. American photographer John Sevigny was kidnapped while visiting the city of Cordoba in the Mexican state of Veracruz, where violence and crime is on the rise. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel was founded in 2009 by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (El Mencho), who is among the most wanted drug traffickers on the planet after the 2014 arrest of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel. But . Two men who were also there with them were killed and the women were sexually assaulted, he said. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has launched a campaign aimed at persuading people to not break the law. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Or Evansville, Indiana. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The high-profile kidnapping in 1994 of Alfredo Harp Hel, a Mexican entrepreneur whose family paid $30 million for his release, typifies this trend. 0:00. The police captured a cartel boss, who may have died in the encounter, but that's about all the news for PV, other than they are bringing in more Military/ National Guard to keep things safe, a normal thing . The kidnapping shocks middle-class, Long Island suburbia and makes nationwide headlines. In its monthly report, the organizationAlto al Secuestrorecorded a decrease in the crime of kidnapping in Mexico. And the problems getting worse. Two men promised to smuggle at least three Cuban migrants into the United States, but instead locked them in a Merida house and tortured them, Florida prosecutors say. From about 2007 to 2016, the number of criminal groups in Mexico rocketed from six to 400, according to Mexico United Against Organized Crime. ), violent crimes (being mugged or robbed, being attacked or insulted), corruption and other crimes. All rights reserved. In Mexico, which is heading toward a pivotal presidential election in July, this has meant a surge in kidnappings over the past decade. Guadalajara celebrates the 481 anniversary of its foundation! Help me! Below these regions are Zihuatanejo, Ciudad Jurez, Celaya, Acmbaro, Uruapan, Solidaridad, Centro (Villahermosa), Valle de Santiago, Silao, Tecate, Salvatierra, Irapuato, Zamora. A spokesperson for the State Department told USA TODAY in an email thatthe agency regularly reviews all Travel Advisories to ensure U.S. citizens have the most relevant and timely information to make the most informed decisions regarding their safety and security when traveling overseas. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Visit a quote page and your recently viewed tickers will be displayed here. Kidnapping methods have also changed. How Safe Is Cancun for Travel? - Travel Safe - Abroad Worry about Kidnappings? - Cancun Forum - Tripadvisor Other places in the world are far more violent., But for Almonte, who organizes seminars for US law enforcement on Mexican cartels, things are out of control and the Mexican government does not have a handle on it, he said. Number of kidnapping cases in Mexico 2021 | Statista Furthermore, if possible travel in at least groups of 2 or more and when using the ATM one individual acts as a buffer/distance mechanism for any who may be attempting to observe or approach. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Thats the way they think.. Crime in Mexico is so well organized that (sometimes) its invisible. USA TODAY. According to a message from the victim on social media, the events occurredon 32nd avenue, near the Nuestra Seora del Rosario church. The2019studydetails that the bloody incidents have created a negative image of the tourist gem, which has a population of more than 70,000 people. Flix offers opium dealer Guerra a partnership deal. The Dry Tortugas National Park located about 70 miles off of Key West, Florida has , A British tourist was gunned down on 02 January at the guest house at which . Crespo and Valdez [] They had to find other sources of income, which gave the hitmen in these groups carte blanche to participate in activities like kidnapping and extortion, he said. In addition, we dug a bit into the past to identify those incidents which were published in which an individual or family found itself the victim of a kidnapping. Tulum will keep growing because the Mexican government is really investing in tourism here, said Susann Rottloff, a Tulum-based realtor and German expatriate who has lived in Tulum for the last three years. Her burned-out bullet-ridden SUV was reportedly found . Violence is on the rise in Mexicos central and southern states, a 2018 report from the OSAC found. Two weeks later, dozens of tourists were forced to scramble for cover when 15 gang members, their faces hidden by ski masks, went on a daylight shooting rampage on a beach in the village of Puerto Morelos, south of Cancun, killing two suspected traffickers. Apr 24, 2022, 7:16 PM. Both men face charges of conspiring to induce aliens to come to the United States and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. They are among the hundreds of people targeted by kidnappings in Mexico each year, according to the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), a bureau of the State Department that addresses international security. Hoy presentamos nuestro informe mensual sobre la incidencia del delito de #Secuestro con corte al mes de agosto pasado. The Australian Government is not able to guarantee your safety. Like all countries around the world, sexual assault, pickpocketing and scams also present risks for travellers. Should we cut my sister out of the family inheritance? Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); "Alto al Secuestro" announced that Yucatn is among the 8 states of the republic that report zero kidnappings. They never made it. Ramirez was taken first, according to a text message that Rivera frantically sent to a friend. That said, the risk of kidnapping, especially for the foreign business person or tourist who is perceived to be wealthy exists. Similarly, the State Public Safety Council was installed and through Yucatn Seguro technological equipment was acquired to strengthen State security through video cameras, among other strategies. A large part of this can be attributed to the aggressive security policies of former Mexican President Felipe Caldern, whose Kingpin Strategy which aimed to arrest various cartel leaders disrupted what was once a relatively peaceful balance of power between the larger cartels. When they saw that the neighbors came out they got into their truck and left, she said. Kidnapping in Mexico decreases in February, 7.9 percent I (just) wont be back in Cordoba for a while., Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Mexico is experiencing a combination of conditions that collectively degrade the security environment in certain areas, the report said. It all started in 2017 when the local authorities carried out the arrest of two men of Russian origin, who in the United States had a criminal record implicated in drug dealing. As noted, the majority of cases reported to the U.S. Embassy have been kidnapping for ransom. Forget about the Traffic Light entering Mexico. This Mexican Town Is the Sex-Trafficking Capital of the World The one we read about the most is Kidnap for Ransom. Other forms are Express Kidnapping where the victim is kidnapped for the sole purpose of making ATM withdrawals and Virtual Kidnappings where no kidnapping has actually occurred but family members are manipulated into thinking one has in an attempt to induce them to pay a ransom. Its a mess.. There are cases now where the rescue of a victim only costs $500, said Javier Hernandez, an official with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime in Mexico. According to the 2012 estimates, there were 100,000 Mennonites living in Mexico [1] (including 32,167 baptized adult church members), [5] the vast majority of them, or about 90,000 are established in the state of Chihuahua, [2] 6,500 were living in Durango, [3] with the rest living in small colonies in the states of . This is why it is a haven for expats, early retirees, families with children, expats, digital nomads and travelers alike. Only 1 percent of all kidnappers are captured and carried to justice, said Torres Landa, the Mexico United Against Organized Crime consultant. Cabeza de Vaca without limits: former governor persecuted by justice will seek the Presidency!
