Travel Warnings Issued for Mexico

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Alaskan Sea-Duction said:
U.S. State Department issues travel warning for Mexico – The Log
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On the State Department's site there are specifics by state and more detailed recommendations.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/mexico-travel-warning.html

Things have worsened significantly this year so being very careful of where and when is critical. If we were coming through today vs early 2015 when we went through, I'd be more concerned, probably make a couple fewer stops as definitely would skip Acapulco. We watched where we went and didn't do much at night even then. Generally they are trying to protect tourists.
 
Thanks for share the info.


Mexico has been on my no travel band for a number of years now.


Cheers.


H.
 
hfoster said:
Thanks for share the info.


Mexico has been on my no travel band for a number of years now.


Cheers.


H.
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Wifey B: Is the Cleveland in your profile, the one in Ohio, the one referred to as "The Mistake on the Lake?" If so, that's harsh coming from there. :rofl:

I've been to Cleveland. I was actually docked there on June 19, 2016, which was a very tragic day for me. :rolleyes: Can't believe the Cavaliers beat my boys. :mad:

We stayed a couple of extra days but the place went wild and parades and celebrating and all that stuff. It was nice to see for the city though, a lot of very happy people and no riots or anything like some places have had. My fave things there. 1-Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2-Great Lakes Science Museum. 3-Cleveland Museum of Art. 4-Some car and plane museum but I'm too lazy to look it's name up right now. 5-The Money Museum. I like money but they wouldn't give you any there. Fed Reserve. Sort of cool. :D

I wouldn't go into the interior of Mexico and wouldn't want to go by car. I'd still go to the coastal areas, just even more careful, but I understand you saying you wouldn't. Can't get much more dangerous and remain on my list to go though.
 
Cruise lines have been dropping some Mexican destinations in recent years. Stayed on the ship during my last two Mexican cruises.
 
No hint of trouble in Puerta Vallarta. Has always been safe. My self, family, and several partners in a property development were involved with go there regularly. No issues at all.
 
CaptTPT said:
No hint of trouble in Puerta Vallarta. Has always been safe. My self, family, and several partners in a property development were involved with go there regularly. No issues at all.
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What is the consensus on the Sea of Cortez?
 
BandB said:
Wifey B: Is the Cleveland in your profile, the one in Ohio, the one referred to as "The Mistake on the Lake?" If so, that's harsh coming from there. :rofl:

I've been to Cleveland. I was actually docked there on June 19, 2016, which was a very tragic day for me. :rolleyes: Can't believe the Cavaliers beat my boys. :mad:

We stayed a couple of extra days but the place went wild and parades and celebrating and all that stuff. It was nice to see for the city though, a lot of very happy people and no riots or anything like some places have had. My fave things there. 1-Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2-Great Lakes Science Museum. 3-Cleveland Museum of Art. 4-Some car and plane museum but I'm too lazy to look it's name up right now. 5-The Money Museum. I like money but they wouldn't give you any there. Fed Reserve. Sort of cool. :D

I wouldn't go into the interior of Mexico and wouldn't want to go by car. I'd still go to the coastal areas, just even more careful, but I understand you saying you wouldn't. Can't get much more dangerous and remain on my list to go though.
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Wifey B:

Mexico is a beautiful country and I have been there many times over the years. One of my relatives lived in Mexico for over 30 years. His mother was Mexican, God rest her soul.

My cousin left Mexico 2 years ago due to all the crime and corruption. He owned business in Acapulco then in Cancun after Acapulco was over ran with the corruption and crime. He saw the hand writing on the wall in Cancun, which is starting to follow suit as Acapulco.

I also have a really good family friend that is from Mexico and she will not go back for the same reason. When she wants to see her family she flies them here to the states. She does not feel safe in her own county and worries daily about her family.

It is truly a shame that Mexico cannot clean up their country for its people. As I said, it is truly a beautiful county and so are the people that just want to get by in life.

As far as the Mistake on the Lake. (Cleveland) It soon will be on my travel band list as well.:rofl:

My wife is from here not me! Sure Cleveland can be a good place to visit. However living here is not so great due to the city and county governments. That is why we have lost over about a million people over the last ten years.

Sorry to hear about your boys being beat. The Cavs got lucky!:thumb:


Cheers.


H.
 
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Delfin said:
What is the consensus on the Sea of Cortez?
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Don't know. Have been there up and down the entire coast many times. Always very safe in past. Have not been there in about 5 years so can't say what's going on now. Military check points up and down the highway. Rode my BMW1200 GS to Cabo with friends. Very safe. No worries. Cabo, however, is a bit like Las Vegas now. Not nearly as safe as it used to be. Harbors are a non-issue. Very safe.
 
Wifey B: And recognize you're a guest in their home. If you plan on doing something stupid, come back here to do it and you may get due process. But then knew a New Yorker who went to Mississippi and went to a bar and got drunk and took a girl back to the motel with him. Her boyfriend (or perhaps co-conspirator) knocked on the door and robbed him and beat the you know what out of him. He was definitely a foreigner there. :nonono::nonono::nonono:

PS. He lied to the cops about what happened and then they refused to even pursue it.
 
I have been going to Ensenada for 36 years, about 50-50 land and small sailboats. I haven't paid much attention to State Department travelers' warnings during those years, but I think the warnings have cited both better and worse safety conditions than the current situation. I have never felt unsafe in the city, even when walking alone for short distances at night. I couldn't find any reliable crime statistics with a brief search, but I can tell you that I feel safer walking around Ensenada, day or night, than I would in a number of US cities.

So should you go to Ensenada? Your call, obviously. I suggest that if you do travel there by land that you use the toll road, don't travel at night and don't dawdle in Tijuana or Rosarita Beach. I also suggest that you stick to the "tourist" area near the harbor.
 
The problem for Mexico is its northern neighbour. Americans buying drugs is the root cause of the tragic situation in much of Mexico.

Sure, America is trying to do something about that, and has been trying for years. And continuing to fail. There is no point in continuing with past policy, or building a wall.

Just legalise the stuff, and set up legit businesses in the USA to supply it, cheaply. Yes, you will lose a bunch of kids. But you were going to lose them anyway. Take the money out of the trade and then you have a chance to kill it. One problem is that the drug trade has generated such quantities of wealth for the gangs/cartels that they will still cause untold grief. But I believe it would give Mexico a chance. At the moment its still going downhill for them.

And yes, Australian and other Western Country kids are also being destroyed by drugs, we are also loosing the fight using 'traditional' law enforcement. Our society needs to face facts and debate the alternatives. Its time for actions for the greater good of the majority.

Sorry I cant help with specific advice for those travelling there. But hopefully there is good advice, and there are still safe places, and people do go. Supporting the vast majority of the Mexican population who are fairly helpless victims is very worthwhile.
 
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We currently sit in San Diego, waiting for the Mexico Gates to open in November.

So, here's my moral dilemma: my crew doesn't read TF, and most likely won't be aware of the warning. Do I a) make a Skipper's Decision to proceed, or b) open the topic up to the crew for debate ? :)
 
My wife & I have spent about 4 months in Mexico over the past 2 years (Lake Chapala, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo, and Ensenada). We were in PV in 2015 and stopped at a beach side bar just north of the Malecon for a beer. While there, 2 tour busses parked and unloaded the tourists for lunch. One year later, in 2016, we again stopped at the same bar. In the streets on both sides were parked about 2 dozed 4 wheel drive Dodge pick-ups with machine guns mounted over the cabs on roll cages, 2 armored swat vehicles, and several buses - all Federale Army vehicles. The bar owner told us that there had been narco activity in the hills, and the Army had taken over a hotel down the street and was using it as a staging area, and that it was hurting his business badly.
About 2 weeks later when home in the states, we saw in the news that an Army helo had been shot down by the narcos and crashed on the main highway from the PV airport into town.
Other than that, we have always felt safe in Mexico.
 
Given that we hardly ventured more than 50 metres from the shoreline during the last 1200 miles, from port McNeill to San Diego, I'm not expecting to be up in the hills anywhere. But I will keep a close eye on this.
 
I drove down to Mexico, two months ago to a small village on the main land. No issues, I call friends in Mexico, every week. Both Gringos and nationals. They don't have a problem. Keep your nose clean, pay attention to your surroundings, I don't think you'll have much of a problem. If your sailing to Baja Sur, know where to buy fuel & drop the hook. The Sea of Cortez, both the main-land and Baja is great fishing and diving. Like my Granny used to say, "if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen." :whistling:
 
twistedtree said:
I hope OK. We are heading there this winter.
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Peter

A fellow N60 owner Cameron is a Mexico veteran. His interesting Nordhavn is named Shipfaced (guess the dinghy name). If you don't already know him suggest you contact him for insights.
 
I have been wintering and traveling in Baja for over 10 years, I have had no problems (once I get through LA!) I live in a small town, not in a major resort style place.

The locals are some of the best people I've ever known anywhere. Can't drive or ride in town with both hands, always waving/waving back at somebody I know (small hazard.)

Known hazards are driving hwy 1 at night and weekends, mainly because of limited sightlines and high percentage of impaired drivers (liters of Tecate in their lap.) And in my case, inland flooding from hurricane rain events.

I keep the door at my casita closed otherwise the cactus wrens hop right in looking for bugs and poop on the floor. Never had an issue with intruders.

I'll be going back in a couple months, done with winters up here for this lifetime. Baja is not for everybody, but for me, the place and the people there have been more than good for me. It is visiting another planet in the Pacific time zone.

I think the state dept warnings are valid for the bigger cities and at night. To me, it is sorta like running my boat: I don't do much of that at night and I've been told where there are hazards I need to avoid by chart/tide and weatherman.
 
I used to go there in the 70-90's for 1 week surf trips but have not been back. The last time (20 years ago) involved a cop grabbing me by the waist of my pants and placing me under arrest. No, I was not drunk, or causing any issues. It was a shakedown. I get it, it can happen anywhere and the U.S has its share of lousy cities. Have not been back since. With that said, I would like to make the trip to Ensenada, and possibly farther. Monitoring the situation.
 
MV Content said:
We currently sit in San Diego, waiting for the Mexico Gates to open in November.

So, here's my moral dilemma: my crew doesn't read TF, and most likely won't be aware of the warning. Do I a) make a Skipper's Decision to proceed, or b) open the topic up to the crew for debate ? :)
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I would present the information but in terms of what to do and what not to do in the various countries. Primarily it's daytime, groups, stay in tourist areas and near the marina/resort. That puts you at minimal risk. Mexico or the other countries on down are not the places to go walking around the countryside at night alone or to anchor out alone in a peaceful isolated anchorage.

So, a security advisory so to speak. Do's and don't's.
 
For many people considering this issue, their opinion depends heavily on their personal experience. If they have traveled in Mexico without problems and don't know anyone who has experienced a problem, there is often a strong inclination to believe it is "safe". Most times for most people, there won't be a problem.

There was a recent LA Times article (9/01/17) about the crime increase in Cabo. The info provided by the Cabo police cited an increase in homocide investigations of 1000% over the past 5 years. The number of murders in Cabo this year is 8 times the rate (per capita) of Los Angeles. I think it might be safe to assume that their are more unreported murders in Cabo than in LA, making the difference in murder rates even more dramatic.

The other big issue (maybe bigger) that makes Mex a less desirable destination is that police corruption is widespread and systemic. Sadly, the cartels have heavily infiltrated local police (in many areas of Mex) and the officer that answers your distress call may be on the wrong side. That is in addition to the shakedown culture that has existed (and been tolerated) throughout Mexico for decades, where the local police are underpaid and supplement their income through forced bribes. The Federales are much more legit and that is why they are so active in the fight now.

Most Mexican citizens are wonderful and the country would be my favorite destination without these problems. Everyone gets to make their own choices. Many decide to tolerate the additional risk involved in visiting, but you are only lying to yourself if you argue that the crime and violence is not a real problem.
 
Here's a key part of the Cabo discussion:

While most of these homicides appeared to be targeted, criminal organization assassinations, turf battles between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens. Shooting incidents, in which innocent bystanders have been injured, have occurred during daylight hours.​

Basically US Citizens not targets but at risk of being caught in the fire. If we went to Cabo today vs January, 2015, we'd probably stray even less from the marina. I would also use an agent there and discuss security, perhaps even a guide for any tourism. There are no reports I'm aware of there though of boaters being harmed.

It is important to read the latest on every port. The state department regularly updates information. When they say don't go somewhere, don't go. When they say travel only on the toll road, travel only on the toll road.

When you read something like this, then you just don't go to Acapulco. Prohibited gets my attention.

Guerrero (includes Acapulco, Ixtapa, Taxco, and Zihuatanejo): Personal travel to the entire state of Guerrero, including Acapulco, is prohibited for U.S. government personnel. Self-defense groups operate independently of the government in many areas of Guerrero. Armed members of these groups frequently maintain roadblocks and, although not considered hostile to foreigners or tourists, are suspicious of outsiders and should be considered volatile and unpredictable.​
 
I wonder how these areas of Mexico compare to oh say, Chicago? The point is common sense but then again there hasn't been much of that sighted in the last 20-40 years.

So the takeaway seems to be: If you are part of the illicit/criminal subset you already understand the higher level of risk you expose yourself and everyone around you to, if not you soon will. If you're a tourist act and behave like one and you'll far more than likely be just as relatively safe as you have always been. If you're a local, expat or dual citizen you where just as aware as the criminals which areas required more vigilance before the advisory was issued.
 
CPseudonym said:
I wonder how these areas of Mexico compare to oh say, Chicago? The point is common sense but then again there hasn't been much of that sighted in the last 20-40 years.

So the takeaway seems to be: If you are part of the illicit/criminal subset you already understand the higher level of risk you expose yourself and everyone around you to, if not you soon will. If you're a tourist act and behave like one and you'll far more than likely be just as relatively safe as you have always been. If you're a local, expat or dual citizen you where just as aware as the criminals which areas required more vigilance before the advisory was issued.
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I would say that Chicago has areas that are far safer. On the other hand, Chicago has areas that you'd be unwise to walk through alone or at night. Still, a tourist can explore a large part of Chicago without fear. Probably the difference between most major cities and some of the areas of Mexico. On the other hand, Mexico City doesn't currently have any advisories.

So, perhaps what is different about Mexico right now is that there are many areas that have risks, small to medium sized towns.
 
CPseudonym said:
So the takeaway seems to be: If you are part of the illicit/criminal subset you already understand the higher level of risk you expose yourself and everyone around you to, if not you soon will. If you're a tourist act and behave like one and you'll far more than likely be just as relatively safe as you have always been. If you're a local, expat or dual citizen you where just as aware as the criminals which areas required more vigilance before the advisory was issued.
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That's not how the US State Department sees it. Their travel advisories are not directed at cartel members or other drug runners, they are directed at US citizens traveling abroad. I trust their expertise and the statistical evidence that says the danger involved with visiting these locations is high and has increased significantly in the past year.
 
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