Homicides up in Mexico
The U.S. Department of State has issued a travel advisory warning American citizens to think twice before patronizing Mexican casinos and other adult entertainment venues. The department issued a similar warning in April of last year, citing the rising number of U.S. citizens murdered in the country. According to figures from the government, 100 U.S. citizens were the victims of homicide in 2014, a figure that rose to 103 in 2015.
The advisory warns U.S. citizens “about the risk of traveling to certain places in Mexico due to threats to safety and security posed by organized criminal groups in the country. U.S. citizens have been the victims of violent crimes, such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking and robbery by organized criminal groups in various Mexican states.”
The website of the office of U.S. Passports & International Travel singled out the gaming industry in part because gamblers may carry cash. It noted that millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year and acknowledged that the Mexican government “dedicates substantial resources to protect visitors to major tourist destinations.
“There is no evidence that organized criminal groups have targeted U.S. visitors or residents based on their nationality,” the advisory continued. Nevertheless, “Gun battles between rival criminal organizations or with Mexican authorities have taken place in towns and cities in many parts of Mexico and have occurred in broad daylight on streets and in other public venues, such as restaurants and clubs. … Criminal organizations have used stolen cars, buses, and trucks to create roadblocks on major thoroughfares, preventing the military and police from responding to criminal activity. … We recommend that you defer travel to the areas specifically identified in this travel warning and exercise extreme caution when traveling throughout the other areas for which advisories are in effect.”
U.S. citizens were also encouraged to “lower their personal profiles and to avoid displaying indicators of wealth such as expensive-looking jewelry, watches, or cameras. U.S. citizens are encouraged to maintain awareness of their surroundings and avoid situations in which they may be isolated or stand out as potential victims.”
The website Yogonet.com reported that United States government personnel are prohibited from visiting gaming establishments in Zacatecas, Durango, Aguascalientes, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, Colima, Jalisco and San Luis Potosi.
Governor Carlos Lozano de la Torre of Aguascalientes called the travel alert “misplaced.” And Jose Maria Gil de los Santas, president of the National Chamber of Commerce in Monclova, said there are no betting shops or casinos in Coahuila, which shows the State Department had a lack of information when they created the report.
And Baja Insider also scoffed at the warning, saying in 2015 Mexico “returned to the top 10 tourist destinations worldwide,” and the murder rate of U.S. tourists in Mexico is “a minuscule 0.39 per 100,000 visitors. To put that in perspective you are five times more likely to be murdered by a family member, at home.” More than 25 million U.S. citizens visited Mexico in 2014.
“There are three kinds of people,” the Insider continued, “those that like to scare, those that like to be scared and those that want to make the decision on their own. Be informed with real information when making your own risk assessment.”
