The United States Department of State recently issued a Level 2 travel advisory for the entire country of Mexico. While that advisory simply reminds travelers to exercise increased caution when traveling south of the border, one expert has issued a pretty clear warning to anyone thinking of traveling to Mexico.
Mexico is the most common international tourist destination for American travelers, due in large part to its proximity to the United States, with more than 30 million Americans visiting Mexico in 2022, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office.
While the vast majority of Americans who travel to Mexico experience no issues or threats to their safety, one travel expert has recently issued a pretty clear warning about some areas to avoid while in Mexico.
U.S. Issues Travel Advisory For Mexico
Earlier this month, the United States updated its travel advisory for Mexico, issuing a Level 2 travel advisory for the entire country due to “terrorism, crime, and kidnapping,” reminding travelers to exercise increased caution when visiting the country.
“Many violent crimes take place in Mexico. They include homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery,” the State Department wrote in the travel advisory. “There is a risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Mexico.”
While this might sound like a serious and concerning warning, it’s not one of the more severe travel advisories the United States Department of State has issued.
The State Department has two more severe categories for its database of travel advisories, with Level 3 advisories warning travelers to “reconsider travel” and Level 4 advisories warning travelers to simply “do not travel” to that destination.
Expert Issues a Clear Warning
While the State Department’s travel advisory is just a Level 2 advisory, one expert warns that not all parts of Mexico are the same, and there are some areas that travelers should avoid.
Mike Ballard, who is the director of intelligence at international security firm Global Guardian, recently spoke with USA Today to offer his expertise on traveling south of the border. He issued a pretty clear warning for travelers, urging them to stay close to the popular tourist destinations and away from cartel activity.
“You still want to avoid those areas that are hotly contested by the cartels or are under outright total control of the cartels,” Ballard told USA Today. “There are certain states within Mexico that are really hot zones for this, but those typically are not your prime vacation spots.”
While most of the tourist hotspots are safely away from cartel activity, there is one vacation spot travelers should avoid: coastal Acapulco.
“It’s in one of the most dangerous states, Guerrero in Mexico, and it’s not a place that I would go personally,” said Ballard.
Guerrero has an exceptionally high crime rate and a homicide rate of 37.5 per 100,000 people in 2024 due in large part to cartel activity in the area.
U.S. State Department Agrees
While Mexico as a whole is under just a Level 2 travel advisory from the U.S. State Department, there are certain states in Mexico that have been hit with more severe travel warnings, including Guerrero.
The U.S. Department of State has issued Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisories for the states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas.
The State Department has also issued Level 3 travel advisories for the states of Baja California, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos, and Sonora.
Many of these states are at increased risk for cartel violence, as Ballard warned.
Mexico is Still Generally Safe
That said, it is still generally safe to travel to Mexico, as long as you stay in the tourist spots and avoid putting yourself in dangerous situations.
“We’re not really seeing a particular uptick (for violent crimes) in some of the tourist spots,” Ballard said.
From my own experience traveling to Mexico multiple times over the past several years, places like Cancún, Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, and Playa del Carmen generally feel quite safe and typically have a strong police presence.
Still, there are things you can do to make sure you are as safe as possible during your travels
- Use registered taxis or rideshare apps for your travels
- Avoid traveling at night outside major tourist areas
- Be aware of your surroundings and don’t be overly distracted by your phone when in public
- Avoid wearing flashy jewelry or expensive designer items
It’s also worth keeping an eye on the latest travel advisories from the State Department before traveling to Mexico, as things can always change.
