Car rental in Mexico - Crime

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Crime

CRIME: Crime in Mexico continues at high levels, and it is often violent, especially in Mexico City , Tijuana , Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo . Other metropolitan areas have lower, but still serious, levels of crime. Low apprehension and conviction rates of criminals contribute to the high crime rate. Travelers should leave valuables and irreplaceable items in a safe place, or not bring them. All visitors are encouraged to make use of hotel safes when available, avoid wearing obviously expensive jewelry or designer clothing, and carry only the cash or credit cards that will be needed on each outing. Travelers are discouraged from bringing very large amounts of cash into Mexico , because officials may suspect money laundering or other criminal activity. All U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are encouraged to report the incident to the nearest police headquarters and to the nearest U.S. consular office.

There are a significant number of pick-pocketing incidents, purse snatchings and hotel-room thefts. Public transportation is a particularly popular place for pickpockets. Valuables should be left in a safe place, or not brought at all. Please keep track of your luggage when getting in and out of ground transportation from the airport to the hotel, and vice versa.

Visitors should not leave belongings on the beach while swimming, as there is a possibility of their being stolen.

Visitors should be aware of their surroundings at all times, even when in areas generally considered to be safe. Armed street crime is a serious problem in all of the major cities. Some bars and nightclubs, especially in resort cities such as Cancun , Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan , and Acapulco , can be havens for drug dealers and petty criminals. Some establishments may contaminate or drug the drinks to gain control over the patron. Victims, who are almost always unaccompanied, have been raped, robbed of personal property, or abducted and then held while their credit cards were used at various businesses and Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs).

U.S. citizens should be very cautious in general when using ATMs in Mexico . If an ATM must be used, it should be accessed only during the business day at large protected facilities (preferably inside commercial establishments, rather than at glass-enclosed, highly visible ATMs on streets where criminals can observe financial transactions). Recently, there have been cases in which U.S. and Mexican citizens have been accosted on the street and forced to withdraw money from their accounts using their ATM cards.

Kidnapping, including the kidnapping of non-Mexicans, continues at alarming rates. So-called "express" kidnappings, an attempt to get quick cash in exchange for the release of an individual, have occurred in almost all the large cities in Mexico and appear to target not only the wealthy, but also middle class persons. U.S. businesses with offices in Mexico or concerned U.S. citizens may contact the U.S. Embassy or any U.S. consulate to discuss precautions that they should take. Four Americans were kidnapped in separate incidents in Nuevo Laredo during the Spring and Summer of 2002.

For safety reasons, the U.S. Embassy advises all U.S. citizens to exercise extreme caution at all times when traveling on Mexican highways. Criminal assaults occur on highways throughout Mexico . Therefore, travelers should exercise caution when traveling on all highways in Mexico , use "toll" ("cuota") roads, rather than the less secure "free" ("libre") highways, whenever possible, and avoid driving at night. During 2003, several travelers on the cuota between Guadalajara and Mexico City were robbed of all their belongings late at night at gunpoint after being pulled over by what appeared to be a police car with flashing lights. In addition, U.S. citizens should not hitchhike or accept rides from, or offer rides to, strangers anywhere in Mexico .

All bus travel should be during daylight hours and on first-class conveyances. Although there have been several reports of bus hijackings and robberies on "toll" roads, buses on "toll" roads have a markedly lower rate of incidents than buses (second and third class) that travel the less secure "free" highways. While many of the assaults have occurred in daylight, the U.S. Embassy nevertheless encourages daytime travel to lower the chance of vehicle accidents. The Embassy also advises caution when traveling by bus going east or west from Acapulco toward Ixtapa or Oaxaca . Although the police have made some progress in bringing this problem under control, armed robberies of entire busloads of passengers armed robberies of entire busloads of passengers still occur.

In some instances, Americans have become victims of harassment, mistreatment and extortion by Mexican law enforcement and other officials. Mexican authorities are concerned about these incidents and have cooperated in investigating such cases. However, one must have the officer's name, badge number, and patrol car number to pursue a complaint. Please note this information if you are ever involved with police or other officials. In addition, tourists should be wary of persons representing themselves as police officers or other officials. Request evidence that any such people are in fact who they claim to be.

Tourists should not hike alone in backcountry areas, nor walk alone on lightly frequented beaches, ruins or trails. Local authorities have reported an increase in armed robberies in the popular tourist destination of northern Sinaloa, especially near the fishing resorts. Caution should be exercised when visiting this area.

The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. U.S. citizens may refer to the Department of State's pamphlet, A Safe Trip Abroad, for ways to promote a trouble-free journey. The pamphlet is available by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington , D.C. 20402 , via the Internet at http://www.gpoaccess.gov, or via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov.