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Crime continues at 1999's high levels. In Mexico City, crime has reached critical levels. Low apprehension and conviction rates of criminals contribute to the high rate of crime. Metropolitan areas other than the capital are considered to have lower but still serious levels of crime activity. Travelers to Mexico should leave valuables and irreplaceable items in a safe place. All visitors to Mexico 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, as officials may suspect money laundering or other criminal activity. During 1999, criminal activity in Mexico City continued at 1997 and 1998's high rates, with marked increase in the level of violence of the crimes committed, including what appears to be a significant incidence of sexual assaults in crimes committed against women. The most frequently reported crimes involve taxi robberies, armed robbery, pickpocketing and purse snatching. In several cases, tourists report that uniformed police are the crime perpetrators, stopping vehicles and seeking money or assaulting and robbing tourists walking late at night. The area behind the U.S. Embassy and the Zona Rosa, a restaurant/shopping area near the Embassy, are frequent sites of street crime against foreigners. Caution should be exercised when walking in these areas, especially at night. Any U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are encouraged to report the incident to local police authorities and to the nearest U.S. consular office. U.S. citizens should be very cautious in using ATM cards and machines in Mexico. If an ATM machine must be used, it should be only during the business day at large protected facilities (preferably inside commercial establishments, rather than at a glass-enclosed, highly visible ATM machine on streets where criminals can observe financial transactions.) U.S. citizens are advised to be careful when ordering beverages in local nightclubs and bars, especially at night. Some establishments may contaminate or drug the drinks to gain control over the patron. Victims, who are almost always unaccompanied, have been robbed of personal property and abducted and held while their credit cards were used at various businesses and ATM locations around the city. U.S. citizens should not hitchhike or accept rides from strangers anywhere in Mexico. Kidnapping, including the kidnapping of non-Mexicans, is increasing. U.S. businesses with offices in Mexico or concerned U.S. citizens may contact the U.S. Embassy to discuss precautions to take. Travelers to Mexico should exercise caution when traveling on all highways in Mexico. Of specific concern are Highway 190 (Tuxtla to Tapachula), Highway 195 (Tuxtla to Villahermosa), Highway 186 (Chetumal to Villahermosa), Highway 15 (Sinaloa), Express Highway 1 (Sinaloa), and the highway from Altamirano to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo. These highways have seen particularly high levels of criminal assaults recently. Reported incidents include robbery, kidnapping and the 1999 murder of an Egyptian diplomat. The U.S. Embassy advises its personnel to exercise extreme caution and not to travel on Mexican highways after dark for safety reasons. All bus travel should be done during daylight and on first-class conveyances. These buses travel on "toll" roads that 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 Embassy nevertheless encourages daytime travel to lower the chance of auto accidents. Tourists should exercise caution by not walking on lightly frequented beaches, off-the-path ruins, or trails. Additionally, visitors should not carry excessive cash or valuables and place travel documents in a safe place. In March 1999 a U.S. citizen woman was raped and murdered in the vicinity of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. |