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 Americas & Beyond | May 2008 
Continuing Violence Brings Alerts on Mexico
 Gary A. Warner - Orange County Register
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| | A Mexican soldier patrols the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, Monday, April 28, 2008. Hospitals, schools, and even taco-and-beer tourism are suddenly on the front lines of a raging turf war, as the latest bout of violence exploded on Saturday, with rival gang members killing each other all over Tijuana in simultaneous, pre-dawn attacks that left at least 13 dead. (AP/Guillermo Arias) | | |
The U.S. State Department has added its big voice to the growing chorus reporting that violence in areas of Mexico near the border with the United States has become so prevalent that travelers need to consider whether they should visit.
The new "travel alert," one step down from the stronger "travel warning," was issued April 14 in Washington. It says:
"Violent criminal activity fueled by a war between criminal organizations struggling for control of the lucrative narcotics trade continues along the U.S.-Mexico border. Attacks are aimed primarily at members of drug-trafficking organizations, Mexican police forces, criminal justice officials and journalists. However, foreign visitors and residents, including Americans, have been among the victims of homicides and kidnappings in the border region."
The alert said recent clashes between authorities and drug cartels "have escalated to levels equivalent to military small-unit combat and have included use of machine guns and fragmentation grenades."
"Confrontations have taken place in numerous towns and cities in northern Mexico, including Tijuana in the Mexican state of Baja California, and Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez in the state of Chihuahua. The situation in northern Mexico remains very fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements there cannot be predicted."
The alert also said "armed robberies and carjackings, apparently unconnected to the narcotics-related violence, have increased in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez. Dozens of U.S. citizens were kidnapped and/or murdered in Tijuana in 2007. Public shootouts have occurred during daylight hours near shopping areas. Criminals are armed with a wide array of sophisticated weapons. In some cases, assailants have worn full or partial police or military uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles."
U.S. citizens are urged to be especially alert to safety and security concerns when visiting the border region.
The alert gave official status to news reports of an increase in drug-related killings and kidnappings in northern Mexico, including Baja California. The Associated Press reported earlier this year that word of crimes against Americans, including reports of rape, had severely cut into U.S. tourism to popular spots such as Tijuana, Rosarito Beach and Ensenada.
Tony Garza, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, issued a statement April 14 that attempted to straddle the line that many in the U.S. government have taken, putting out the word that Americans shouldn't let their guard down while in Mexico but stopping short of suggesting they cancel trips.
Mexico is an important trade and tourism partner with the U.S., and the State Department in the past has been criticized for being slower to issue alerts for Mexico than for more distant locales with the same kinds of problems.
Ricardo Alday, a spokesman for the Mexican Embassy in Washington, declined comment on specific issues regarding particular areas, including Tijuana and Rosarito Beach. He forwarded an official statement on the new alert:
"Areas of the Mexico-U.S. border have become the front line in the fight against organized crime," the statement said. "The government of President Calderon has responded forcefully to ensure that this phenomenon does not spread, so Mexicans can live in peace and the millions of visitors we receive each year from the U.S. and around the world can continue to enjoy our country as always."
Mexican organized crime gangs have been fighting each other, especially in the sprawling towns near the border with major U.S. cities, such as Ciudad Juarez, just across from El Paso, and Tijuana, near San Diego. The Associated Press said that more than 2,500 people were killed in 2007 alone.
Ron Raposa, spokesman for the Rosarito Beach resort area, was sharply critical of the alert, as well as news reports.
"No place is crime-free, and people anywhere should always be alert to their surroundings," Raposa said in an e-mail. "Some tourists have been targeted. But the U.S. media has sensationalized and recycled a handful of incidents, making several seem to be several hundred."
The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, which serves much the same function as the U.S. State Department, has a detailed report on conditions in Mexico that was last updated at the end of March.
The office said "street crime is on the increase" across the country, particularly in urban areas like Mexico City. It warned against using unlicensed taxis throughout the country. It also said that incidents of crime are more likely on secondary roads than on the national toll roads. The British office also mentioned an increase in reports of sexual assaults against women in the "tourist areas of Cancun."
The Australian Government Foreign Trade and Affairs Office, which offers official tourist advice for Australians traveling overseas, begins its page on Mexico with a warning:
"We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in Mexico because of the high level of violent crime."
The Australians also warn of a rise in "express kidnappings," in which criminals detain a tourist in order to rob them via the use of ATM machines. |
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