Is Travel to Mexico Safe? Murder, Beheadings, Kidnappings, Drug Runners Shoot at U.S. Citizens from the Border - Safe?

Due to the number of inquiries as to the safety of traveling to Mexico during spring break, if one is considering a spring break destination, review the following before making what could be a life-ending experience.

The Miami Herald ran a story this morning entitled: The Teror War We Ignore Next Store, detailing the fact that over 30,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since 2006. The Herald refers to those Mexican Drug Lords making Al Queda as relevant as the “Simpsons”. The popular tourist destination, Acapulco, according to the Miami Herald, has morgues with their hand full of bodies that can only be called “grisly”:

Acapulco, set on a stunning emerald Pacific bay, has been shaken by a frenzy of violence so gruesome that one must reach far to find parallels. The depravity of some of the killings and dismemberments is all the more chilling because some of the victims are minors.

Over in Cancun, the UK’s Mirror reports on “The Killing field of Cancun” which speaks to beheadings and murders from Cancun to Acapulco to the U.S. Border to Guadalupe - with no end in sight.

Finally this week the war got a tad closer to home (if you don't consider those inside the U.S. in border states) the El Paso Times reported that Mexican Gunman fired at U.S. Highway Workers in an isolated ghost town east of Fort Hancock, Hudspeth County sheriff's officials said.”. There were no fatalities – this time.

The State Department on Travel to Mexico: has issued a travel warning as of September 2010.

It is imperative that U.S. citizens understand the risks involved in travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and who to contact if one becomes a victim of crime or violence. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where criminal activity might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable. U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are urged to contact the consular section of the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy for advice and assistance. Contact information is provided at the end of this message.

That said, taking into account the increased body count, specifically from those “tourist areas” such as Acapulco, one might want to travel to someplace less dangerous say Iraq or Afghanistan.

The fact that Mexican nationals feel perfectly comfortable shooting at U.S. highway workers within the boundary of the U.S.A. screams “put up a fence, get the military to the border, and shut the insanity down. Throwing money at the Mexican Government to aid in the “War on Drugs” is like giving the keys to a pharmacy to a junkie.

Unless and until the U.S. is willing to shut down that border, (which would incidentally cut down on all those crimes being committed in Arizona – where the drug gangs routinely and illegally visit), with troops with live ammo and no restrictions, then traveling to Mexico would be simply put - suicidal. There are plenty of places in the world and within the safer confineds of the United States, for that matter) where one can find warm beaches, entertainment, and fun, without the prospect of returning home in a body bag.

Suggested Reading: Borderland Beat

Alternative (Safe) Spring Break Destinations:
Any Beach in Florida
Jamaica
The Bahamas
Any southern state with a beach
Skiing Anyone? New England Ski Resorts.com