Kidnappings in Mexico come in three forms. Earlier this year, Americans were warned to "avoid travel to Mexico" after recent security incidents in tourist destinations like Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. This prompted them to go ahead and contact local authorities. No. In 26 days, we did not experience any crime. Founded by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra Crdenas in the 1930s in Matamoros, the Gulf Cartel first smuggled alcohol across the border during Prohibition. Government of Mazatln analyzes promoting the game of Ulama in the city, Puerto Peasco Rocky Point delivers hot meal to the neediest families, Despite Mazatlan Mayor allowing restaurants to open state health official overrule him, They arrest a Russian couple and a Sinaloan with half a million dollars, Denuncia Paisano, the app to report corruption and extortions of travelers in Mexico by authorities, In the middle of Mazatlan Motorcycle Week, a Tijuana biker is shot to death. Support our mission, and make a gift today. The authorities are colluding with the kidnappers, she said. They tied her up and went to look for Frank and, while they were gone, she was able to free herself and make a run for it. MRIDA, Yucatn, (October 15, 2021).- The civil associationAlto al Secuestroannounced thatYucatnis among the 8 states of the Republic that reportzero kidnappings, the other states are Campeche, Chiapas, Tlaxcala, Aguascalientes, Nayarit, Durango and Coahuila. In 2016, there were 771 kidnapping cases in the country involving people connected to the U.S., according to the OSAC, including citizens, legal permanent residents and other cases in which an extortion call was made to the U.S. and police (or former law enforcement officials) have been implicated in many of these incidents. Tourists continue to flock to Mexico each year, even throughout the COVID pandemic. 8. Gomez said there are now hundreds, and possibly thousands, of gangs of organized kidnappers. Legal Statement. He added that because of how kidnappers conducted themselves, he assumes they were police officers. Furthermore, if possible travel in at least groups of 2 or more and when using the ATM one individual acts as a buffer/distance mechanism for any who may be attempting to observe or approach. I moved around by bus, alone, and felt extremely safe. Instead, many of these homicides are drug-related and criminal groups tend to stay away from tourists because crimes against them draw more media attention, he said. State governor Carlos Joaquin called the recent beach commando raid a serious blow to the development and security of the state putting the state at grave risk. With turf wars increasing among rival cartels, homicides in the state rose from 145 in 2015 to 628 in 2020 a 333 percent increase in a place where 75 percent of the local economy is based on tourism, according to Mexican statistics. The death of a Mexican businesswoman snatched by sicarios while picking up her child at a friend's home and who body was found decapitated inside a black bag briefly rattled and heightened fears . In its monthly report, the organizationAlto al Secuestrorecorded a decrease in the crime of kidnapping in Mexico. When Frank got out to talk to the driver, two men with weapons descended upon them and took them hostage in their car, according to a police report filed with Mexico City officials. Two men who were also there with them were killed and the women were sexually assaulted, he said. Crespo and Valdez [] You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! The attack began after elements of the Municipalitys Public Security Secretariat attended to a report of the illegal deprivation of liberty of a person. According to a message from the victim on social media, the events occurredon 32nd avenue, near the Nuestra Seora del Rosario church. "Violent crimesuch as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robberyis widespread and common in Mexico," warns the State Department. Mexican government figures from last month showed that homicide cases in Mexico rose by 15 percent in 2018 with 28,816 investigations opened last year, compared to 25,036 the previous year. He has lived and traveled abroad for more than 55 years. That mainly comes down to it being a big city. Christopher co-authored the book, Secrets Stolen, Fortunes Lost, Preventing Intellectual Property Theft and Economic Espionage in the 21st Century. He is the founder of Securely Travel. If you are just hanging out in the Yucatan Peninsula, blending in with all the other tourists, you will be fine. Among the incidents that have most scared the South Californians has been the multiple homicides in Callejn Manuel M. Ponce, wheresix peopleweremurderedin a house. Among those kidnapped was American photographer John Sevigny, who was in the city of Cordoba in the state of Veracruz. Likewise, it indicated that the police of the Poniente Sector were notified but, according to it, they did not pay attention. One hundred and thirty Yucatecans were attacked by snakes in 2022, Discrimination is the main cause of the decrease in the number of Mayan speakers, Mexico will send 84 athletes to the 2023 Youth Para-Panamerican Games, Cholera, number one enemy during the hot season, Oceanfront Evenings announced in Progreso, A vehicle catches fire in Conkal, Yucatn, Metropolitan Circuit joins the Va y Ven Route; it will be free of charge from March 4 -19, A man was found dead in a soccer field in Mrida, Man brutally beaten for running a stop sign in Kanasn, Rainless weekend and intense heat for the Yucatan. Homicides shot up 16 percent during the first half of this year as drug traffickers and gangs battle for dominance. However, these risks aren't especially more prevalent in Mexico than elsewhere so it's a case of packing your usual street smarts. The kidnappers told the Massabkis to start thinking of people to call in the U.S. for a ransom. Help me! Similarly, the State Public Safety Council was installed and through Yucatn Seguro technological equipment was acquired to strengthen State security through video cameras, among other strategies. Kidnapping has been a problem in Mexico for decades, but it's gotten much, much worse in recent years. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide . Zambada Garcia, who headed up his own eponymous criminal operation before joining the Sinaloa Cartel alongside El Chapo, is reportedly in ill health and in hiding. Two weeks later, dozens of tourists were forced to scramble for cover when 15 gang members, their faces hidden by ski masks, went on a daylight shooting rampage on a beach in the village of Puerto Morelos, south of Cancun, killing two suspected traffickers. We earn $400,000 and spend beyond our means. Miracle friends today and thanks to these 2 people who helped me I can tell it,I am very afraid of going outon the street again.. Since 2006, Mexico has dropped significantly in Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception Index, moving from position 70 to 135. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel was founded in 2009 by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (El Mencho), who is among the most wanted drug traffickers on the planet after the 2014 arrest of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel. Its the highest across Mexico with the State of Mexico (Edomex) and Mexico City reporting 63 and 32 kidnappings respectively. Crespo and Valdez promised their victims safe passage across the Yucatan Straits and then overland across Mexico, according to court documents. But Deborah, Ramirezs older sister, believes the reason is more obvious and more troubling. Last week, the State Department issued an alert to U.S. citizens when reports of "multiple vehicle fires, roadblocks, and heavy police activity" surfaced in Tijuana and the surrounding area. The State Department issued new do not travel advisories for five Mexico states following surges in gang-related violent crime in February and March. Despite last months shootings, visitors continue to flock to the resort town. To get toPlayas de Rosarito, most tourists travel by car on roads with stunning views of the turquoise ocean and steep cliffs. A month after his kidnapping, Veracruz prosecutor Jorge Winckler Ortiz reported that his office, as well as the FBI, were investigating something that Sevigny denies. Mazatln Carnival: How much was spent and recovered? No way was I going to go back to Cordoba that felt like a trap, he said. Verdin taunts the DEA agents torturing him. In the wake of the shocking Cancun shooting, some Americans may be wondering if it's safe to visit the area. USA TODAY. This is a kidnapping.. Single-family home prices slid 1% in January, as compared to December 2022, according to data from Moodys Analytics. States to reconsider travel to (level 3) include Ciudad Juarez, the city of Chihuahua, Ojinaga, Palomas and the Nuevo Casas Grandes/Paquime region, and Nuevo Casas Grandes. The risk is higher in some locales than others. Things have become so dangerous that on Wednesday, Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced the creation of a tourist battalion 1,500 National Guard soldiers wielding automatic weapons to keep visitors safe. News and information from Mexico\'s Yucatn Peninsula, MEL unlocks private studios where Mrida artists work, Parque Tho: Mrida unveils plans for 20-acre park in Altabrisa, 70 days after fire, no progress restoring Teatro Pen Contreras. 11 March 2016. But Im not sure, he wrote. Sevigny told Fox News Wednesday that the men handcuffed him, beat him and tortured him for 38 hours. (Reuters). Theyre also both fit and athletic, so they could make a run for it. There is also updated information on the "kidnapping risk"for the states of Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Baja California, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Sonora, Nuevo Leon, Puebla, Quintana Rooand San Luis Potosi. I dont want to get into a war of statistics, he said. Mexican prosecutors say they have found a total of eight dead people on Cancun with two bodies dumped in two spots and four others individually found shot to death. The entities with thehighest number of kidnappingscommitted during the month of August for every 100 inhabitants were;Tlaxcala, Quintana Roo, Hidalgo, Morelos, and Baja California. Kidnappings fell briefly thereafter, dipping to 1,069 in 2015, but they are starting to climb again. Protesters join friends and family members of the 43 missing students of Ayotzinapa, Mexico, on the third year of their disappearance during marches held throughout 2017 in Mexico City. Travel safety tips:17 CIA tips on how to think like a spy and stay safe while on vacation, Not everyone wants to come to the US:Gun violence, safety concerns are keeping travelers away. Information about crime in Merida, Mexico. All rights reserved. In addition, the number of research folders started increased by 1.1%, from 85 in . There is a lot of suffering going on. I heard the kidnappers talking about working with local authorities about kidnapping people.. In Baja California, the arrival of theArzate brothers, meant a radical change in the illegal drug business. The couple filed a police report, which MarketWatch reviewed for this story, and flew back to the U.S. for medical treatment, including an emergency surgery on Jennifers nose, which was broken during a fight with her attackers. Similarly, it was announced that in February the number of detainees for this crime increased, with 120 people, while in January there were 35 alleged perpetrators of kidnapping. Unfortunately, their story is part of a much larger trend in Mexico, where almost 11 million Americans vacationed last year. The month of August of this year registered a decrease of 5.7 percent in the crime of kidnapping compared to the same period of 2019, as reported by Stop Kidnapping. They democratized kidnapping from something that only happens to the rich to something everybody should fear.. This story has been shared 114,982 times. Its slogan is: Were all going to behave., MEXICAN BUSINESSWOMAN DECAPITATED AFTER FAMILY WOULDNT PAY RANSOM, REPORTS SAY. Help me! According to a message from the victim on social media, the events occurred on 32nd avenue, near the Nuestra Seora del Rosario church. Finally, someone picked up. That has put me in the crosshairs of governments, gangs, and cartels., MEXICAN MAYOR GUNNED DOWN DURING HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. best THINGS TO DO IN MERIDA MEXICO. The 80s saw Gulf focus on cocaine and marijuana trafficking, followed by fentanyl and other synthetic drugs not to mention racketeering and human trafficking at the border, according to Mexican and US authorities. kidnapping, also spelled kidnaping, criminal offense consisting of the unlawful taking and carrying away of a person by force or fraud or the unlawful seizure and detention of a person against his will. Desperate to get their sons back, the Ramirez and Rivera families made a payment to the kidnappers. In addition, more than 1 million US citizens call Mexico home, living there as permanent expat residents. The state ofBaja California cannot clean its face from the violence that thedrug traffickingleft. Guadalajara celebrates the 481 anniversary of its foundation! Fifty-one of the kidnappings in Veracruz happened in the month January, Alto al Secuestro reported. According to the 2012 estimates, there were 100,000 Mennonites living in Mexico [1] (including 32,167 baptized adult church members), [5] the vast majority of them, or about 90,000 are established in the state of Chihuahua, [2] 6,500 were living in Durango, [3] with the rest living in small colonies in the states of . Other advice includes using ATMs which are well lit, or inside banks, to reduce the likelihood of being interrupted or suprised. | (clockwise from top right) Miguel Tovar; Yuri Cortez; Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images. Businesswoman beheaded after husband 'wouldn't pay' ransom, found a week after she was kidnapped allegedly with a note claiming she was killed because her husband didnt want to pay a $207,000 ransom, 366 murders over the past 80 days in the Gulf state of Veracruz, telling radio journalist Ciro Gomez Leyva, American tourists risk death to vacation in Mexico, Veracruz prosecutor Jorge Winckler Ortiz reported that his office, as well as the FBI, were investigating, travel advisory for Americans visiting Mexico last year. Mexico breaks records as destination and origin of migration in 2022. Each of these cases may have involved more than one victim, so the total number of homicides is likely to be higher. Travel.State.Gov. He is a former Senior Security Advisor to Cisco and served 30+ years within the CIA which awarded him the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal upon his retirement. As a result of this capture, information was obtained from more Russian people involved not only in drug trafficking but also in human trafficking. Was it to arrange a kidnapping or a timeshare sales pitch, well never know, nor did we wish to find out. If a U.S. citizen still decides to travel to a Mexican state with a Level 4, or "do not travel to,"Travel Advisory or Level 3, "reconsider travel to," Travel Advisory, they are urged to read the State Department's information on high-risk travel. Like a scene out of a movie, the friends of an American tourist had a miserable night out in the Cancun area. But . I would be surprised if one tourist per year (out of the millions who come annually) was ever kidnapped. To put things in perspective, consider that the murder rate in Mexico's Yucatan State is 2 per 100,000.