US updates Mexico travel advisories to include risk of ‘terrorism’

The U.S. Department of State updated its question advisory for Mexico this week, informing for the archetypal clip ever of the hazard of coercion southbound of the border.

The question alert for Mexico arsenic a full was maintained astatine “Level 2 – Exercise accrued caution,” but coercion was added arsenic a hazard origin successful the country, seemingly due to the fact that six Mexican cartels are present classified arsenic overseas violent organizations by the United States government.

The U.S. this week update its question advisories to pass Mexican travelers of a hazard of terrorism. (US State Dept)

In its advisory summary, the State Department says that “many convulsive crimes instrumentality spot successful Mexico,” including “homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery.”

“There is simply a hazard of violent violence, including violent attacks and different enactment successful Mexico,” adds the summary of the advisory, which was updated connected Tuesday.

The advisory says that “the U.S. authorities has constricted quality to assistance successful galore parts of Mexico” and “U.S. authorities employees are not allowed to question to definite high-risk areas.”

“Due to information risks, U.S. citizens should travel the aforesaid restrictions arsenic U.S. authorities employees portion traveling,” the State Department says. 

The State Department warns of the hazard of “terrorism” successful 30 of Mexico’s 32 national entities.

The lone exceptions are Yucatán and Campeche.

Six of Mexico’s states are classified arsenic “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” successful the State Department advisory, portion 8 states are classified arsenic “Level 3 – Reconsider Travel.”

The 6 ‘Do Not Travel’ states 

Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas are each classified arsenic “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” states.

Colima had the highest per-capita homicide complaint successful Mexico successful 2024, and the different 5 states are besides known for cartel enactment and violence.

The State Department warns of the hazard of coercion and transgression successful each six states. It warns of the added hazard of kidnapping successful Colima, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.

The U.S. discourages question to Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas, which each person Level 4 question advisories. (US State Dept)

In its advisories for each six states, the State Department says: “There is simply a hazard of unit successful the authorities from violent groups, cartels, gangs and transgression organizations.”

It says that U.S. authorities employees “may travel” to immoderate areas of the six aforesaid states. They include:

• Central tourer and larboard areas of Manzanillo, Colima.
• Morelia, Michoacán, and Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán. Travel to the second metropolis is permitted lone by air.
• Mazatlán, Sinaloa, “by aerial oregon oversea only.”
• Los Mochis, Sinaloa, and Topolobampo, Sinaloa, “by aerial oregon oversea only.”
• Certain areas of Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
• Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, but lone by “U.S. authorities employees who person approved authoritative travel.”
• Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas, “within a constricted radius” of the planetary span successful the borderline town.
• Zacatecas city, “by aerial only.”

The U.S. advisory besides includes elaborate accusation connected which highways U.S. authorities employees are permitted to usage successful the six “Level 4” states.

The 8 ‘Reconsider Travel’ states 

Baja California, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos and Sonora are each classified arsenic “Level 3 – Reconsider Travel” states.

The authorities of Guanajuato has reported the astir full homicides successful Mexico successful caller years. Guanajuato, Chihuahua and Baja California are each presently among the 5 astir convulsive states successful presumption of full homicides.

The State Department warns of the hazard of coercion and transgression successful each 8 “Level 3” states. It warns of the further hazard of kidnapping successful Baja California, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Morelos and Sonora.

Baja California, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos and Sonora person Level 3 question advisories. Pictured: Downtown Guadalajara, Jalisco. (Sergio Rodríguez/Unsplash)

As is the lawsuit with the “Level 4” states, the State Department warns that “there is simply a hazard of unit … from violent groups, cartels, gangs and transgression organizations” successful the “Level 3” states.

U.S. authorities employees are permitted to question to galore cities successful the “Level 3” states including Tijuana, Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Embassy successful Mexico issued a information alert over reports of dating apps being utilized to kidnap U.S. citizens adjacent Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.

The 16 ‘Exercise Increased Caution’ states

Exactly fractional of Mexico’s 32 national entities are classified arsenic “Level 2 – Exercise Increased Caution” states.

They are Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Durango, Hidalgo, Mexico City, México state, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tlaxcala and Veracruz.

The State Department warns of the hazard of coercion and transgression successful each 16 states. It warns of the further hazard of kidnapping successful México state, Puebla and San Luis Potosí.

Large swaths of cardinal Mexico including Puebla, México authorities and Hidalgo presently person Level 2 warnings. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)

It states “there is simply a hazard of unit … from violent groups, cartels, gangs and transgression organizations” successful the 16 “Level 2” states.

Campeche and Yucatán

Campeche and Yucatán are Mexico’s lone “Level 1 – Exercise Normal Precautions” states.

Although the State Department doesn’t explicitly pass of the hazard of “terrorism” successful the 2 states, it does accidental “there is simply a hazard of unit … from violent groups, cartels, gangs and transgression organizations” successful some Campeche and Yucatán.

Sheinbaum responds to US coercion informing for Mexico 

At her greeting property league connected Wednesday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that the crushed for the United States’ coercion informing for Mexico is that the U.S. authorities designated (six) Mexican cartels arsenic overseas violent organizations.

“Now they usage this connection [terrorists] due to the fact that they designated the cartels arsenic such,” she said, referring to designations that occurred successful February.

“But look, the main tourism destination for estadounidenses [U.S. Americans] is Mexico. Close to a million estadounidenses live present [in Mexico] due to the fact that they similar surviving present better, due to the fact that they decided to unrecorded here,” Sheinbaum said.

Despite the coercion warnings, “people proceed coming to Mexico,” President Sheinbaum said. (Presidencia)

Asked whether the U.S. authorities was incorrect to pass of the hazard of “terrorism” successful Mexico, the president responded:

“What I’m saying is that radical proceed coming to Mexico.”

Sheinbaum besides highlighted that homicide numbers person decreased successful the 10 months since she took office.

Foreign tourists, including visitors from the United States, person go victims of crime, including homicide, successful Mexico. However, the immense bulk of overseas tourists are not affected by superior transgression portion visiting the country.

Over 7 cardinal radical flew to Mexico from the United States successful the archetypal fractional of 2025, portion astir 1.7 cardinal visitors arrived from Canada.

The bigger picture 

The United States’ informing of the hazard of coercion successful Mexico comes arsenic the Trump medication continues to unit Mexico to bash much to combat cause cartels.

In March, President Donald Trump imposed alleged “fentanyl tariffs” connected imports from Mexico that are not covered by the USMCA. The 25% duties stay successful effect today.

It was revealed past week that Trump had signed a directive to the Pentagon to statesman utilizing subject unit against definite Latin American cause cartels that the U.S. authorities has designated arsenic overseas violent organizations.

‘There won’t beryllium an invasion’: Sheinbaum de-escalates aft Trump orders US subject to people cartels

On the archetypal time of his 2nd term, the U.S. president responded “could happen” erstwhile asked whether helium would see “ordering U.S. peculiar forces into Mexico” to “take out” cartels.

Mexican authorities person arrested thousands of transgression radical members and seized ample quantities of narcotics since the existent authorities took bureau past October.

Sheinbaum has repeatedly said that Mexico is consenting to cooperate and collaborate with the United States connected information issues, but volition ne'er judge subordination oregon immoderate usurpation of its sovereignty. She said connected Monday that Mexico “would ne'er let the United States Army oregon immoderate different instauration of the United States to acceptable ft connected Mexican territory.”

A time later, Mexican and United States authorities announced that 26 organized transgression figures had been sent to the U.S., marking the 2nd ample transportation of Mexican prisoners to the U.S. this year.

Mexico News Daily