Mexico Travel Safety Information

View Larger Map

Mexico travel safety should be of concern for tourists visiting.

What are some of the crimes in Mexico that you should be aware of?

For starters there are currently drug wars involving rivalry drug dealers from Mexico gangs, Mexican police and military officials. Although this is not occurring throughout the country, travelers to border towns should be careful.

There are also a significant number of street crimes. These include pick pocketing, purse snatching, and armed robberies against tourists. Many of these crimes are perpetrated against foreigners using public transportation.

Hotel room thefts are also quiet common in Mexico. For this reason tourists should be sure to place their passports and valuables inside safes in the room. Also, doors should remain closed and locked at all times, even when you are in the room.

Foreigners using ATM machines are often approached by robbers and thieves who force victims to withdraw large amounts of cash and surrender it.

Women traveling alone should use extreme caution. There have been numerous incidents of lone female being sexually assaulted.

Kidnapping is yet another crime that is prevalent through Mexico. Most victims are either foreigners or wealthy Mexican nationals.

Carjacking occurs often against foreigners driving expensive rental cars. Therefore, if visiting, you should practice sound vehicle security and drive with the windows up and doors locked at all times.

Backpackers in Mexico often become victims of robberies after hiking alone on trails and backcountry locations.

A different crime that travelers may see in Mexico that they may not be familiar with is extortion by police officials. Since corruption is so widespread, many police officers will target foreigners and falsely accuse them of committing a crime in order to get them to pay a “fine” rather than be officially charged. Travelers should refrain from paying these corrupt police officers and inform their embassy or consulate about the incident.

If you are planning to visit, I encourage you to please be careful and learn more about travel safety in Mexico by visiting your country's ministry of foreign affairs webpage.

<< From Mexico Travel Safety back to Travel Advice By Country
<< From Mexico Travel Safety back Home