<p>[Mexico</a> drug gangs threaten cops on radio, kill them | U.S. | Reuters](<a href=“http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE51558E20090206]Mexico”>http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE51558E20090206)</p>
<p>Mexico isn’t on my list of places to visit. Part of that reason is reports I have seen or read about , such as this.
I have read about Americans disappearing there…not a big turn on when it comes to travel plans. No one o tap for ransom in my family</p>
<p>To be fair, the big problems in Mexico are in the northern border states right now. The incident from the above article was in Tijuana and Juarez is just as bad. If you go down to Cabo, Acapulco and Cancun, you should be fine. The resort areas are free from the control of the drug cartels. </p>
<p>It still makes me sad, as I fondly remember driving down to Baja in college for cervesas and lobster. I wouldn’t dream of going to that part of Mexico right now though.</p>
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<p>Cancun safe? I dont think so.</p>
<p>Feb. 10, 2009. CANCUN’S police chief has been arrested in connection with the murder of a crime-fighting army general in the Caribbean resort, where drug crimes and kidnappings are soaring.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25034016-12335,00.html]Link[/url”>http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25034016-12335,00.html]Link[/url</a>]</p>
<p>trojanchick99 is right about the geography. The last time we lived in Texas, we made several trips into Mexico but not this time. I hope that ends soon. </p>
<p>If someone wanted to take me away to Cabo, I’d go!</p>
<p>My son went to Mexico City for a week, with my ex, the summer before this past one. It’s just as safe as any other big city, certainly in the areas frequented by tourists. And the subways are probably safer than the ones in New York! He loved it, by the way. Being quite fluent in Spanish certainly helped. </p>
<p>I loved Mexico City when I was there, too, but that was 30 years ago. </p>
<p>The rest of Mexico, I wouldn’t know.</p>
<p>I hope the drug users on this side of the border consider some of these ramifications of their indulgences.</p>
<p>I thought the title was referring to the Cancun police chief. One of my friends, a lifelong resident of Laredo, TX, just moved to North Carolina, saying she couldn’t take it anymore. It’s bad all over.</p>
<p>We travel to Playa del Carmen every year. Have never felt anything but safe. Drugs and murders happen all around the world unfortunately. As with any visit you need to be aware of your surroundings.</p>
<p>How about Puebla, anyone?</p>
<p>When one steps off of American soil into a foreign country, all laws change. It is the one thing that tourists/visitors of foreign countries need to understand. One only has to look to the Natalie Holloway incident to understand this. The protocol for laws is vastly different–and as long as people understand this before they step foot into another country should an issue arise, then trips can be manageable. Vigilance and awareness of one’s surroundings while visiting any foreign country is of utmost concern.</p>
<p>I boycott Mexico. I have no interest in contributing any of my hard-earned money to that government.</p>
<p>While I agree that vigilance and awareness are always needed, it is also true that some places are more dangerous than others.</p>
<p>Boycott Mexico to punish the government? I’ve been to numerous places in Mexico over the years, and have always encountered warm, fun, generous people. Tourists put $$$ in the pockets of working people too.</p>
<p>Unfortunately it’s not limited to the Mexican side of the border. Towns in TX, NM, AZ and CA are dealing with the spillover and with many thousands of families fleeing the violence by moving illegally over the border (above and beyond the usual economic moves).</p>
<p>Look at the data. The per capita murder rate in Mexico is 10.8 per 100,000. </p>
<p>That is a fraction of the per capita murder rate in LA (13.4), Philly (22), Dallas (20), and less than that of Chicago (15), Phoenix (14), and San Francisco (11.6)</p>
<p>And its about the same per capita murder rate in the US in 1991.</p>
<p>It is true that it is double the US rate of 5.7 per 100,000 this year, but so what? Would you suggest that people not visit the US because its murder rate is twice that or greater than their home country? Such as those from Ireland, Israel, Chile, Greece, France and it appears all of Europe. Of course not! I go back home to the States all the time even though the per capita murder rate there is more than double what it is where I live (Canada, 1.85 per 100,000).</p>
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<p>Not to punish, I’m one individual. But I work with illegal immigrants and believe with all my heart that many of the most vulnerable citizens are exploited and abused by the government of Mexico and, therefore, I refuse to spend my money on anything that would support that government. I do, however, support and assist its victims.</p>
<p>You can’t use the murder rate in the country as a whole to extrapolate the risk in border cities… nor should you use the crime rate at the border to be a reason not to visit farther in.</p>
<p>^ That was exactly my point.</p>
<p>The risk in Mexico is far more than drug killings in border states. The rate of kidnapping has dramatically increased and ngos have said it’s the “kidnapping capital” of the Americas (over Colombia and Haiti). Yes, it’s fueled by competing drug gangs trying to control travel and distribution throughout the country but what was once limited to border states has spread to include the coasts (transport of drugs over water), the middle of the country (drug routes), Acapulco (where there has been crossfire on the streets) and random places where bystanders are getting caught up in drug violence. Police (local and federal), journalists, celebrities and civil servants have all been targeted. While I think tourists could be the victims of random killings, I think kidnapping is a bigger threat because criminals believe tourists will have $ on them. Did you hear about the French man who was killed after exchanging $ at the Mexico City airport? After he was shot, police admitted that there’s been a gang watching currency exchange places and targeting tourists. This gentleman was followed from the airport and the criminals blocked his car, attacked and shot him as he sat in the back. The driver was later able to id a suspect but police believe it’s a large, organized effort.</p>
<p>The problem in Mexico is that underpaid local police are corrupt and paid off by drug gangs. In an effort to crack down, President Calderon has deployed thousands of <em>federal</em> police, but the drug gangs have taken it as a declaration of war and the murders and kidnappings have grown out of his control. The drugs are generally headed here (to the US) and Calderon has repeatedly asked the US presidents to work with him to control demand but we all know that has hardly been on anyone’s agenda for a long time.</p>
<p>By the way, do not trusts official Mexican figures to determine murder and kidnapping rates. People are too scared to report them. Statistically, you are not likely to have a problem over a short holiday but, honestly, the current situation in Mexico is very difficult.</p>