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U.S. State Department warns to avoid parts of Mexico over ongoing violence, kidnappings

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The State Department is urging U.S. citizens to avoid travel to parts of Mexico over fears of kidnappings and other crime across multiple states, renewing warnings as tourists make travel plans for spring break season.

The department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has issued multiple advisories in the last several weeks over the ongoing violence in Mexico. Cartel violence erupted in Culiacan in early January after authorities arrested Ovidio Guzmán , a leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel and son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

A State Department spokesperson said the safety and security of U.S. citizens is the department’s highest priority, adding that officials are aiming to provide relevant information for people to make travel plans. Rather than issue a nationwide risk assessment for Mexico, the department provides a state-by-state summary .

State Department officials urged U.S. citizens to not travel to the states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas over crime concerns.

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The six states have received the strongest warning from the Bureau of Consular Affairs, which cited shootings between gangs that injured or killed bystanders, and kidnappings in which tourists and lawful permanent residents or “green card” holders were targeted.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs issued its last countrywide advisory on Mexico in October and subsequent advisories on individual Mexican states in recent weeks. Officials advise U.S. citizens to reconsider travel to Baja California, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos and Sonora due to crime and kidnapping.

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Last month, Orange County public defender Elliot Blair died while on vacation at a resort in Rosarito in the state of Baja California. His family believes the 33-year-old was killed under mysterious circumstances, while Mexican officials have called his death an accident.

U.S. officials also ask tourists to exercise increased caution when traveling in 17 Mexican states, including Quintana Roo, which is home to the popular tourist destination Cancun. There have been disputes in the state between Uber and Cabify drivers and taxi unions, which have turned violent and injured U.S. tourists, according to the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Mexico.

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Nathan Solis is a Metro reporter covering breaking news at the Los Angeles Times. He previously worked for Courthouse News Service, where he wrote both breaking news and enterprise stories ranging from criminal justice to homelessness and politics. Before that, Solis was at the Redding Record Searchlight as a multimedia journalist, where he anchored coverage of the destructive 2017 fires in Northern California. Earlier in his career, he worked for Eastsider L.A.

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Is It Safe to Travel to Mexico? Here’s What You Need to Know.

A spate of incidents, including a kidnapping and the death of two Americans near the border, have prompted travel warnings from the U.S. government.

By Elisabeth Malkin and Isabella Kwai

Two Americans found dead after they were attacked and kidnapped near the border. Airports shuttered amid gang violence in Sinaloa. Turmoil among taxi drivers in Cancún.

A number of recent security incidents have raised concerns about the risks of traveling to Mexico, where more than 20 million tourists flew last year to visit the country’s beaches, cities and archaeological sites, or to obtain health care .

Ahead of the spring break holiday, a popular time for American tourists to visit the country, the U.S. Embassy issued a travel alert , urging visitors to exercise caution by avoiding dangerous situations and drinking responsibly, among other recommendations. “Crime, including violent crime, can occur anywhere in Mexico, including in popular tourist destinations,” the alert said. And the State Department has warned tourists to steer clear of six states, including the state of Tamaulipas, where the recent kidnapping occurred — and to exercise increased precautions in other popular destinations like Playa del Carmen, Cancún, Tulum and Mexico City.

An overwhelming majority of visitors enjoy a safe vacation in Mexico, and tourists are largely sheltered from the violence that grips local communities. But the attack and kidnapping of four Americans in the border city of Matamoros, two of whom were later found dead, along with recent disorder in Cancún and violence in early January that forced the closure of three airports in northwest Mexico, is prompting questions about whether the country’s broader unrest is spilling into other destinations.

What happened on the border?

On March 3, four Americans from South Carolina traveling in a white minivan crossed the border from Brownsville, Texas, into the city of Matamoros, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. One of the Americans was scheduled for cosmetic surgery.

Soon after the Americans crossed the border, gunmen fired on their vehicle and then abducted the group in a pickup truck. Officials later said that two of the group were found dead at a rural location alongside the other two, who had survived.

The Americans were attacked as a result of “confusion,” according to Irving Barrios, the state prosecutor in Tamaulipas. Matamoros has a long history of violence and highway shootouts, though that reputation has partially subsided in recent years. Then, in late February, one gang moved into the city to wrest control of drug sales from another, said Eduardo Guerrero, the director of Lantia Intelligence , a security consulting company in Mexico City.

“There are places in the country where the situation can change abruptly from one week to another,” he said. While the motives in the attack remain unclear, the Americans had “very bad luck,” Mr. Guerrero said, because they likely stumbled into a battle between the two gangs.

What happened earlier this year in Cancún?

Uber has been challenging the taxi unions for the right to operate in Cancún and won a court decision in its favor on Jan. 11. The ruling infuriated the powerful unions, which are believed to have links to local organized crime figures and former governors. Taxi drivers then began harassing and threatening Uber drivers.

The conflict generated widespread attention after a video of taxi drivers forcing a Russian-speaking family out of their rideshare car went viral, and after unions blocked the main road leading to Cancún’s hotel zone. That prompted the U.S. Embassy in Mexico to issue a security alert .

Mr. Guerrero said that the authorities will try to negotiate some kind of compromise, but there was a probability of more violence ahead.

Have authorities curbed violence that might affect tourists?

As a rule, criminals in Mexico are careful not to kill tourists, Mr. Guerrero explained, because doing so “can set in motion a persecution that can last years,” the consequences of which can be “very dissuasive,” he said.

But the rule doesn’t always hold. And in two popular destinations for foreign tourists — Los Cabos , at the tip of the Baja California peninsula, and the Caribbean coast — local and state officials have recently sought help from the United States to take on organized crime that threatened to drive off tourists.

A spasm of violence at the end of 2021 and early 2022 rattled the tourist industry along the Riviera Maya, the 80-mile strip of Caribbean resorts south of Cancún. Two visitors were killed in crossfire between local gangs in Tulum; a gunfight on a beach in Puerto Morelos sent tourists running for cover into a nearby hotel; a hit man gained entry to a luxury hotel in Playa del Carmen and killed two Canadian tourists believed to have links to organized crime.

The federal government sent National Guard units to patrol the beaches, and Quintana Roo state authorities asked U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, to provide intelligence, Mr. Guerrero said. Local authorities, flush with tourism revenues, invested in the police, which is typically the weakest link in Mexican law enforcement.

The joint approach led to a lull in gangland gun battles in Quintana Roo’s tourist areas, and experts say that drug sales to meet foreign demand no longer take place on the street, although they are continuing more discreetly.

The success in tamping down drug violence in Quintana Roo follows a similar improvement in Los Cabos a couple of years ago when U.S. authorities also collaborated with local officials in the state of Baja California Sur. The murder rate soared in Los Cabos in 2017 amid cartel wars, and although tourists were not targeted, that year police chased gunmen into the lobby of a luxury hotel in San José del Cabo, and a cooler containing two heads was left in a tourist area.

What about tourist areas in other states?

Even in states where crime is very high, tourist areas have generally been spared. San Miguel de Allende, a haven for U.S. retirees, is an island of relative peace in a state, Guanajuato, that has been riddled with cartel violence .

The Pacific Coast state of Jalisco, home to the resort of Puerto Vallarta, picturesque tequila country and the cultural and gastronomic attractions of the state capital, Guadalajara , is also the center of operations of the extremely violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel . The cartel’s focus of violence is in the countryside; Puerto Vallarta and the beaches to its north, including the exclusive peninsula of Punta Mita and the surfers’ hangout of Sayulita, are all booming — and, despite drug sales, the cartel’s control seems to limit open conflict.

Mexico City has become a magnet for digital nomads and shorter term visitors , and concerns about violence there have receded. The city’s police force has been successful in reducing violent crime, particularly homicides, and the number of killings has been cut almost in half over the past three years.

Are there any other safety concerns?

Street crime is still a problem almost everywhere, especially in bigger cities and crowded spaces. Kidnapping and carjacking are a risk in certain regions and many businesses that cater to tourists operate under extortion threats. While tourists may not be aware of underlying criminal forces, their power sometimes spills out into the open in spectacular shows of violence.

The attack in Matamoros is only the most recent example. Mexican border cities, which have long endured waves of violence, are not typically tourist destinations, although Americans often cross the border to visit family, seek out cheaper health care or dine at restaurants.

Three airports in the state of Sinaloa, including the beach destination Mazatlán, were closed on Jan. 5 amid gang violence after Mexican security forces arrested Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the crime lord known as El Chapo, who is serving a life sentence in the United States. A stray bullet fired by cartel gunmen shooting at a Mexican military plane as it landed at the airport in the state capital, Culiacán, clipped an Aeromexico plane preparing to take off for Mexico City. Nobody was hurt and the plane returned to the terminal.

In August, gunmen positioned burning cars and buses to block roads around Guadalajara in response to a military raid on a meeting of criminal bosses. In October, a local politician was shot and killed in an upscale steakhouse in suburban Guadalajara as terrified diners crawled to safety.

Pierre de Hail, the president of Janus Group Mexico, a risk management company in Monterrey, is skeptical that security has improved. “There is too much random risk,” he said. “It’s all about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

What precautions should tourists take?

Mr. de Hail recommends researching the resort and news from the area you’re visiting. The U.S. State Department provides state-by-state information about travel risks in Mexico. As of early March, the department had issued its strongest possible warning — Level 4: Do Not Travel — for six states, including Tamaulipas and Sinaloa. Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur are at Level 2, indicating that visitors should exercise increased caution. (By comparison, the same Level 2 advisory is applied to France and Spain.)

The Matamoros incident shows how violence can flare up in places that have been quiet recently. Mr. Guerrero suggests searching on the internet before traveling for news of recent outbreaks.

Mr. de Hail also suggests buying travel insurance in case of a medical emergency or theft, and recommends that tourists keep a low profile to avoid attracting attention, he said, warning that it is easy to misread situations.

As anywhere, common sense should prevail, Mr. de Hail said: Don’t wear expensive watches or jewelry, and avoid dark and deserted places. He recommends making a copy of your passport, remaining alert while walking home at night and not leaving your drinks unattended. “I have had numerous cases of people asking for help because they were extorted coming back from bars,” he said.

He added: “If you’re staying in a place that has a report of strikes or demonstrations, don’t go there. You’re a fish out of water.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023 .

Isabella Kwai is a breaking news reporter in the London bureau. She joined The Times in 2017 as part of the Australia bureau. More about Isabella Kwai

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Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

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U.S. Issues Travel Warning for Mexico Ahead of Spring Break

The warning is asking travelers to “travel smart” and “be informed."

marako85/Getty Images

The United States is warning travelers heading to Mexico to be aware of their surroundings ahead of the spring break holiday season.

The warning , which was issued this week by the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico, reminds travelers to “travel smart” and “be informed” as “thousands of U.S. citizens visit Mexico during spring break” each year. The embassy continued that “while the vast majority travel safely,” visitors should be aware of issues with crime, drugs, unregulated alcohol, drownings, and more. 

“Crime, including violent crime, can occur anywhere in Mexico, including in popular tourist destinations. Travelers should maintain a high level of situational awareness, avoid areas where illicit activities occur, and promptly depart from potentially dangerous situations,” the embassy warned. “U.S. citizens should exercise increased caution in the downtown areas of popular spring break locations including Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, especially after dark.”

The warning also reminded American travelers that drug possession and use is illegal in Mexico, including medical marijuana. It also advised that unregulated alcohol may be contaminated, that counterfeit medication is common, and that guns are illegal in Mexico.

When it comes to the country’s popular beaches, the embassy reminded travelers some beaches may have strong rip tides and “may lack lifeguards, warnings, or signs of unsafe conditions.”

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a similar spring break warning last year .

The U.S. Department of State classifies different states in Mexico under different warning levels. While travelers can “exercise normal precautions” when traveling to the Campeche and Yucatan states, the State Department warns them to “exercise increased caution” when heading to places like Baja California Sur (where Los Cabos is), Mexico City, and Quintana Roo (where Cancun is) due to crime.

The State Department also asks American travelers to “reconsider” going to the state of Jalisco, which is home to popular destination Puerto Vallarta , due to the danger of crime and kidnapping.

The State Department recommends Americans who do travel to Mexico keep people at home informed of their travel plans and enroll in the department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to both receive alerts and make it easier to locate them if an emergency occurs.

Travelers heading to international destinations can view all current travel advisories on the State Department's website at  travel.state.gov .

Related Articles

US issues Mexico 'increased caution' warning for spring break travelers

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico has issued a spring break travel warning for Americans planning to visit the country. The message posted on Monday highlighted a range of potential safety threats in the popular destination like crime.

“U.S. citizens should exercise increased caution in the downtown areas of popular spring break locations including Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum, especially after dark,” the advisory said, though it noted that crime can occur anywhere in Mexico. The U.S. State Department's travel advisory for the country notes various warning levels for different states, ranging from Level 1 (“exercise normal precautions") through 4 (“do not travel”).

The message also warned of other potential hazards like unregulated alcohol and pharmaceuticals. “Unregulated alcohol may be contaminated, and U.S. citizens have reported losing consciousness or becoming injured after consuming alcohol that was possibly tainted,” the advisory said. 

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates noted that counterfeit medication is “common” and could be ineffective or an incorrect strength. Those products may also have dangerous ingredients. “Medication should be purchased in consultation with a medical professional and from reputable establishments,” the message said.

Why some travelers are skipping the US: 'You guys are not afraid of this?'

Learn more: Best travel insurance

The advisory warned of drowning and high private hospital prices, as well, among other risks. The message urged travelers to take precautions like keeping an eye on their drinks; staying with a group of friends in bars and clubs, while walking in dark areas or in taxis at night; and letting family and friends know about their travel plans.

Despite the warning, however, it noted that “the vast majority” of U.S. citizens visiting Mexico at spring break each year do so safely.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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U.S. State Department Renews Warning About Travel To Mexico — Where It Says Visitors Can Travel This Spring

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Mexico is one of the most popular international destinations for American travelers. Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen particularly draw high numbers of tourists from the U.S.

However, as the spring break and Easter travel season approaches, anyone planning a trip to Mexico this spring must reckon with the sobering news of four Americans who were recently attacked by gunmen while traveling in Mexico.

The four individuals had traveled to Mexico so one could have a medical procedure. Then, in the city of Matamoros in Tamaulipas state, just south of Brownsville, Texas, the four were shot at and kidnapped. Two of them were killed in the gunfire. The other two, one of whom was also shot, have now been returned to the U.S., according to NBC News .

The U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico issued a statement reminding U.S. citizens that it previously issued a travel advisory listing Tamaulipas state as a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” area in Mexico.

The natural inclination for anyone planning to travel to Mexico, as well as for family and friends of those prospective travelers, is now to question whether or not it’s safe to visit Mexico.

Zachary Rabinor, founder and CEO of the travel company Journey Mexico, says it’s important to remember that the Americans were killed and kidnapped a long distance from popular tourist destinations in Mexico.

“To put things in perspective, Matamoros is about 1,360 miles away from Cancun,” Rabinor said, according to CNN . “That’s about the equivalent distance from the Texas side of the border to Chicago, Illinois.”

Jaime Lopez-Aranda, a senior security manager at travel risk management firm International SOS, agrees that popular resort areas are still fairly safe.

“It is relatively safe for travelers to head to tourist destinations and major urban centers such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey,” Lopez-Aranda told CNN Travel.

Importantly, the U.S. State Department has issued a number of advisories for U.S. citizens traveling to various Mexican states in recent weeks. Now, as violent crime and kidnapping rates increase across Mexico, Americans considering travel to all but two of the states in Mexico should be aware of renewed and increased warnings, the State Department cautions.

“Violent crime — such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery — is widespread and common in Mexico,” the State Department explains .

“The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted,” the State Department continues. “In many states, local emergency services are limited outside the state capital or major cities.”

Here are the State Department’s travel advisories for each of Mexico’s states.

Do Not Travel To

The State Department advises U.S. citizens to not travel to five states in Mexico due to increasing levels of crime and kidnapping.

Those states are Colima (where Manzanillo is located), Michoacan, Sinaloa (where Mazatlán is located), Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas (home to Zacatecas City).

Guerrero — where Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, and Ixtapa are located — is also on the State Department’s “Do Not Travel” list because crime is widespread in those areas.

Reconsider Travel To

The State Department advises U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel” to five states in Mexico due to crime and kidnapping.

Those states are Baja California (where Tijuana is located), Chihuahua, Guanajuato (where Guanajuato City is located), Jalisco (home to Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta), and Sonora.

The states of Durango and Morelos are also on the State Department’s “Reconsider Travel To” list due to high crime rates.

Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling To

The State Department advises U.S. citizens to “exercise increased caution when traveling to” 17 areas of Mexico, primarily due to crime rates but also due to the threat of kidnapping in some places.

Those states are Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur (where Cabo San Lucas , San Jose del Cabo, and La Paz are located), Chiapas, Coahuila, Hidalgo, Mexico State, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca (home of Oaxaca City and Huatulco), Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo (where Cancun , Cozumel, Tulum, and Riviera Maya are located), San Luis Potosi, Tabasco, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz.

Mexico City is also on the list due to high crime rates.

Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling To

The State Department advises U.S. citizens to “exercise normal precautions when traveling to” Campeche and Yucatan, where Chichen Itza and Merida are located.

Know Before You Go

If you decide to travel to Mexico, the State Department offers some guidance.

“Exercise increased caution when visiting local bars, nightclubs, and casinos,” the State Department recommends. “Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry. Be extra vigilant when visiting banks or ATMs.”

U.S. citizens with an emergency are also reminded that they can call the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico for help.

U.S. citizens on their way to Mexico are also advised to make a note of U.S. Embassy & Consulates emergency contacts in the area where they will be traveling.

Finally, the State Department recommends international travelers enroll in STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program .

Doing so enables U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate. That way travelers can receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in their destination country, make it easy for the U.S. Embassy to contact travelers in the event of an emergency, and also make it easier for family and friends to contact travelers in case of an emergency.

For more about changing travel conditions in countries around the world, be sure to read our Travel News content, including:

• New Cost To Travel To Europe Delayed Until 2024 — What Visitors Need To Know
• Traveling To Europe This Spring? 5 Countries Where Strikes Could Affect Your Trip
• TSA Is Asking Travelers With Pets To Stop Doing This One Thing — Here’s What It Is

Jim Fulcher has been a writer and editor his entire career. In addition to writing, he also enjoys traveling--particularly in an RV. Over the course of numerous trips, Jim has driven an RV through West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. His favorite national park is Yellowstone, which he has visited three times.

Another new warning on travel to Mexico just ahead of spring break

As tens of thousands of Americans prepare to spend spring break in Mexico, there is yet another new warning for tourists.

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a travel alert warning Americans about high levels of crime and the dangers of spiked alcohol, illicit drugs, fake prescription drugs and more.

The alert reads, in part:

Crime, including violent crime, can occur anywhere in Mexico, including in popular tourist destinations. Travelers should maintain a high level of situational awareness, avoid areas where illicit activities occur, and promptly depart from potentially dangerous situations. ... U.S. citizens should exercise increased caution in the downtown areas of popular spring break locations, including Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, especially after dark.

Additionally, the bulletin cautions people to be aware that U.S. citizens have been the victims of rape and sexual assault: "Perpetrators may target inebriated or isolated individuals or may employ drugs that alter the victim's physical or mental state."

The new alert also warns tourists about the danger of illegal drug use in Mexico, "U.S. citizens have become seriously ill or died in Mexico after using synthetic drugs or adulterated prescription pills."

According to the embassy, counterfeit medication is common and could contain dangerous unregulated ingredients.

It comes just days after the state of Texas issued an unusual travel warning for Mexico , saying it's too dangerous to visit for spring break this year. That warning came on the heels of the U.S. Department of State reiterating its calls for caution on travel to Mexico.

The Texas Department of Public Safety urges residents to avoid the country because of drug cartel violence and other crime.

"Based on the volatile nature of cartel activity and the violence we are seeing there, we are urging individuals to avoid travel to Mexico at this time," DPS director Steven McCraw said in a statement.

The State Department also recently renewed its warning to Americans on travel to Mexico. The U.S. government advises Americans to either skip Mexico trips, reconsider travel or at least use extra caution when traveling to parts of the country because of the potential for violence.

"Violent crime — such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery — is widespread and common in Mexico," reads the advisory from the U.S. Department of State. Currently, a travel advisory is in place for 30 of Mexico's 32 states.

Related: Cancun travel advisory over taxis

The advisories come as we learn of violence that involved Americans in Matamoros, a town in Mexico near the Texas border.

Current US State Department advisories

The State Department breaks down its Mexican risk assessment on a detailed, state-by-state basis.

Six Mexican states have a "Do not travel" warning: Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.

Related: The difference between CDC and State Department travel warnings

Seven states are under a "Reconsider travel" advisory, including Baja and Jalisco – home to the popular destination of Puerto Vallarta .

Another 17 states get an "Exercise increased caution" advisory, including Baja California Sur – home to the popular resorts of Cabo San Lucas — and Nayarit, where you'll find Riviera Nayarit. Mexico City is also included in that category.

The state of Quintana Roo on the Caribbean side of Mexico is also in the "Exercise increased caution" category due to crime and the potential for kidnapping. Quintana Roo includes Cancun , Playa del Carmen and Tulum . It's a region that's generally considered safe for foreigners and is certainly popular for leisure travel.

Campeche and Yucatan are the only states that aren't under any special advisory for U.S. travel.

Mexico travel safety tips

The State Department suggests visitors review personal security plans, be aware of their surroundings, pay attention to local media and immediately call Mexican 911 in case of any issues.

The government also suggests Americans should register with a local Mexican consulate or embassy before they travel to Mexico through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

For its part, the Mexican government insists Mexico is safe for travelers.

"There is no problem in traveling safely in Mexico," President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said in a news conference this week .

Bottom line

While headlines like travel warnings can be scary, remember that millions of tourists visit Mexico every year without ever encountering problems.

In this environment, however, it is probably best to be prepared and use common sense. Of course, that remains true when traveling to any foreign destination.

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Experts Say This is the Safest City in Mexico for Travelers in 2024

I ’ve lived in Mexico since 2018, and have traveled to more than half the states in the country — and I’m about to share my knowledge of the safest city in Mexico with you.

It’s Merida, Mexico, which is located in the Yucatan Peninsula. As I lived in Merida for many years , you’re getting my first-hand knowledge here, in addition to stats and facts from expert sources.

This article will highlight everything you need to know about Merida, from the Merida crime rates and statistics, to how to get there, and some things to do in Merida once you arrive.

Think of this as your Ultimate Guide to the Safest City in Mexico — so let’s get to it!

What you need to know about the safest city in Mexico

Located in the Yucatan Peninsula, one of the safest parts of Mexico, Merida consistently ranks as the safest place to travel in Mexico — and has for some time.

In fact, Merida is considered the safest place in Mexico to vacation in the entire peninsula.

It is the capital of Yucatán State, which is one of the only two Mexico states that seems to never have any U.S. State Department travel warnings .

Furthermore, many say Merida is definitively the safest place to live in Mexico (or one of the safe places to live in Mexico).

As I lived in Merida for many years, I know this to be true first-hand — but so do many others.

• In 2019, CEOWorld Magazine declared it the second safest city on the entire Americas Continent.
• In 2019, Merida was named the Best Small City in the World in the Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
• In 2021, CEOWorld Magazine readers also voted Merida #3 on their Best Small Cities in the World list.
• In 2022, Merida was named the #4 Best City in the World in the Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

What are the crime rates in Merida Mexico?

Wondering, What city in Mexico is considered safest with the lowest crime rate?

When it comes to bigger cities in Mexico with a population of one million-plus, it’s Merida, hands down!

Merida is known as many things, including the Cultural Capital of Yucatan , and the safest Mexican city.

It consistently ranks as both the safest city to visit in Mexico, and safest place for expats to live in Mexico.

As you can see in the infographic above, there’s not much crime in Merida — though of course, crimes of opportunity and petty crimes do happen from time to time.

You’ll want to be mindful of your belongings at all times, just as you would anywhere else. In crowded places, things like pickpocketing can happen, though it’s rare.

Is there a U.S. State Department travel advisory for Merida right now? 

For the most accurate answer, visit the U.S. State Department website to see if they have any current Merida travel warnings.

They usually don’t, but this site is the best way to stay up-to-date with the most accurate information possible regarding Mexico travel advisories.

Merida Mexico Travel Warnings

On the U.S. State Department site , you’ll see each of the 32 Mexico states ranked in one of these four categories:

• 🛑 Level 4 (Highest Level): Do Not Travel (Highest Level)
• ⚠️ Level 3: Reconsider Travel
• ⚠️ / ✅ Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling
• ✅ Level 1 (Lowest Level): Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling

What state is Merida located in?

Merida is in Yucatan State , which is generally at a Level 1 Warning.

This is the lowest warning level the U.S. State Department issues, and it means “Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling” — which is what you’d do anywhere.

For perspective, some other Level 1 travel destinations include Australia, Japan, Iceland and Fiji.

Now ask yourself: Would I be scared to travel to Fiji?  How about Australia or Japan?

Of course you wouldn’t — and you might have even laughed at those questions.

So what’s the verdict on Merida Mexico travel safety? In general, Merida is a popular region in Mexico for Americans, as it’s a clean and safe city in the Yucatan.

As with any major tourist town, you will need to exercise some level of caution in Cancun, Mexico — but nothing major.

If you remain aware of yourself, your surroundings and your belongings, you can easily have a safe Cancun trip like the many other visitors just like you.

Where is Merida Mexico located?

Merida is located in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. This is a three-state region in the southeastern part of the country.

It includes Quintana Roo State (home to Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen), Campeche State, and Yucatan State. Merida is the capital city of this state.

Is there an airport in Merida Mexico?

Yes — Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport, better known as Merida International Airport (code: MID), is located near downtown.

The best, safest and most hassle way to get from the airport to your hotel is by booking this Private Merida Airport Shuttle .

• Merida Airport to Downtown Distance : 5 miles (8 km); 25 minutes
• Merida Airport to North Merida Distance : 13 miles (20 km); 40 minutes

What are the best things to do in Merida?

There are so many amazing things to do in Merida , which is a great city to explore Mexico’s rich Mayan history and traditions.

Just outside of the city, you have numerous Merida day trips to places like Valladolid and Izamal (two Mexico pueblos magicos ), as well as beaches, ruins and cenotes.

Here are a few articles that will help you discover the must see Merida sites, located both in the city and just outside of it:

• 15 Amazing Mayan Ruins Near Merida
• 30 Best Merida Cenotes You Must Visit
• Best Merida Mexico Beaches in the Yucatan
• 11 Best Merida to Chichen Itza Tours
• 12 Top Rated Tours in Merida Mexico
• Best Museums in Merida Mexico

Ready to book your Merida trip?

Head here to get your FREE DOWNLOAD — 6 Things You Need to Know Before You Go to Merida — and here are some helpful tips and guides to the safest town in Mexico:

• Book the Best Merida Hotels here
• Find the Best Merida Tours here
• For even more info on safety, check out Is Merida Mexico Safe for Travelers?

Given the negative perception of Mexico as a whole, I hope this article was able to shine a light on the safest city in Mexico.

However, from my personal experience living in Mexico since 2018, there are MANY other safe places in Mexico too.

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Travel Advisory August 22, 2023

Mexico - see state summaries.

Reissued after periodic review with general security updates, and the removal of obsolete COVID-19 page links.

Country Summary: Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread and common in Mexico. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted. In many states, local emergency services are limited outside the state capital or major cities.

U.S. citizens are advised to adhere to restrictions on U.S. government employee travel. State-specific restrictions are included in the individual state advisories below. U.S. government employees may not travel between cities after dark, may not hail taxis on the street, and must rely on dispatched vehicles, including app-based services like Uber, and regulated taxi stands. U.S. government employees should avoid traveling alone, especially in remote areas. U.S. government employees may not drive from the U.S.-Mexico border to or from the interior parts of Mexico, except daytime travel within Baja California and between Nogales and Hermosillo on Mexican Federal Highway 15D, and between Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey on Highway 85D.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to Mexico.

Do Not Travel To:

• Colima state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Guerrero state  due to  crime .
• Michoacan state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Sinaloa state due to  crime  and  kidnapping
• Tamaulipas state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping.
• Zacatecas  state due to  crime  and  kidnapping .

Reconsider Travel To:

• Baja California  state due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Chihuahua state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Durango state  due to  crime .
• Guanajuato state  due to  crime and kidnapping .
• Jalisco state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Morelos state  due to  crime .
• Sonora state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .

Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling To:

• Aguascalientes  state due to  crime .
• Baja California Sur state  due to  crime .
• Chiapas state  due to  crime .
• Coahuila state  due to  crime .
• Hidalgo state  due to  crime .
• Mexico City  due to  crime .
• Mexico State  due to  crime .
• Nayarit state  due to  crime.
• Nuevo Leon  state due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Oaxaca state  due to  crime .
• Puebla state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Queretaro state  due to  crime .
• Quintana Roo state  due to  crime .
• San Luis Potosi state  due to  crime and kidnapping .
• Tabasco state  due to  crime .
• Tlaxcala state due to  crime .
• Veracruz state  due to  crime .

Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling To:

• Campeche state
• Yucatan state

Visit our website for  Travel to High-Risk Areas .

If you decide to travel to Mexico:

• Keep traveling companions and family back home informed of your travel plans. If separating from your travel group, send a friend your GPS location. If taking a taxi alone, take a photo of the taxi number and/or license plate and text it to a friend.
• Use toll roads when possible and avoid driving alone or at night. In many states, police presence and emergency services are extremely limited outside the state capital or major cities.
• Exercise increased caution when visiting local bars, nightclubs, and casinos.
• Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry.
• Be extra vigilant when visiting banks or ATMs.
• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
• Follow the U.S. Embassy on Facebook and Twitter .
• Review the  Country Security Report  for Mexico.
• Mariners planning travel to Mexico should check for U.S. maritime  advisories  and  alerts , which include instructions on reporting suspicious activities and attacks to Mexican naval authorities.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .
• Visit the CDC page for the latest travel health information related to your travel. 

Aguascalientes state – Exercise Increased Caution

Exercise increased caution due to crime.

Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the state.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Aguascalientes state.

Baja California state – Reconsider Travel

Reconsider travel due to crime and kidnapping.

Transnational criminal organizations compete in the border area to establish narco-trafficking and human smuggling routes. Violent crime and gang activity are common. Travelers should remain on main highways and avoid remote locations. Of particular concern is the high number of homicides in the non-tourist areas of Tijuana. Most homicides appeared to be targeted; however, criminal organization assassinations and territorial disputes can result in bystanders being injured or killed. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

U.S. government employees must adhere to the noted restrictions:

• Mexicali Valley:  U.S. government employees should avoid the Mexicali Valley due to the heightened possibility of violence between rival cartel factions.  The boundaries of the restricted area are: to the east, the Baja California/Arizona and Baja California/Sonora borders; to the south, from La Ventana (on Highway 5) due east to the Colorado River; to the west, Highway 5; and to the north, Boulevard Lazaro Cardenas/Highway 92/Highway 1 to Carretera Aeropuerto, from the intersection of Highway 1 and Carretera Aeropuerto due north to the Baja California/California border, and from that point eastward along the Baja California/California border.
• Travelers may use Highways 2 and 2D to transit between Mexicali, Los Algodones, and San Luis Rio Colorado during daylight hours. Travelers may also use Highways 1 and 8 to transit to and from the Mexicali Airport during daylight hours.  Travel on Highway 5 is permissible during daylight hours.

There are no other travel restrictions for U.S. government employees in Baja California state. These include high-traffic tourism areas of border and coastal communities, such as  Tijuana ,  Ensenada , and  Rosarito .

Baja California Sur state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Baja California Sur state.

Campeche state – Exercise Normal Precautions

Exercise normal precautions.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Campeche state.

Chiapas state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Chiapas state.

Chihuahua state – Reconsider Travel

Violent crime and gang activity are common. Most homicides are targeted assassinations against members of criminal organizations. Battles for territory between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens and U.S. government employees, including restaurants and malls during daylight hours. Bystanders have been injured or killed in shooting incidents. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

U.S. government employee travel is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:

• Ciudad Juarez:  U.S. government employees may travel to the area of Ciudad Juarez bounded to the east by Bulevar Independencia; to the south by De los Montes Urales/Avenida Manuel J Clouthier/Carretera de Juárez; to the west by Via Juan Gabriel/Avenida de los Insurgentes/Calle Miguel Ahumada/Francisco Javier Mina/Melchor Ocampo; and to the north by the U.S.-Mexico border.  Direct travel to the Ciudad Juarez airport (officially called the Abraham González International Airport) and the factories located along Bulevar Independencia and Las Torres is permitted.  Travel to San Jerónimo is permitted only through the United States via the Santa Teresa U.S. Port of Entry; travel via Anapra is prohibited.

U.S. government employees may only travel from Ciudad Juarez to the city of Chihuahua during daylight hours via Federal Highway 45, with stops permitted only at the Guardia Nacional División Caminos station, the Umbral del Milenio overlook area, the border inspection station at KM 35, and the shops and restaurants on Federal Highway 45 in the city of Ahumada.

• U.S. government employees may travel between Ciudad Juarez and Ascension via Highway 2.
• Nuevo Casas Grandes Area (including Nuevo Casas Grandes, Casas Grandes, Mata Ortiz, Colonia Juárez, Colonia LeBaron, Paquimé and San Buenaventura):  U.S. government employees may travel to the Nuevo Casas Grandes area during daylight hours via Mexico Federal Highway 2, and subsequently Federal Highway 10, to Nuevo Casas Grandes.  Employees are permitted to stay overnight in the cities of Nuevo Casas Grandes and Casas Grandes only.
• City of Chihuahua:  U.S. government employees may travel at any time to the area of the city of Chihuahua bounded to the north by Avenida Transformación; to the east by Avenida Tecnológico/Manuel Gómez Morín/Highway 16/Blvd.José Fuentes Mares; to the west by the city boundary; and to the south by Periférico Francisco R. Almada.
• U.S. government employees may travel on Highways 45, 16, and 45D through the city of Chihuahua and to the Chihuahua airport (officially called the General Roberto Fierro Villalobos International Airport). 
• U.S. government employees may travel to Santa Eulalia to the east of the city of Chihuahua, as well as to Juan Aldama via Highway 16 to the northeast.
• U.S. government employees may travel south of the city of Chihuahua on Highway 45 to the southern boundary of Parral, including each town directly connected to Highway 45, including Lázaro Cárdenas, Pedro Meoqui, Santa Cruz de Rosales, Delicias, Camargo, Ciudad Jiménez, and Parral itself.
• U.S. government employees may only travel on official business from the city of Chihuahua on Highway 16 to Ciudad Cuauhtémoc bounded by Highway 21 to the north and east, Highway 5 to the west, and Bulevar Jorge Castillo Cabrera to the south. 
• Ojinaga:  U.S. government employees must travel to Ojinaga via U.S. Highway 67 and enter through the U.S. Port of Entry in Presidio, Texas.
• Palomas:  U.S. government employees may travel to Palomas via U.S. highways through the U.S. Port of Entry in Columbus, New Mexico, or via Highway 2 in Mexico.

U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Chihuahua, including  Copper Canyon .

Coahuila state – Exercise Increased Caution

Violent crime and gang activity occur in parts of Coahuila state. 

U.S. government employees must adhere to the following travel restrictions:

• Zaragoza, Morelos, Allende, Nava, Jimenez, Villa Union, Guerrero, and Hidalgo municipalities : U.S. government employees may not travel to these municipalities.
• Piedras Negras and Ciudad Acuña:  U.S. government employees must travel directly from the United States and observe a curfew from midnight to 6:00 a.m. in both cities.

There are no other restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Coahuila state.

Colima state – Do Not Travel

Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.  

Violent crime and gang activity are widespread. Most homicides are targeted assassinations against members of criminal organizations. Shooting incidents between criminal groups have injured or killed bystanders. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.  

Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with noted restrictions: 

• Manzanillo:   U.S. government employee travel is limited to the tourist and port areas of Manzanillo.  
• Employees traveling to Manzanillo from Guadalajara must use Federal Toll Road 54D during daylight hours.  

U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Colima state. 

Durango state – Reconsider Travel

Reconsider travel due to crime.

Violent crime and gang activity are common in parts of Durango state.

• West and south of Federal Highway 45:  U.S. government employees may not travel to this region of Durango state.

There are no other restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Durango state.

Guanajuato state – Reconsider Travel

Gang violence, often associated with the theft of petroleum and natural gas from the state oil company and other suppliers, occurs in Guanajuato, primarily in the south and central areas of the state.  Of particular concern is the high number of murders in the southern region of the state associated with cartel-related violence. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

• Areas south of Federal Highway 45D:  U.S. government employees may not travel to the area south of and including Federal Highway 45D, Celaya, Salamanca, and Irapuato.

There are no other restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Guanajuato state, which includes tourist areas in:  San Miguel de Allende ,  Guanajuato City , and  surrounding areas.

Guerrero state – Do Not Travel

Do not travel due to crime.

Crime and violence are widespread. Armed groups operate independently of the government in many areas of Guerrero. Members of these groups frequently maintain roadblocks and may use violence towards travelers. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping in previous years.

Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following area with the noted restrictions:

• Taxco:  U.S. government employees must use Federal Highway 95D, which passes through Cuernavaca, Morelos, and stay within downtown tourist areas of Taxco. Employees may visit Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park during the day with a licensed tour operator.

U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of the state of Guerrero, including to tourist areas in  Acapulco ,  Zihuatanejo , and  Ixtapa .

Hidalgo state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Hidalgo state.

Jalisco state – Reconsider Travel

Violent crime and gang activity are common in parts of Jalisco state. In Guadalajara, territorial battles between criminal groups take place in tourist areas. Shooting incidents between criminal groups have injured or killed innocent bystanders. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

• Jalisco-Michoacan border and Federal Highway 110:  U.S. government employees may not travel to the area between Federal Highway 110 and the Jalisco-Michoacan border, nor travel on Federal Highway 110 between Tuxpan, Jalisco, and the Michoacan border.
• Federal Highway 80:  U.S. government employees may not travel on Federal Highway 80 south of Cocula.

There are no other restrictions on travel for U.S government employees in Jalisco state which includes tourist areas in:  Guadalajara Metropolitan Area ,  Puerto Vallarta (including neighboring Riviera Nayarit) ,  Chapala , and  Ajijic .

Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico) – Exercise Increased Caution

Both violent and non-violent crime occur throughout Mexico City. Use additional caution, particularly at night, outside of the frequented tourist areas where police and security patrol more routinely. Petty crime occurs frequently in both tourist and non-tourist areas.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Mexico City.

Mexico State (Estado de Mexico) – Exercise Increased Caution

Both violent and non-violent crime occur throughout Mexico State. Use additional caution in areas outside of the frequented tourist areas, although petty crime occurs frequently in tourist areas as well.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Mexico State.

Michoacan state – Do Not Travel

Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.

Crime and violence are widespread in Michoacan state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:

• Federal Highway 15D:   U.S. government employees may travel on Federal Highway 15D to transit the state between Mexico City and Guadalajara.
• Morelia:  U.S. government employees may travel by air and by land using Federal Highways 43 or 48D from Federal Highway 15D.
• Lazaro Cardenas:  U.S. government employees must travel by air only and limit activities to the city center or port areas.

U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of the state of Michoacan, including the portions of the  Monarch Butterfly Reserve  located in Michoacan.

Morelos state – Reconsider Travel

Violent crime and gang activity are common in parts of Morelos state.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Morelos state.

Nayarit state – Exercise Increased Caution

Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout Nayarit state.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S government employees in Nayarit state.

Nuevo Leon state – Exercise Increased Caution

Exercise increased caution due to crime and kidnapping.

Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Nuevo Leon state.

Oaxaca state – Exercise Increased Caution

Criminal activity and violence occur throughout the state.

U.S. travelers are reminded that U.S. government employees must adhere to the following travel restrictions:

• Isthmus region:  U.S. government employees may not travel to the area of Oaxaca bounded by Federal Highway 185D to the west, Federal Highway 190 to the north, and the Oaxaca-Chiapas border to the east.  This includes the cities of Juchitan de Zaragoza, Salina Cruz, and San Blas Atempa.  
• Federal Highway 200 northwest of Pinotepa:  U.S. government employees may not use Federal Highway 200 between Pinotepa and the Oaxaca-Guerrero border.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees to other parts of Oaxaca state, which include tourist areas in:  Oaxaca City ,  Monte Alban ,  Puerto Escondido,  and  Huatulco .

Puebla state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Puebla state.

Queretaro state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Queretaro state.

Quintana Roo state – Exercise Increased Caution

Criminal activity and violence may occur in any location, at any time, including in popular tourist destinations.  Travelers should maintain a high level of situational awareness, avoid areas where illicit activities occur, and promptly depart from potentially dangerous situations. 

While not directed at tourists, shootings between rival gangs have injured innocent bystanders.  Additionally, U.S. citizens have been the victims of both non-violent and violent crimes in tourist and non-tourist areas.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Quintana Roo state. However, personnel are advised to exercise increased situational awareness after dark in downtown areas of Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen, and to remain in well-lit pedestrian streets and tourist zones.

San Luis Potosi state – Exercise Increased Caution

Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the state.  U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in San Luis Potosi state.

Sinaloa state – Do Not Travel

Violent crime is widespread. Criminal organizations are based in and operating in Sinaloa. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

• Mazatlan:  U.S. government employees may travel to Mazatlan by air or sea only, are limited to the Zona Dorada and historic town center, and must travel via direct routes between these destinations and the airport and sea terminal.
• Los Mochis and Topolobampo:  U.S. government employees may travel to Los Mochis and Topolobampo by air or sea only, are restricted to the city and the port, and must travel via direct routes between these destinations and the airport.

U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Sinaloa state.

Sonora state – Reconsider Travel

Sonora is a key location used by the international drug trade and human trafficking networks. Violent crime is widespread. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. Travelers should maintain a heightened level of awareness of their surroundings in all their travels in Sonora.  Security incidents may occur in any area of Sonora.

• Travel between Hermosillo and Nogales:  U.S. government employees may travel between the U.S. Ports of Entry in Nogales and Hermosillo during daylight hours via Federal Highway 15 only. U.S. government employees may not use ANY taxi services, public buses, nor ride-share applications due to a lack of secure vetting and/or dispatching procedures. Travelers should exercise caution and avoid unnecessary stops as security incidents, including sporadic, armed carjackings, and shootings have been reported along this highway during daylight hours. Travelers should have a full tank of gas and inform friends or family members of their planned travel.
• Nogales:  U.S. government employees may not travel in the triangular area north of Avenida Tecnologico, west of Bulevar Luis Donaldo Colosio (Periferico), nor east of Federal Highway 15D (Corredor Fiscal). U.S. government employees also may not travel in the residential and business areas to east of the railroad tracks along Plutarco Elias Calle (HWY 15) and Calle Ruiz Cortino, including the business area around the Morley pedestrian gate port-of-entry. U.S. government employees may not use ANY taxi services, public buses, nor ride-share applications in Nogales due to a lack of secure vetting and/or dispatching procedures and the danger of kidnapping and other violent crimes.  
• Puerto Peñasco:  U.S. government employees may travel between Puerto Peñasco and the Lukeville-Sonoyta U.S. Port of Entry during daylight hours via Federal Highway 8 only. They may not travel on any other route to Puerto Peñasco. U.S. government employees may not use ANY taxi services, public buses, nor ride-share applications in Puerto Peñasco. due to a lack of secure vetting and/or dispatching procedures and the danger of kidnapping and other violent crimes.
• Triangular region near Mariposa U.S. Port of Entry:  U.S. government employees may not travel into or through the triangular region west of the Mariposa U.S. Port of Entry, east of Sonoyta, and north of Altar municipality.
• San Luis Rio Colorado, Cananea, and Agua Prieta : U.S. government employees may travel directly from the nearest U.S. Port of Entry to San Luis Rio Colorado, Cananea (via Douglas Port of Entry), and Agua Prieta, but may not go beyond the city limits. Travel is limited to daylight hours only. Travel between Nogales and Cananea via Imuris is not permitted. U.S. government employees may not use ANY taxi services, public buses, nor ride-share applications in these cities due to a lack of secure vetting and/or dispatching procedures and the danger of kidnapping and other violent crimes.
• Eastern and southern Sonora (including San Carlos Nuevo Guaymas and Alamos):  U.S. government employees may not travel to areas of Sonora east of Federal Highway 17, the road between Moctezuma and Sahuaripa, and State Highway 20 between Sahuaripa and the intersection with Federal Highway 16. U.S. government employees may travel to San Carlos Nuevo Guaymas and Alamos; travel to Alamos is only permitted by air and within city limits.  U.S. government employees may not travel to areas of Sonora south of Federal Highway 16 and east of Federal Highway 15 (south of Hermosillo), as well as all points south of Guaymas, including Empalme, Guaymas, Obregon, and Navojoa.  U.S. government employees may not use ANY taxi services, public buses, nor ride-share applications in these areas due to a lack of secure vetting and/or dispatching procedures and the danger of kidnapping and other violent crimes.

U.S. government employees may travel to other parts of Sonora state in compliance with the above restrictions, including tourist areas in: Hermosillo , Bahia de Kino , and Puerto Penasco .

Tabasco state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Tabasco state.

Tamaulipas state – Do Not Travel

Organized crime activity – including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault – is common along the northern border and in Ciudad Victoria. Criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments.

Heavily armed members of criminal groups often patrol areas of the state and operate with impunity particularly along the border region from Reynosa to Nuevo Laredo.  In these areas, local law enforcement has limited capacity to respond to incidents of crime. Law enforcement capacity is greater in the tri-city area of Tampico, Ciudad Madero, and Altamira, which has a lower rate of violent criminal activity compared to the rest of the state.

U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

• Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo:  U.S. government employees may only travel within a limited radius around and between the U.S. Consulates in Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros, their homes, the respective U.S. Ports of Entry, and limited downtown sites, subject to an overnight curfew.
• Overland travel in Tamaulipas:  U.S. government employees may not travel between cities in Tamaulipas using interior Mexican highways. Travel between Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey is limited to Federal Highway 85D during daylight hours with prior authorization.

U.S. government employees may not travel to other parts of Tamaulipas state.

Tlaxcala state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Tlaxcala state.

Veracruz state – Exercise Increased Caution

Violent crime and gang activity occur with increasing frequency in Veracruz, particularly in the center and south near Cordoba and Coatzacoalcos. While most gang-related violence is targeted, violence perpetrated by criminal organizations can affect bystanders. Impromptu roadblocks requiring payment to pass are common.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Veracruz state.

Yucatan state – Exercise Normal Precautions

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Yucatan state, which include tourist areas in:  Chichen Itza ,  Merida ,  Uxmal , and  Valladolid .

Zacatecas state – Do Not Travel

Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

• Zacatecas City : U.S. government employee travel is limited to Zacatecas City proper, and employees may not travel overland to Zacatecas City.
• U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Zacatecas state.

Embassy Messages

View Alerts and Messages Archive

Quick Facts

Passport must be valid at time of entry

One page per stamp

Yes, if visiting for more than 180 days

See Travelers’ Health section

Embassies and Consulates

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR U.S. CITIZENS IN MEXICO From Mexico: 800-681-9374 or 55-8526-2561 From the United States: 1-844-528-6611

U.S. Citizen Services Inquiries: Contact Form

U.S. Embassy Mexico City

Paseo de la Reforma 305 Colonia Cuauhtémoc 06500 Ciudad de México

U.S. Consulate General Ciudad Juarez

Paseo de la Victoria #3650 Fracc. Partido Senecú 32543 Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua

U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara

Progreso 175 Colonia Americana 44160 Guadalajara, Jalisco

U.S. Consulate General Hermosillo

Monterey, Esqueda 141 El Centenario 83260 Hermosillo, Sonora

U.S. Consulate General Matamoros

Constitución No. 1 Colonia Jardín 87330 Matamoros, Tamaulipas

U.S. Consulate General Merida

Calle 60 No. 338-K x 29 y 31 Colonia Alcalá Martin 97050 Mérida, Yucatán

U.S. Consulate General Monterrey

Avenida Alfonso Reyes 150 Colonia Valle del Poniente 66196 Santa Catarina, Nuevo León

U.S. Consulate General Nogales

Calle San José s/n Fracc. Los Álamos 84065 Nogales, Sonora

U.S. Consulate General Nuevo Laredo

Paseo Colon 1901 Colonia Madero 88260 Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas

U.S. Consulate General Tijuana

Paseo de las Culturas s/n Mesa de Otay Delegación Centenario 22425 Tijuana, Baja California

Consular Agencies

Acapulco Hotel Continental Emporio Costera M. Alemán 121 – Office 14 39670 Acapulco, Guerrero Cancun

Blvd. Kukulcan Km 13 ZH Torre La Europea, Despacho 301 77500 Cancún, Quintana Roo

Los Cabos Las Tiendas de Palmilla L-B221, Km. 27.5 Carretera Transpeninsular 23406 San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur

Playa Gaviotas 202, Local 10 Zona Dorada 82110 Mazatlán, Sinaloa

Oaxaca Macedonio Alcalá 407, Office 20 68000 Oaxaca, Oaxaca

Piedras Negras Abasolo 211, Local 3, Centro 26000 Piedras Negras, Coahuila

Playa del Carmen Plaza Progreso, Local 33 Carretera Federal Puerto Juarez-Chetumal, Mz. 293 Lt. 1. 77710 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

Puerto Vallarta

Paradise Plaza, Paseo de los Cocoteros 85 Sur, Local L-7 63732 Nuevo Nayarit, Nayarit

San Miguel de Allende Plaza La Luciérnaga, Libramiento Jose Manuel Zavala 165, Locales 4 y 5 Colonia La Luciérnaga 37745 San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

Destination Description

See the  State Department’s Fact Sheet on Mexico  for more information on U.S.-Mexico relations.

Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements

A valid passport book is required to enter Mexico by air, and those attempting to enter at an airport with a U.S. passport card only may be denied admission.

Review the Mexican government’s most current  entry, exit, and visa requirements  ( Spanish only ) or visit the  Embassy of Mexico  in Washington, D.C., for more information.

For travelers entering Mexico by air only, Mexican immigration authorities implemented a process to replace the previous paper Forma Migratoria Multiple or FMM with a Forma Migratoria Multiple Digital or FMMD.  The FMMD process is in place at all 66 international airports in Mexico.  Upon arrival at an airport, Mexican immigration authorities will determine a traveler’s authorized length of stay and either place a date stamp in the traveler’s passport or direct the traveler through a self-service electronic gate (E-Gate) that will generate a printed receipt with QR code. Air travelers who wish to download a record of their FMMD or find more information on the FMMD process may visit the National Migration Institute’s (INM) website .

Travelers entering Mexico by land should have a valid passport book or card.  If you enter Mexico by land and plan to travel beyond the immediate border area (approximately 12 miles or 20 kilometers into Mexico), you must stop at an INM office to obtain an entry permit (Forma Migratoria Multiple or FMM), even if not explicitly directed to do so by Mexican officials.  INM may opt to allow tourists entry of up to 180 days without a visa or may limit authorized stays to shorter periods at their discretion; visitors should confirm the specific length of authorized stay written on the entry permit (FMM) or by the stamp in their passport. Mexican immigration authorities could ask you to present both your passport and entry permit if applicable at any point and may detain you while they review your immigration status if you are not carrying your passport and proof of legal status in Mexico, or if you have overstayed your authorized stay. Immigration check points are common in the interior of Mexico, including in popular tourist areas far from the border.  

You will also need a temporary vehicle import permit to bring a U.S.-registered vehicle beyond the border zone. These permits are processed through Banjercito and require a deposit that will be refunded once the vehicle leaves Mexico.  For more information, visit the  Banjercito  website ( Spanish only ).

Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Sonora have a “hassle-free” zone that allows cars traveling without an entry permit or car registration within the zone. 

Mexican authorities can impound a vehicle that enters the country without a valid U.S. registration, a vehicle driven by a Mexican national who is not resident in the United States, or a vehicle found beyond the border zone without the temporary import permit.

Mexican law permits Mexican immigration authorities to deny foreigners entry into Mexico if they have been charged with or convicted of a serious crime in Mexico or elsewhere.

Travelers bringing in goods beyond their personal effects worth $300.00 or more must declare those goods with Mexican customs (SAT) Mexican customs  ( Spanish only ) or risk having them confiscated. This also applies to used goods or clothing, including items for donation. U.S. citizens driving such items into Mexico without declaring them or without sufficient funds to pay duty fees are subject to having their vehicle seized by Mexican customs authorities. For further information about customs regulations, please read our  customs information page .

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents in Mexico.

A parent or legal guardian departing Mexico with minor children should carry a notarized consent letter from the other parent if traveling separately. INM requires at least one parent to complete a  SAM  ( Formato de Salida de Menores, Spanish only ) for all Mexican or foreign minors with Temporary Resident, Temporary Student Resident, or Permanent Resident status departing Mexico alone or with a third party.  Further information about the  prevention of international parental child abduction  is available on our website.

Find information on dual nationality , and customs regulations on our websites. Both Mexico and the United States allow dual nationality.

Safety and Security

Travelers are urged to review the  Mexico Travel Advisory  for information about safety and security concerns affecting the country on a state-by-state basis.

U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in Mexico should not expect public health and safety standards like those in the United States. Even where such standards exist, enforcement varies by location. Travelers should mitigate the risk of illness or injury by taking standard health and safety precautions.

The phone number to report emergencies in Mexico is “911.”  Although there may be English-speaking operators available, it is best to seek the assistance of a Spanish speaker to place the call.

Crime:  Crime in Mexico occurs at a high rate and can be violent, from random street crime to cartel-related attacks. Over the past year, Mission Mexico has assisted U.S. citizens who were victims of armed robbery, carjacking, extortion, homicide, kidnapping, pick-pocketing, and sexual assault. Increased levels of cartel-related violence have resulted in territorial disputes and targeted killings, injuring or killing innocent bystanders. Travelers who find themselves in an active shooter scenario should flee in the opposite direction, if possible, or drop to the ground, preferably behind a hard barrier.

Drivers on roads and highways may encounter government checkpoints, which often include National Guard or military personnel. State and local police also set up checkpoints in and around cities and along the highways to deter criminal activity and enforce traffic laws. In some parts of Mexico, criminal organizations and other non-governmental actors have been known to erect unauthorized checkpoints and have abducted or threatened violence against those who fail to stop and/or pay a “toll.” When approaching a checkpoint, regardless of whether it is official, cooperate and avoid any actions that may appear suspicious or aggressive.

While Mexican authorities endeavor to safeguard the country’s major resort areas and tourist destinations, those areas have not been immune to the types of violence and crime experienced elsewhere in Mexico. In some areas of Mexico, response time of local police is often slow. In addition, filing police reports can be time consuming. See our  Mexico Travel Advisory  for more information.

Demonstrations  occur frequently.  They may take place in response to political or economic issues, on politically significant holidays, and during international events.  Protesters in Mexico may block traffic on roads, including major thoroughfares, or take control of toll booths on highways.  Travelers who encounter protesters who demand unofficial tolls are generally allowed to pass upon payment.  U.S. citizens should avoid participating in demonstrations or other activities that might be deemed political by authorities, as Mexican law prohibits political activities by foreign citizens and such actions may result in detention or deportation.

• Demonstrations can be unpredictable, avoid areas around protests and demonstrations.  
• Past demonstrations have turned violent.
• Check local media for updates and traffic advisories.  

International Financial Scams:  See the  Department of State  and the  FBI  pages for information.  

Internet romance and financial scams are prevalent in Mexico. Scams are often initiated through Internet postings/profiles or by unsolicited emails and letters. Scammers almost always pose as U.S. citizens who have no one else to turn to for help. Common scams include:   

• Romance/Online dating 
• Money transfers 
• Lucrative sales 
• Grandparent/Relative targeting 
• Free Trip/Luggage 
• Inheritance notices 
• Bank overpayments 

Mexico’s consumer protection agency,  PROFECO  (Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor, Spanish only), can sometimes  provide assistance  (Spanish only) to victims of such scams. In addition, there have been allegations of banking fraud perpetrated by private bankers against U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens who believe they have been victims of fraud can file a police report  file a complaint  (Spanish only) with the Mexican banking regulatory agency, CONDUSEF  (Comision Nacional para la Proteccion y Defensa de los Usuarios de Servicios Financieros, Spanish only), or consult with an attorney.

Victims of Crime:  U.S. victims of sexual assault are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy or nearest Consulate for assistance.  Report emergencies to the local police at 911, report crimes already committed to the Ministerio Publico, and contact the Embassy or Consulate at +52-55-85262561.  Remember that local authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes.

U.S. citizen victims of crime should contact the local authorities to file a Mexican police report before departing Mexico. In most instances, victims of crime will file reports with the Ministerio Publico (equivalent to the office of public prosecutor or district attorney in the United States) and not with police first responders. U.S. citizens should also inform the  U.S. Embassy or nearest consulat e . 

See our webpage on  help for U.S. victims of crime overseas .    We can:

• help you find appropriate medical care,
• assist you in reporting a crime to the police,
• contact relatives or friends with your written consent,
• provide general information regarding the victim’s role during the local investigation and following its conclusion, 
• provide a list of local attorneys,
• provide information on  victim’s compensation programs in the United States ,
• provide an emergency loan for repatriation to the United States and/or limited medical support in cases of destitution,
• help you find accommodation and arrange flights home,
• replace a stolen or lost passport.

Domestic Violence:  U.S. citizen victims of domestic violence are encouraged to contact the  U.S. Embassy or nearest consulate  for assistance.

Kidnapping:  Mexico experiences very high rates of kidnapping.  If you believe you or your U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) relative has been kidnapped, please contact the U.S. Embassy or nearest consulate immediately.

Robbery:  Mexico experiences robberies, typically in cities, in which abductors force victims to use their debit or credit card to withdraw money from ATMs in exchange for their release. Perpetrators commonly work in cooperation with, or pose as, taxi drivers. To minimize the risk of such robberies:

• Only use a reputable taxi company or a trusted ride-sharing app.
• Book taxis through your hotel or an authorized taxi stand.

Extortion:  Extortion schemes are common in Mexico.  In a typical scheme known as a virtual kidnapping, criminals convince family members that a relative has been abducted, when, in fact, the person is safe but unreachable.  The purported abductors will often use threats to persuade victims to isolate themselves, making communication with family members less likely.  Unable to reach their loved ones, family members often consent to paying the “ransom” demand.  Criminals use various means to gather information about potential victims, including monitoring social media sites, eavesdropping on conversations, or using information taken from a stolen cell phone.  Some of these extortions have been conducted from Mexican prisons.  You can reduce the risk of falling victim to this type of extortion through the following:

• Do not discuss travel plans, your room number, or any other personal information within earshot of strangers.
• Do not divulge personal business details to strangers in person or over the phone, especially when using hotel phones.
• If you are threatened on the phone, hang up immediately.

Sexual Assault:  Rape and sexual assault are serious problems in some resort areas. Many of these incidents occur at night or during the early morning hours, in hotel rooms, on hotel grounds, or on deserted beaches. In some cases, assailants drug the drinks of victims before assaulting them. Pay attention to your surroundings and to who might have handled your drink.

Credit/Debit Card “Skimming:”  There have been instances of fraudulent charges or withdrawals from accounts due to “skimmed” cards. If you choose to use credit or debit cards, you should regularly check your account to ensure there are no unauthorized transactions. Travelers should limit the amount of cash they carry in public, exercise caution when withdrawing cash from ATMs, and avoid ATMs located in isolated or unlit areas.

Alcohol:  If you choose to drink alcohol, it is important to do so in moderation and to stop and seek medical attention if you begin to feel ill. There have been reports of individuals falling ill or blacking out after consuming unregulated alcohol. The Mexican Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk,  COFEPRIS  ( Comision Federal para la Proteccion contra Riesgos Sanitarios, Spanish only ), is responsible for inspecting hotels, restaurants, and other establishments for health violations, including reports of unregulated alcohol. Please email COFEPRIS at  [email protected]  for more information or if you wish to file a report. You can file a report online (Spanish only) via the COFEPRIS website, by calling the COFEPRIS call center at 800 033 50 50 (from Mexico) or +52 (55) 5080-5425 (from the United States), or by scheduling an appointment  (Spanish only)  to visit a COFEPRIS office.

There have also been instances of criminals drugging drinks to rob or sexually assault victims. Additionally, if you feel you have been the victim of unregulated alcohol or another serious health violation, you should notify the U.S. Embassy or nearest consulate . You may also contact the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs in Washington, D.C. at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from all other countries).

Drug Smuggling:  Mexican criminal organizations are engaged in a violent struggle to control trafficking routes. Criminal organizations smuggling drugs into the United States have targeted unsuspecting individuals who regularly cross the border. Frequent border crossers are advised to vary their routes and travel times and to closely monitor their vehicles to avoid being targeted.

Tourism:  In major cities and resort areas, the tourism industry is generally well-regulated.  Best practices and safety inspections are regularly enforced.  Hazardous areas and activities are identified with appropriate signage, and professional staff is typically on hand in support of organized activities.  In the event of an injury, appropriate medical treatment is widely available throughout the country.  Outside of a major metropolitan center, it may take more time for first responders and medical professionals to stabilize a patient and/or provide life-saving assistance.  In smaller towns and areas less commonly frequented by foreign tourists, the tourism industry is unevenly regulated, and safety inspections for equipment and facilities do not commonly occur.  Hazardous areas/activities are not always identified with appropriate signage, and staff may not be trained or certified either by the host government or by recognized authorities in the field.  In the event of an injury, appropriate medical treatment is typically available only in or near major cities.  First responders are generally unable to access areas outside of major cities to provide urgent medical treatment.  U.S. citizens are encouraged to purchase medical evacuation insurance . 

Since 2016, Mexico has opened seven multilingual Centers for the Care and Protection of Tourists (CAPTA) and Tourist Assistance Centers (CATTAC) in Los Cabos, La Paz, Acapulco, Playa del Carmen, Mazatlan, Ciudad Madero, and Queretaro. These offices have proven helpful assisting U.S. citizen visitors in resolving disputes with merchants and government entities, filing criminal reports, securing needed services, and locating special needs accommodations. 

Local Laws & Special Circumstances

Criminal Penalties:  You are subject to local laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Individuals establishing a business or practicing a profession that requires additional permits or licensing should seek information from the competent local authorities prior to practicing or operating a business.

Furthermore, some laws are also prosecutable in the United States, regardless of local law. For examples, see our website on  crimes against minors abroad  and the  Department of Justice  website.

Arrest Notification:  If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy or nearest consulate immediately. See our  webpage  for further information.

The Mexican government is required by international law to contact the U.S. Embassy or consulate promptly when a U.S. citizen is arrested if the arrestee so requests.  This requirement does not apply to dual nationals.  

Firearms and Other Weapons:  Weapons laws in Mexico vary by state, but it is generally illegal for travelers to carry weapons of any kind including firearms, knives, daggers, brass knuckles, as well as ammunition (even used shells). Illegal firearms trafficking from the United States to Mexico is a major concern, and the Department of State warns all U.S. citizens against taking any firearm or ammunition into Mexico. If you are caught entering Mexico with any type of weapon, including firearms or ammunitions, you likely will face severe penalties, including prison time. U.S.-issued permits allowing an individual to carry weapons are not valid in Mexico.  Visit the Department’s  Traveling Abroad with Firearms webpage .

Vessels entering Mexican waters with firearms or ammunition on board must have a permit previously issued by a Mexican embassy or consulate.

Drugs:  Drug possession and use, including medical marijuana, is illegal in Mexico and may result in a lengthy jail sentence or fines.  

Electronic Cigarettes (Vaping Devices):  It is illegal for travelers to bring electronic cigarettes (vaping devices) and all vaping solutions to Mexico. Customs will confiscate vaping devices and solutions and travelers could be fined or arrested. Avoid delays and possible sanctions by not taking these items to Mexico. 

Real Estate and Time Shares:  U.S. citizens should exercise caution when considering time-share investments or purchasing real estate and be aware of the aggressive tactics used by some sales representatives. Before initiating a real estate purchase or time-share investment, U.S. citizens should consult with a Mexican attorney to learn about important regulations and laws that govern real estate property.

Mountain Climbing and Hiking:  The Mexican government has declared the area around the Popocatepetl and the Colima volcanoes off limits. In remote rural areas, there can be limited cell phone coverage and internet connectivity, and it may be difficult for rescue teams and local authorities to reach climbers and hikers in distress.

Potential for Natural Disasters:  Mexico is in an active earthquake zone. Tsunamis may occur following significant earthquakes. Please visit our  disaster and crisis preparedness  webpage for more information. For additional information concerning disasters, see:

• U.S. Embassy Mexico City website
• Civil Protection  ( Proteccion Civil, Spanish only ) provides information from the Mexican Government about natural disaster preparedness
• U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)  provides general information about natural disaster preparedness
• U.S. Geological Survey  provides updates on recent seismic and volcanic activity

Storm Season:  Tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico or along the Caribbean and Pacific Coast between May and November can produce heavy winds and rain. Please visit our disaster and crisis preparedness  webpage for more information.

Spring Break:  Millions of U.S. citizens visit Mexican beach resorts each year, especially during “ spring break ” season. The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18. See the “Alcohol” section above to learn more about the risks associated with drinking, as well as reports of illnesses associated with the possible consumption of unregulated alcohol.

Resort Areas and Water Activities:  Beaches in Mexico may be dangerous due to strong currents, rip tides, and rogue waves. Warning notices and flags on beaches should be taken seriously. Not all hazardous beaches are clearly marked. If black or red warning flags are up, do not enter the water. Strong currents can lead to dangerous conditions for even the most experienced swimmers. U.S. citizens simply walking along the shore or wading have been swept out to sea by rogue waves, and some citizens have drowned or disappeared at Mexican beaches. Avoid the consumption of alcohol while engaging in water activities and do not swim alone. 

Boats used for excursions may not be covered by accident insurance and sometimes lack adequate life jackets, radios, and tools to make repairs.  Participation in adventure sports may not be covered by accident insurance and safety protections and regulations for these activities may differ from U.S. standards.  Visit  our website  and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information about adventure travel.

Counterfeit and Pirated Goods:  Although counterfeit and pirated goods are prevalent in many countries, they may still be illegal according to local laws. You may also be subject to fines or forced to relinquish the goods if you bring them back to the United States. See the  U.S. Department of Justice website  for more information.

Faith-Based Travelers:  See the following webpages for details:

• Faith-Based Travel Information
• International Religious Freedom Report  – see country reports
• Human Rights Report  – see country reports
• Hajj Fact Sheet for Travelers
• Best Practices for Volunteering Abroad

LGBTQI+ Travelers:  There are no legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations or on the organization of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Intersex (LGBTQI+) events in Mexico. However, due to sporadic reports of violence targeting LGBTQI+ individuals, U.S. citizens should exercise discretion in identifying themselves publicly as LGBTQI+. See our LGBTQI+ Travel Information page and Section 6 of the  Department of State’s Human Rights Report for Mexico  for further details.

Travelers with Disabilities:   Mexican law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental disabilities.  Social acceptance of persons with disabilities in public is not as prevalent as in the United States.  The most common types of accessibility may include accessible facilities, information, and communication/access to services/ease of movement or access.  Expect accessibility to be limited in public transportation, lodging, communication/information, and general infrastructure in more rural and remote parts of the country, and more common in public transportation, lodging, communication/information, and general infrastructure in major cities.  U.S. citizens with disabilities should consult individual hotels and service providers in advance of travel to ensure they are accessible.

Students:  See our  Students Abroad  page and  FBI travel tips .

Women Travelers:  There were several reports of sexual assault or domestic violence involving U.S. citizen women over the past year. See our travel tips for  Women Travelers .

Excellent health facilities are available in Mexico City and other major cities. Ambulance services are widely available, but training and availability of emergency responders may be below U.S. standards. Injured or seriously ill travelers may prefer to take a taxi to a health provider. Mexican facilities often require payment “up front” before providing medical care, and most hospitals in Mexico do not accept U.S. health insurance. A list of doctors and hospitals is available on the U.S. Embassy or consulate website.

U.S. citizens have lodged complaints against some private hospitals in Cancun, the Riviera Maya, and Los Cabos to include exorbitant prices and inflexible collection measures.  Travelers should obtain complete information on billing, pricing, and proposed medical procedures before agreeing to any medical care in these locations.  Be aware that some resorts have exclusive agreements with medical providers and ambulance services, which may limit your choices in seeking emergency medical attention.  Some hospitals in tourist centers utilize sliding scales, deciding on rates for services based on negotiation and on the patient’s perceived ability to pay.  In some instances, providers have been known to determine the limits of a patient’s credit card or insurance, quickly reach that amount in services rendered, and subsequently discharge the patient or transfer them to a public hospital.

Visit the  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  website for information on Medical Tourism.

For emergency services in Mexico, dial  911 .  Although there may be English-speaking operators available, it is best to seek the assistance of a Spanish speaker to place the call.

Ambulance services are: 

• widely available in major cities but training and availability of emergency responders may be below U.S. standards,
• not present in many remote and rural areas of the country,   
• not equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment.  
• Injured or seriously ill travelers may prefer to take a taxi or private vehicle to the nearest major hospital rather than wait for an ambulance.  

We do not pay medical bills:  Be aware that U.S. Medicare/Medicaid does not apply overseas.  Most hospitals and doctors overseas do not accept U.S. health insurance.  

Medical Insurance:  Make sure your health insurance plan provides coverage overseas.  Most care providers overseas only accept cash payments. See  our webpage  for more information on insurance coverage overseas. Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information on type of insurance you should consider before you travel overseas. 

We strongly recommend  supplemental insurance  to cover medical evacuation as well.

Always carry your prescription medication in original packaging, along with your doctor’s prescription.  Check the Mexican government’s Drug Schedule to ensure the medication is legal in Mexico. 

Vaccinations:  Be up-to-date on all  vaccinations  recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Further health information :

• World Health Organization
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC)

Air Quality: Visit AirNow Department of State for information on air quality at U.S. Embassies and Consulates.

The U.S. Embassy maintains a list of doctors and hospitals .  We do not endorse or recommend any specific medical provider or clinic. 

Medical Tourism and Elective Surgery: 

• U.S. citizens have suffered serious complications or died during or after having cosmetic or other elective surgery.   
• Medical tourism is a rapidly growing industry. People seeking health care overseas should understand that medical systems operate differently from those in the United States and are not subject to the same rules and regulations.  Anyone interested in traveling for medical purposes should consult with their local physician before traveling and visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information on Medical Tourism.  
• We strongly recommend supplemental insurance  to cover medical evacuation in the event of unforeseen medical complications.  
• Your legal options in case of malpractice are very limited in Mexico.  Several foreigners have successfully enlisted the support of  PROFECO  (Spanish only) in order to resolve disputes over medical services.
• Although Mexico has many elective/cosmetic surgery facilities that are on par with those found in the United States, the quality of care varies widely.  If you plan to undergo surgery in Mexico, make sure that emergency medical facilities are available and professionals are accredited and qualified.  

Pharmaceuticals

• Exercise caution when purchasing medication overseas.  Pharmaceuticals, both over the counter and requiring prescription in the United States, are often readily available for purchase with little controls.  Counterfeit medication is common and may prove to be ineffective, the wrong strength, or contain dangerous ingredients.  Medication should be purchased in consultation with a medical professional and from reputable establishments.  
• The Drug Enforcement Agency reports counterfeit prescription pills are sold by criminals on both sides of the border. These pills are sometimes represented as OxyContin, Percocet, Xanax, and others, and may contain deadly doses of fentanyl. Counterfeit pills are readily advertised on social media and can be purchased at small, non-chain pharmacies in Mexico along the border and in tourist areas.  U.S. citizens have become seriously ill or died in Mexico after using synthetic drugs or adulterated prescription pills.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Food and Drug Administration are responsible for rules governing the transport of medication back to the United States.  Medication purchased abroad must meet their requirements to be legally brought back into the United States.  Medication should be for personal use and must be approved for usage in the United States.  Please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Food and Drug Administration websites for more information.   
• Visit the  Mexican Health Department  website (Spanish only) or contact the  Embassy of Mexico  in Washington, D.C., for more information about obtaining a permit to import medicine into Mexico.
• For a list of controlled substances in Mexico, visit the  COFEPRIS  website (Spanish only) and the  Mexican Drug Schedule  (Spanish only). U.S. citizens should carry a copy of their prescription or doctor’s letter, but it is still possible that they may be subject to arrest for arriving in Mexico with substances on these lists. Note that a medicine considered “over the counter” in some U.S. states may be a controlled substance in Mexico. For example, pseudoephedrine, the active ingredient in Sudafed, is considered a controlled substance in Mexico. For more information, contact the  Embassy of Mexico  in Washington, D.C.

Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy  

• If you are considering traveling to Mexico to have a child using assisted reproductive technology (ART) including surrogacy, visit the State Department’s ART and Surrogacy Abroad page for general information regarding U.S. citizenship for the child. 
• Surrogacy in Mexico presents serious risks that must be considered before U.S. citizens begin the surrogacy process.
• If you decide to pursue parenthood in Mexico via ART with a gestational mother, be prepared for possible long delays to document your child’s birth in Mexico and their U.S. citizenship by obtaining a U.S. passport. 
• Ensure you understand Mexican law, which varies by state. The only four states with a legal framework for surrogacy do not permit foreigners and/or same-sex couples to use the procedure. In the other 28 states, surrogacy is largely unregulated.
• In most states, Mexican courts may not enforce surrogacy agreements between non-Mexican or same-sex intending parents and a gestational mother should disputes arise, due to a lack of legal framework for surrogacy. The U.S. Embassy is aware of several cases where surrogacy agencies presented a partial, or false, interpretation of Mexican surrogacy laws.
• In most Mexican states, the gestational mother is the child’s legal parent with full parental rights, and the gestational mother’s name is typically listed on the Mexican state-issued birth certificate. In certain states, a court may amend the birth certificate to remove the name of the gestational mother.
• The U.S. Embassy is aware of cases of foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, being arrested for attempting to circumvent local law related to surrogacy.

Carbon Monoxide

• Many hotels and other lodgings are not equipped with carbon monoxide detectors, even if they contain sources of this potentially lethal gas. U.S. citizens have died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning throughout Mexico. If your lodging is not equipped with a carbon monoxide detector, consider traveling with a portable one.

Water Quality: 

• In many areas in Mexico, tap water is not potable. Bottled water and beverages are safe, although you should be aware that many restaurants and hotels serve tap water unless bottled water is specifically requested. Be aware that ice for drinks might be made using tap water.

Altitude: 

• Many cities in Mexico, such as Mexico City, are at high altitude, which can lead to altitude illness. Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information about  Travel to High Altitudes .

Adventure Travel

• Participation in adventure sports and activities may not be covered by accident insurance and safety protections and regulations for these activities may differ from U.S. standards.  Visit  our website  and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website  for more information about adventure travel.

General Health

The following diseases are prevalent:

• Typhoid Fever
• Travelers’ Diarrhea
• Chikungunya
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Parasitic Infections
• Chronic Respiratory Disease
• Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information about Resources for Travelers regarding specific issues in Mexico.   

Air Quality

• Air pollution is a significant problem in several major cities in Mexico. Consider the impact seasonal smog and heavy particulate pollution may have on you and consult your doctor before traveling if necessary.

For further health information, go to:

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC)

  Private Residential Treatment Facilities: 

• These facilities provide care to U.S. citizens throughout Mexico and include child behavior modification facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and assisted living centers. 
• There is a wide range in standards for education, safety, health, sanitation, immigration, and residency.  Staff licensing may not be strictly enforced or meet the standards of similar facilities in the United States.  
• The State Department has received reports of abuse, negligence, or mismanagement at some of these facilities. U.S. citizens should exercise due diligence and do extensive research before selecting a residential treatment facility.

Travel and Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety:  Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of U.S. citizen deaths in Mexico. If you have an emergency while driving, dial “911.” If you are driving on a toll highway (“ cuota ”) or any other major highway, you may contact the Green Angels ( Spanish only ), a fleet of trucks with bilingual crews, by dialing 078 from any phone in Mexico.  Generally, individuals involved in an accident who do not require immediate medical care should contact their insurance providers, who may come to the site to provide an immediate assessment.

Avoid driving on Mexican highways at night. Travel with a charged and functional cell phone capable of making calls in Mexico. Travelers should exercise caution at all times and should use toll (“ cuota ”) roads rather than the less secure free (“ libre ”) roads whenever possible. Do not hitchhike or accept rides from or offer rides to strangers anywhere in Mexico. Travelers encountering police or security checkpoints should comply with instructions.

Road conditions and maintenance across Mexico vary with many road surfaces needing repair. Travel in rural areas poses additional risks to include spotty cell phone coverage and delays in receiving roadside or medical assistance.

Vehicular traffic in Mexico City is subject to restriction Monday through Saturday, according to the license plate number, in order to reduce air pollution. For additional information, refer to the  Hoy No Circula website  ( Spanish only ) maintained by the Mexico City government. See our  Road Safety Page  for more information.  Also, visit  Mexico’s national tourist office website , MexOnline, and Mexico’s customs website  Importacion Temporal de Vehiculos  ( Spanish only ) for more information regarding travel and transportation.

Traffic Laws:   U.S. driver’s licenses are valid in Mexico. Mexican law requires that only owners drive their vehicles or that the owner be inside the vehicle. Failing to abide by this law may lead to impoundment and a fine equal to the value of the vehicle.

Mexican citizens who are not also U.S. citizens or LPRs may not operate U.S.-registered vehicles in Mexico. Mexican insurance is required for all vehicles, including rental vehicles. Drivers involved in accidents, even minor incidents, may be subject to arrest if they are found to be driving without proper insurance, regardless of whether they were at fault. Driving under the influence of alcohol, using a mobile device while driving, and driving through a yellow light are all illegal in Mexico.

If you drive your vehicle into Mexico beyond the immediate border area (approximately 12 miles into Mexico), you must apply for a temporary vehicle import permit with Mexican customs, Banjercito , or at some Mexican consulates in the United States. The permit requires the presentation of a valid passport and a monetary deposit that will be returned to you upon leaving Mexico before the expiration of the permit. Failing to apply for a temporary vehicle import permit may lead to impoundment and a fine equal to the value of the vehicle. 

Vehicles crossing into Mexico must have a valid license plate and registration sticker. Mexican authorities will often refuse to admit vehicles with temporary or paper license plates. Vehicles with expired registration or unauthorized plates will likely be confiscated and the operator could be charged with a fine equal to the value of the vehicle.

The Mission Mexico Vehicle Recovery Unit  assists with the return of stolen U.S. vehicles recovered by Mexican authorities.

If you have an emergency while driving, dial “911.” If you are driving on a toll highway (“cuota”) or any other major highway, you may contact the Green Angels (Spanish only), a fleet of trucks with bilingual crews, by dialing 078 from any phone in Mexico.  Generally, individuals involved in an accident who do not require immediate medical care should contact their insurance providers, who may come to the site to provide an immediate assessment.

Public Transportation/Taxis:  Security on public buses varies throughout the country but is considered a relatively safe transportation option in Mexico City and other major tourist centers. Passengers should protect their personal possessions at all times as theft is common. Intercity bus travel should be conducted during daylight hours in preferably first-class buses using toll roads.

Robberies and assaults on passengers in taxis not affiliated with a taxi stand (known as “libre” taxis) are common. Avoid taking any taxi not summoned by telephone or contacted in advance, including “libre” taxis. When in need of a taxi, telephone a radio taxi or “sitio” (regulated taxi stand) and ask the dispatcher for the driver’s name and the taxi’s license plate number. Application-based car services such as Uber and Cabify are available in many Mexican cities, and generally offer another safe alternative to taxis. Official complaints against Uber and other drivers do occur, however, and past disputes between these services and local taxi unions have occasionally turned violent, resulting in injuries to U.S. citizens in some instances.

See our Road Safety page for more information. 

Aviation Safety Oversight:  The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of Mexico’s Civil Aviation Authority as not being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of Mexico’s air carrier operations. Further information may be found on the  FAA safety assessment page .

Maritime Travel:  Mariners planning travel to Mexico should also check for U.S. maritime advisories and alerts .  Information may also be posted to the  U.S. Coast Guard homeport website , and the NGA broadcast warnings .

If you enter by sea, review the Mexican boating permit requirements  prior to travel or contact the  Embassy of Mexico  in Washington, D.C., for more information.

Maritime Safety Oversight:  The Mexican maritime industry, including charter fishing and recreational vessels, is subject solely to Mexican safety regulations.  Travelers should be aware that Mexican equipment and vessels may not meet U.S. safety standards or be covered by any accident insurance.

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• See the  State Department’s travel website  for the  Worldwide Caution  and  Travel Advisories .
• Follow us on  Twitter  and  Facebook .
• See  traveling safely abroad  for useful travel tips.

Review information about International Parental Child Abduction in Mexico . For additional IPCA-related information, please see the International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act ( ICAPRA ) report.

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We, the voters

Is it easy for migrants to enter the u.s. we went to the border to find out.

Steve Inskeep

Ally Schweitzer

Lilly Quiroz

Álvaro Enciso places crosses at sites where migrants are known to have died in the borderland, this cross represents the death of Nolberto Torres-Zayas just east of Arivaca, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Torres-Zayas died of hyperthermia in 2009, not far from a Humane Borders water cache that had been vandalized and drained. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

Álvaro Enciso places crosses at sites where migrants are known to have died in the borderland, this cross represents the death of Nolberto Torres-Zayas just east of Arivaca, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Torres-Zayas died of hyperthermia in 2009, not far from a Humane Borders water cache that had been vandalized and drained.

NOGALES, Ariz. – It's easy to walk south from the U.S. into Mexico. What's hard is going the other way.

A team of NPR journalists experienced that for ourselves, on a bright day in March when we passed easily through a legal port of entry that separates Nogales, Arizona, from Nogales, Sonora.

We walked alongside trucks carrying goods between the two countries. This border is a boon for businesses on both sides, recently making Mexico the United States' biggest trading partner . But it's also been the source of a major political headache: the arrival of millions of migrants from across the Americas and elsewhere in the world seeking to enter the U.S.

We came here to glimpse a small part of the border on a typical day.

We entered Mexico through a quiet pedestrian access point at the Nogales port of entry, and continued about 100 yards to a shelter where dozens of migrants waited with hopes of crossing la frontera – the U.S. border, marked with large green highway signs.

Cars drive south from the port in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

Cars drive south from the port in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

Children played on a concrete floor at the entrance to the Kino Border Initiative. It was lunchtime, and volunteers milled among long tables, offering drink refills and tortillas to families bundled up in fleeces and jackets.

We met the nonprofit's executive director, Joanna Williams, in the dining area. On the left side of the room are migrants who have been in Nogales a few days or less, she explained; on the right are travelers stuck in limbo.

"We have some people who have been here for months," Williams said.

This story is part of We, The Voters , a special 2024 Election series that dives into the issues that are top of mind for many voters. Read all the stories here .

The flow of asylum seekers from around the world has overwhelmed the U.S. government's capacity to hear their cases. Multiple presidents have addressed the problem in different ways. In 2019, President Trump's administration told asylum seekers to remain in Mexico, waiting south of the border for U.S. court hearings to determine their status.

Presidents Trump and Biden both used emergency powers during the pandemic to turn away many asylum seekers. Now that those powers have expired, Biden's administration has urged some people to apply for asylum from their home countries—and urged overland migrants to apply for entry by making appointments on CBP One, a U.S. government phone app.

Migrants rest for a moment at the Kino Border Initiative shelter in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

Migrants rest for a moment at the Kino Border Initiative shelter in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

Today hundreds, even thousands, of people reach this part of the border on a daily basis, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducts only 100 asylum interviews per day in Nogales, Williams said.

"They have to apply for an appointment every single day," Williams said. "It takes the families about five or six months for that request to be granted – unless they win the [interview] lottery."

A couple seated at a nearby table had just won that lottery, securing an interview with Customs and Border Protection in Nogales. Carla and Jose, who traveled from Venezuela with their two children, were instructed to show up at the port of entry to speak with agents about their case. (NPR agreed to only use Carla and Jose's first names to maintain their privacy during the asylum process.)

We, The Voters

Migrants claiming asylum can be allowed into the u.s. here's how it works.

Carla and Jose hoped the CPB interview would mark the end of a dangerous and costly journey they made by bus, foot and train through at least seven countries.

They made the trek with a family they were related to by marriage – a couple and their 10-year-old daughter – after they heard it would be safer to travel in a group through treacherous jungle in Colombia and Panama. Along the way, Carla said, authorities extorted them on both sides of the border between Guatemala and Mexico, demanding fees up to $200 per person.

Migrants and tourists walk past the entrance to the Mariposa port in Nogales, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

Migrants and tourists walk past the entrance to the Mariposa port in Nogales, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

Still, it was worth the risk and expense, said Nohelis, a woman whose family had traveled alongside Carla and Jose.

"In Venezuela it's difficult for us to find food and well-being, especially for the kids," Nohelis said. "We have to be allied with the government. If you're not aligned with one of them, you don't get certain benefits."

Everyone in the group said they had family living in the U.S. already — in Carla's case, an adult daughter in Florida. Her family hoped to go there next,after their appointment with Customs and Border Protection, which was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. the following day.

The family agreed that if they were admitted to the U.S., we would meet again there.

Our team started back along the road north. We bought a pink frozen paleta, a popsicle, from a man pushing a cart on a busy road. As we approached the Nogales port of entry, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection asked if we were U.S. citizens. When we said we were, they waved us through without asking to see identification. A few yards inside the United States, agents did ask for passports. Our photographer, reporter and producer showed their IDs, then we were sent on our way.

U.S. Border Patrol

Carla and Jose represent a challenge for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security because their story is repeated so many times. To get an overview, we visited the regional headquarters of one of the relevant DHS agencies — the U.S. Border Patrol, the law enforcement body that operates under Customs and Border Protection.

John Modlin, the sector's chief patrol agent, arrived at a conference room prepared with statistics.

In this sector of the border, agents apprehended about 60,000 migrants in the 2019 fiscal year , most of them from Mexico, Modlin said. That was a lot, but manageable, he added.

CBP's Tucson sector is headquartered on the Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

CBP's Tucson sector is headquartered on the Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, March 28, 2024.

That number tripled in 2021, and sextupled in 2023, according to federal data .

"If we continue at this rate, we'll probably hit 700,000, maybe 800,000 apprehensions in the Tucson sector this year," Modlin said.

For every migrant that used to arrive in the Tucson area, six now come, from Mexico and around the world. They're pushed and pulled by political upheaval, violence, economics, and shifts in U.S. policy — both real and perceived.

How a U.S. Customs and Border Protection veteran sees his agency's mission

Many who cross the border tell agents that President Donald Trump's departure from office encouraged them to think the U.S. would be more open, Modlin said.

Meanwhile, cartels in Mexico expanded their human trafficking business across the world, appealing to would-be asylum seekers on social media, Modlin said. Their marketing campaign has lured many more thousands of migrants from troubled countries all over the world, many drawn by hopes of receiving asylum protections.

CBP Tucson sector chief John Modlin poses for a portrait in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

CBP Tucson sector chief John Modlin poses for a portrait in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, March 28, 2024.

"What we have seen is a tremendous increase in the amount of people that are claiming fear," Modlin said. "When this was 85%, 90% Mexican nationals, our 'total fear' numbers were probably 1% or 2% across the entire sector. Now, 95% of the in-custody populations are claiming fear."

Migrants are human chattel for Mexico's drug cartels, Modlin said.

Guides who work for the cartels offer to lead entire families across the border through the desert. Many vulnerable travelers are dropped off in remote stretches of hostile land, left for patrollers to discover.

"[The cartels] recognize that when they send these groups over, and those groups are in distress, we respond to it, but it will take hours for us to get to where they're at," Modlin said. "It's all very well thought-out by the people on the south side, who have no regard for life. They've already been paid. To them, whether that person makes it or dies in the desert, they don't care."

Last year, so much of the border force was busy processing migrants, CPB had to close a regular border crossing for lack of personnel .

The border fence has been littered with razor wire in Nogales, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

The border fence has been littered with razor wire in Nogales, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

Modlin said processing has also taken away from the agency's mission to combat drug trafficking through remote areas, though federal data show that most narcotics are seized at official ports of entry, not between them .

More than 340,000 migrants have arrived in the Tucson sector since November 2023 . Those admitted through the CBP One app will be able to work legally in the U.S. while they wait for months – possibly years – for hearings in backlogged immigration courts.

Last winter, Congress drafted a far-reaching immigration plan that included hiring more border agents. The measure failed after Presidential candidate Trump instructed Republicans to block their own bill, so he could campaign on the issue. This spring, Congress slipped in new funding as part of an overall budget plan, though the challenge remains as immense as the Arizona desert.

Hostile terrain

The land along Highway 286 is dotted with wooden crosses, marking the locations where migrants have died.

Kirk Astroth pointed them out to us as we trundled south toward the border in a truck equipped with a giant water tank.

"We're going off-road here," announced Astroth, a volunteer with the migrant aid group Humane Borders. He veered onto a rocky path lined with thorny mesquite that scratched the doors and windows of his truck. The long scrapes left behind have a nickname: Arizona pinstripes.

Álvaro Enciso places crosses at sites where migrants are known to have died in the borderland, these two are on a hill just a couple miles south of Three Points, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

Álvaro Enciso places crosses at sites where migrants are known to have died in the borderland, these two are on a hill just a couple miles south of Three Points, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

The truck is thoroughly pinstriped after many trips like this. Astroth pulled over to refill a blue water barrel decorated with a sticker of the Virgin Mary.

"We always take a water test first," Astroth said, sampling a few drops from the barrel. He grimaced. "Tastes like chlorine. But it's better than dying."

Authorities found the remains of more than 3,300 migrants in Southern Arizona between 1990 and 2020, according to the Pima County Medical Examiner . Many migrants choose to travel through the desert to avoid a long wait at an official port of entry, even though the government says that will count against them in their eventual asylum hearings. Humane Borders is one of several humanitarian groups that leaves water along commonly used routes.

Migrant arrivals stretched Denver's budget. Now, the city is scaling back aid

Sometimes people vandalize the water stations, Astroth said. Over the years, he's encountered U.S. citizens in the desert who consider themselves unofficial border security.

"They shoot our barrels. They stab the barrels with screwdrivers. They put pen knives in them, throw them – sometimes they just kick the spigots off," Astroth said. On more than one occasion, armed men in the desert have told Astroth that humanitarian volunteers like him are "no better than getaway car drivers at a bank robbery," aiding and abetting illegal immigrants, he said.

Kirk Astroth has been volunteering for Humane Borders for nine years in the Altar Valley, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

Kirk Astroth has been volunteering for Humane Borders for nine years in the Altar Valley, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

"We're not trying to help people elude anything," Astroth said. "We're just trying to prevent people from dying."

Humane Borders does not publish maps showing its water stations – that would give vandals a shortcut, Astroth said. But the group does publish maps showing where migrants have died in the desert.

So far in 2024, the Arizona OpenGIS Initiative for Deceased Migrants has added 32 newly discovered remains to its database. The list is likely to grow as summer heat sets in.

Waiting for a day in court

As we drove around southern Arizona, NPR producer Lilly Quiroz called Carla and Jose, the Venezuelan couple we met the previous day in Mexico. They said they were in line, awaiting their appointment with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Later, they told us their family had made it through.

They said they caught a late-night bus to a shelter on the U.S. side – Casa Alitas, run by Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona. We met them there, where they were standing at the edge of a giant room filled with 400 green cots.

Migrants wait to be reunited with family members and sponsors at Casa Alitas in Tucson, Arizona on Friday, March 29, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

Migrants wait to be reunited with family members and sponsors at Casa Alitas in Tucson, Arizona on Friday, March 29, 2024.

A partially deflated football lies under some chair at a Casa Alitas facility in Tucson, Arizona on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

A partially deflated football lies under some chair at a Casa Alitas facility in Tucson, Arizona on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

Carla and Jose both were beaming, despite staying awake all night. They said they waited for hours at the border with people from all over the world – Russians, Haitians, Cubans, before they were told they could enter the U.S.. They thanked God.

Then the couple's day got even better. Carla's daughter in the U.S. told them she would cover plane tickets to bring the family to her home in Orlando. Jose, sifting through documents in a bag, showed us documents from the federal immigration service.

"You are ordered to appear before an immigration judge..." began the official letter from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The letter provided the address to a federal government office in Orlando, where they are to report for a hearing.

"We're hoping the judge is graceful, and gives us the opportunity to live in this great country," Carla said, speaking through an interpreter.

Her family has ample time to prepare. The hearing is scheduled for November 18, 2027.

Footprints adorn the outside of the Mariposa port in Nogales, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

Footprints adorn the outside of the Mariposa port in Nogales, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

The audio version of this story was produced by Lilly Quiroz. The digital version was edited by Obed Manuel with help from Alfredo Carbajal.

Clarification May 7, 2024

An earlier version of this story noted that an NPR team walked across the border without being asked to show passports. The story now reflects that border agents asked for passports at a later, second checkpoint a few yards inside the United States.

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Mexico is stopping nearly three times as many migrants now, helping keep U.S. border crossings down

Mexico is stopping nearly three times as many migrants who have crossed its southern border as it was a year ago, a trend that U.S. officials say has helped blunt the surge in crossings of the U.S. border usually seen at this time of year.

Biden administration officials also point to the increased help from Mexico in slowing migration as proof that their relationship with their southern neighbors is more effective than the Trump administration’s.

Former President Donald Trump has derided President Joe Biden’s record and claimed that his administration was more successful at controlling the border. 

Early last year, Mexico interdicted roughly 100,000 migrants at its southern border or inside Mexico per month, while the U.S. was apprehending over 193,000 migrants monthly at the U.S.-Mexico border. This year, more migrants are being stopped inside Mexico than in the U.S., with over 280,000 being interdicted in Mexico and 189,000 in the U.S. in March, according to figures obtained by NBC News. 

The Mexican government doesn’t publicly share its migrant interdiction numbers like the U.S. does.

The high numbers of migrants stopped in Mexico show how chaotic the U.S. border could become if Mexico cannot sustain its interdiction efforts. Another spike in border crossings could hurt Biden in the coming election. 

According to Customs and Border Protection officials, April’s figures, which have yet to be publicly released, are expected to continue to show relatively low numbers compared to the seasonal uptick typically seen in April and May.It isn’t known how many of the migrants Mexico intercepts are actually deported. Many migrants are stopped by Mexican officials at the Guatemala-Mexico border and promptly returned to Guatemala, immigration advocates told NBC News.

Many others are being stopped in northern Mexico and bused to the southern end of the country. From there, they can’t use the CBP One app on their mobile phones to make appointments for U.S. asylum hearings, since the app doesn’t work south of Mexico City, said Amy Fischer, director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA.

“In one way, they are doing the dirty work of the U.S. in order to keep people from accessing the U.S. southern border and exercising their right to seek safety,” Fischer said.

Certain groups, like unaccompanied children and migrants traveling as families, receive special protection under Mexican law that limits their deportation.

U.S. officials say Mexico’s willingness to interdict more migrants, a costly process, is in large part due to increased dialogue between the two countries on issues like immigration, fentanyl and illegal firearms trafficking. 

Both Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as AMLO, recognized the severity of the problem at the end of last year when Mexico’s funding to stop migrants ran low and the number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border surged to record highs. 

At the end of December, Biden held a call with López Obrador and sent Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Mexico to meet with their counterparts. Since then, Mexico has interdicted at least 270,000 migrants each month. 

“President Biden and President AMLO have developed a relationship in which they talk about the shared challenges [of migration], and they both jointly recognize the shared challenges,” a senior Biden administration official said. “They’ve had multiple conversations and multiple calls over the last couple of years tackling and talking about this issue.”

The Trump administration threatened Mexico with increased tariffs and disruptions in trade if it didn’t comply with policies like Remain in Mexico, which forced immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait in poor conditions in northern Mexico. 

“We have treated Mexico with respect as a sovereign equal,” the senior Biden administration official said. “That’s a difference with this administration’s approach.”

A history of cooperation

The Biden administration isn’t the first to work jointly with Mexico to address migration and other border issues. 

In 2008, during George W. Bush’s administration, the Merida Initiative — a security agreement between the U.S. and Mexico — was launched to reduce violence and fight drug trafficking. Congress approved $1.5 billion for the initiative over two years, enabling the purchase of equipment like helicopters and other aircraft to support the efforts of Mexican law enforcement.

During the Obama administration, the U.S. and Mexico expanded cooperation to include combating transnational criminal organizations by providing forensic equipment and training to Mexican law enforcement and improving immigration enforcement in Mexico.

The Trump administration focused on reducing synthetic drug production and refining border interdiction and port security. In 2018, it reportedly wanted to pay Mexico $20 million to help deport thousands of migrants who entered Mexico in hope of reaching the U.S. The sum, according to CNN  and  The New York Times , would be used to fund bus and airplane tickets to send migrants back to their home countries. In 2019, Trump  stopped threatening tariffs  against Mexico after it agreed to crack down on crossings of its southern border. Mexico deployed 6,000 troops to its border with Guatemala to intercept migrants. 

During the Biden administration, the U.S. and Mexico announced a new security cooperation agreement in 2021 called the Bicentennial Framework. The Bicentennial Framework replaced the Merida Initiative and emphasized preventing transborder crime by minimizing human and arms trafficking and disrupting illicit drug supply chains.

Julia Ainsley is homeland security correspondent for NBC News and covers the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department for the NBC News Investigative Unit.

Chloe Atkins reports for the NBC News Investigative Unit, based in New York. She frequently covers crime and courts, as well as the intersection of reproductive health, politics and policy.

Biden set to tighten asylum access at US-Mexico border, sources say

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Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mica Rosenberg and Jonathan Oatis

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Ted Hesson is an immigration reporter for Reuters, based in Washington, D.C. His work focuses on the policy and politics of immigration, asylum and border security. Prior to joining Reuters in 2019, Ted worked for the news outlet POLITICO, where he also covered immigration. His articles have appeared in POLITICO Magazine, The Atlantic and VICE News, among other publications. Ted holds a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and bachelor's degree from Boston College.

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US-Saudi nuclear deal: how might it work?

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will visit Saudi Arabia this weekend for talks expected to touch on a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, one piece of a wider arrangement Washington hopes will lead to normalization of Israeli-Saudi relations.

Mexico tightens travel rules on Peruvians in a show of visa diplomacy to slow migration to US

Mexico has begun requiring visas for Peruvians in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country

BOULEVARD, Calif. -- Julia Paredes believed her move to the United States might be now or never. Mexico was days from requiring visas for Peruvian visitors. If she didn't act quickly, she would have to make a far more perilous, surreptitious journey over land to settle with her sister in Dallas.

Mexico began requiring visas for Peruvians on Monday in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country, after identical moves for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians. It effectively eliminated the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border, as Paredes, 45, did just before it was too late.

“I had to treat it as a emergency,” said Paredes, who worked serving lunch to miners in Arequipa, Peru, and borrowed money to fly to Mexico's Tijuana, across from San Diego. Last month smugglers guided her through a remote opening in the border wall to a dirt lot in California, where she and about 100 migrants from around the world shivered over campfires after a morning drizzle and waited for overwhelmed Border Patrol agents to drive them to a station for processing.

Senior U.S. officials, speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting of top diplomats from about 20 countries in the Western hemisphere this week in Guatemala, applauded Mexico's crackdown on air travel from Peru and called visa requirements an important tool to jointly confront illegal migration.

For critics, shutting down air travel only encourages more dangerous choices. Illegal migration by Venezuelans plummeted after Mexico imposed visa requirements in January 2022, but the lull was short-lived. Last year Venezuelans made up nearly two-thirds of the record-high 520,000 migrants who walked through the Darien Gap, the notorious jungle spanning parts of Panama and Colombia.

More than 25,000 Chinese traversed the Darien last year. They generally fly to Ecuador, a country known for few travel restrictions, and cross the U.S. border illegally in San Diego to seek asylum. With an immigration court backlog topping 3 million cases, it takes years to decide such claims, during which time people can obtain work permits and establish roots.

“People are going to come no matter what,” said Miguel Yaranga, 22, who flew from Lima, Peru's capital, to Tijuana and was released by the Border Patrol Sunday at a San Diego bus stop. He had orders to appear in immigration court in New York in February 2025, which puzzled him because he said he told agents he would settle with his sister on the other side of the country, in Bakersfield, California.

Jeremy MacGillivray, deputy chief of the Mexico mission of the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration, predicts that Peruvian migration will drop “at least at the beginning” and bounce back as people shift to walking through the Darien Gap and to Central America and Mexico.

Mexico said last month that it would require visas for Peruvians for the first time since 2012 in response to a “substantial increase” in illegal migration. Large-scale Peruvian migration to Mexico began in 2022; Peruvians were stopped in the country an average of 2,160 times a month from January to March of this year, up from a monthly average of 544 times for all of 2023.

Peruvians also began showing up at the U.S. border in 2022. The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Peruvians an average of about 5,300 times a month last year before falling to a monthly average of 3,400 from January through March, amid a broad immigration crackdown by Mexico.

Peru immediately reciprocated Mexico's visa requirement but changed course after a backlash from the country's tourism industry. Peru noted in its reversal that it is part of a regional economic bloc that includes Mexico, Chile and Colombia.

Adam Isacson, an analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, said Peru's membership with Mexico in the Pacific Alliance allowed its citizens visa-free travel longer than other countries.

It is unclear if Colombia, also a major source of migration, will be next, but Isacson said Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is in a “lovefest” with his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, while his relations with Peru's government are more strained.

Colombians are consistently near the top nationalities of migrants arriving at Tijuana's airport. Many find hotels before a guide takes them to boulder-strewn mountains east of the city, where they cross through openings in the border wall and then walk toward dirt lots that the Border Patrol has identified as waiting stations.

Bryan Ramírez, 25, of Colombia, reached U.S. soil with his girlfriend last month, only two days after leaving Bogota for Cancun, Mexico, and continuing on another flight to Tijuana. He waited alongside others overnight for Border Patrol agents to pick him up as cold rain and high winds whipped over the crackle of high-voltage power lines.

The group waiting near Boulevard, a small, loosely defined rural town, included several Peruvians who said they came for economic opportunity and to escape violence and political crises.

Peruvians can still avoid the Darien jungle by flying to El Salvador, which introduced visa-free travel for them in December in reciprocation for a similar move by Peru's government. But they would still have to travel over land through Mexico, where many are robbed or kidnapped.

Ecuadoreans, who have needed visas to enter Mexico since September 2021, can also fly to El Salvador, but not all do. Oscar Palacios, 42, said he walked through Darien because he couldn't afford to fly.

Palacios, who left his wife and year-old child in Ecuador with plans to support them financially from the U.S., said it took him two weeks to travel from his home near the violent city of Esmeralda to Mexico's border with Guatemala. It then took him two months to cross Mexico because immigration authorities turned him around three times and bused him back to the southern part of the country. He said he was robbed repeatedly.

Palacios finally reached Tijuana and, after three nights in a hotel, crossed into the U.S. A Border Patrol agent spotted him with migrants from Turkey and Brazil and drove them to the dirt lot to wait for a van or bus to take them to a station for processing. Looking back on the journey, Palacios said he would rather cross Darien Gap 100 times than Mexico even once.

Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed.

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Mexico tightens travel rules on Peruvians in a show of visa diplomacy to slow migration to US

Peruvian Julia Paredes, left in white hat, listens to instructions from a Border Patrol agent with others seeking asylum as they wait to be processed after crossing the border with Mexico nearby, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Boulevard, Calif. Mexico has begun requiring visas for Peruvians in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country. The move follows identical ones for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians, effectively eliminating the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Julia Paredes, right, of Peru, gets a hug from volunteer Karen Parker, after crossing the border with Mexico nearby, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Boulevard, Calif. Mexico has begun requiring visas for Peruvians in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country. The move follows identical ones for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians, effectively eliminating the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

A Border Patrol agent instructs a group of people seeking asylum, including Peruvians, as they are transported for processing after crossing the border with Mexico nearby, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Boulevard, Calif. Mexico has begun requiring visas for Peruvians in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country. The move follows identical ones for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians, effectively eliminating the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People seeking asylum walk through a field of wildflowers as they wait to be processed after crossing the border with Mexico nearby, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Boulevard, Calif. Mexico has begun requiring visas for Peruvians in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country. The move follows identical ones for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians, effectively eliminating the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Peruvian Julia Paredes, center in white hat, listens to instructions from a Border Patrol agent with others seeking asylum as they wait to be processed after crossing the border with Mexico nearby, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Boulevard, Calif. Mexico has begun requiring visas for Peruvians in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country. The move follows identical ones for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians, effectively eliminating the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Men seeking asylum, including Peruvians, line up as they wait to be processed after crossing the border with Mexico nearby, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Boulevard, Calif. Mexico has begun requiring visas for Peruvians in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country. The move follows identical ones for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians, effectively eliminating the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People seeking asylum keep warm near a fire as they wait to be processed, after crossing the border with Mexico nearby, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Boulevard, Calif. Mexico has begun requiring visas for Peruvians in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country. The move follows identical ones for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians, effectively eliminating the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People seeking asylum, including a group from Peru, walk behind a Border Patrol agent towards a van to be processed after crossing the border with Mexico nearby, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Boulevard, Calif. Mexico has begun requiring visas for Peruvians in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country. The move follows identical ones for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians, effectively eliminating the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

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BOULEVARD, Calif. (AP) — Julia Paredes believed her move to the United States might be now or never. Mexico was days from requiring visas for Peruvian visitors. If she didn’t act quickly, she would have to make a far more perilous, surreptitious journey over land to settle with her sister in Dallas.

Mexico began requiring visas for Peruvians on Monday in response to a major influx of migrants from the South American country, after identical moves for Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Brazilians. It effectively eliminated the option of flying to a Mexican city near the U.S. border, as Paredes, 45, did just before it was too late.

“I had to treat it as a emergency,” said Paredes, who worked serving lunch to miners in Arequipa, Peru, and borrowed money to fly to Mexico’s Tijuana, across from San Diego. Last month smugglers guided her through a remote opening in the border wall to a dirt lot in California, where she and about 100 migrants from around the world shivered over campfires after a morning drizzle and waited for overwhelmed Border Patrol agents to drive them to a station for processing.

Senior U.S. officials, speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting of top diplomats from about 20 countries in the Western hemisphere this week in Guatemala, applauded Mexico’s crackdown on air travel from Peru and called visa requirements an important tool to jointly confront illegal migration.

For critics, shutting down air travel only encourages more dangerous choices. Illegal migration by Venezuelans plummeted after Mexico imposed visa requirements in January 2022, but the lull was short-lived. Last year Venezuelans made up nearly two-thirds of the record-high 520,000 migrants who walked through the Darien Gap, the notorious jungle spanning parts of Panama and Colombia.

More than 25,000 Chinese traversed the Darien last year. They generally fly to Ecuador, a country known for few travel restrictions, and cross the U.S. border illegally in San Diego to seek asylum. With an immigration court backlog topping 3 million cases, it takes years to decide such claims, during which time people can obtain work permits and establish roots.

“People are going to come no matter what,” said Miguel Yaranga, 22, who flew from Lima, Peru’s capital, to Tijuana and was released by the Border Patrol Sunday at a San Diego bus stop. He had orders to appear in immigration court in New York in February 2025, which puzzled him because he said he told agents he would settle with his sister on the other side of the country, in Bakersfield, California.

Jeremy MacGillivray, deputy chief of the Mexico mission of the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration, predicts that Peruvian migration will drop “at least at the beginning” and bounce back as people shift to walking through the Darien Gap and to Central America and Mexico.

Mexico said last month that it would require visas for Peruvians for the first time since 2012 in response to a “substantial increase” in illegal migration. Large-scale Peruvian migration to Mexico began in 2022; Peruvians were stopped in the country an average of 2,160 times a month from January to March of this year, up from a monthly average of 544 times for all of 2023.

Peruvians also began showing up at the U.S. border in 2022. The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Peruvians an average of about 5,300 times a month last year before falling to a monthly average of 3,400 from January through March, amid a broad immigration crackdown by Mexico .

Peru immediately reciprocated Mexico’s visa requirement but changed course after a backlash from the country’s tourism industry. Peru noted in its reversal that it is part of a regional economic bloc that includes Mexico, Chile and Colombia.

Adam Isacson, an analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, said Peru’s membership with Mexico in the Pacific Alliance allowed its citizens visa-free travel longer than other countries.

It is unclear if Colombia, also a major source of migration , will be next, but Isacson said Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is in a “lovefest” with his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, while his relations with Peru’s government are more strained.

Colombians are consistently near the top nationalities of migrants arriving at Tijuana’s airport. Many find hotels before a guide takes them to boulder-strewn mountains east of the city, where they cross through openings in the border wall and then walk toward dirt lots that the Border Patrol has identified as waiting stations.

Bryan Ramírez, 25, of Colombia, reached U.S. soil with his girlfriend last month, only two days after leaving Bogota for Cancun, Mexico, and continuing on another flight to Tijuana. He waited alongside others overnight for Border Patrol agents to pick him up as cold rain and high winds whipped over the crackle of high-voltage power lines.

The group waiting near Boulevard, a small, loosely defined rural town, included several Peruvians who said they came for economic opportunity and to escape violence and political crises.

Peruvians can still avoid the Darien jungle by flying to El Salvador, which introduced visa-free travel for them in December in reciprocation for a similar move by Peru’s government. But they would still have to travel over land through Mexico, where many are robbed or kidnapped.

Ecuadoreans, who have needed visas to enter Mexico since September 2021, can also fly to El Salvador, but not all do. Oscar Palacios, 42, said he walked through Darien because he couldn’t afford to fly.

Palacios, who left his wife and year-old child in Ecuador with plans to support them financially from the U.S., said it took him two weeks to travel from his home near the violent city of Esmeralda to Mexico’s border with Guatemala. It then took him two months to cross Mexico because immigration authorities turned him around three times and bused him back to the southern part of the country. He said he was robbed repeatedly.

Palacios finally reached Tijuana and, after three nights in a hotel, crossed into the U.S. A Border Patrol agent spotted him with migrants from Turkey and Brazil and drove them to the dirt lot to wait for a van or bus to take them to a station for processing. Looking back on the journey, Palacios said he would rather cross Darien Gap 100 times than Mexico even once.

Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed.