Im in trouble, he pleaded, crying over the phone. And if there are innocent bystanders, too bad. As one who has visited numerous times and lived there for a few years, I find Mexico, its people, and culture inviting, interesting and a joy to be around. Another victim, who had medical issues and wore a colostomy bag, was stripped naked, tied up and stunned with a Taser, the Miami Herald reported. I feel safer here than I do in Los Angeles, he said, adding that after the October shootings, the Mexican government dispatched 450 National Guard soldiers to Tulum to keep the peace. A report by Mexican news outlet La Reforma, from earlier this year, indicated that at least five cartels are now operating in the Riviera Maya and reports of violent crime in Tulum alone had gone . Mexico is one of the world's great travel destinations and millions of visitors travel safely here each year. He is a former Senior Security Advisor to Cisco and served 30+ years within the CIA which awarded him the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal upon his retirement. On Monday in a press briefing,Department spokesperson Ned Price said there were no reports to share on U.S. citizens being injured or killed in the incident. Get me his father, the voice demanded. In Baja California, the arrival of theArzate brothers, meant a radical change in the illegal drug business. Heat stroke, dehydration and gastroenteritis, better. Likewise, it indicated that the police of the Poniente Sector were notified but, according to it, they did not pay attention. He said on Ciro por la maana that the rise in homicides and kidnappings over the past 80 days has shown that cartels and criminals are changing their tactics. The government has gotten really serious about cracking down on crime.. To get toPlayas de Rosarito, most tourists travel by car on roads with stunning views of the turquoise ocean and steep cliffs. The Arzates, led by Ismael El Mayo Zambada,direct drug trafficking on the northern border of Baja California. Abducting people and demanding ransom money is one way to do that. There he spoke with a federal agent, who said they could not investigate unless he made a report with local authorities in Cordoba. Only "1 percent of all kidnappers are captured and carried to justice," said Torres Landa, the Mexico United Against Organized Crime consultant. Legal Statement. U.S. authorities captured Crespo in Texas while Valdes was arrested in Connecticut, where a federal magistrate judge ordered that he be held without bail pending trial. And they tell us lies. Thats where the foreigners, visiting the Malquerida Bar last month, had the bad luck of getting caught in cartel crossfire. 11 March 2016. Reducing your risk of kidnapping in a high risk destination. Two men promised to smuggle at least three Cuban migrants into the United States, but instead locked them in a Merida house and tortured them, Florida prosecutors say. Google Pay. Mexico can be a very dangerous place. Should we cut my sister out of the family inheritance? CAN TACOS BE HEALTHY should tacos be considered Junk food or health food? Kidnapping methods have also changed. I have to say I have traveled in Guerrero, precisely in Taxco, one of the beautiful Mexican Pueblos Magicos (magic towns) at about 2-hour bus from Mexico City. He has lived and traveled abroad for more than 55 years. In recent weeks, many popular destinations for U.S travelers have changed to Level Four: Do Not Travel. Aileen Teague, assistant professor at The Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University,reminds people that while organized crime does exist in parts of northeastern Mexico, there are also "beautiful places that are dependent on tourism and relatively safe. Tamaulipas state due to crime and kidnapping. MRIDA YUCATAN.-. Between January and March 2018, 400 kidnappings occurred. Market data provided by Factset. This is the real story of "Maria" and her husband "Jose". When Jennifer and Frank Massabki traveled to Mexico in May 2017, they had recently gotten engaged and were looking for potential locations to host their wedding later that year. But this number is likely a low ball. Days before, an armed attack against police officers occurred in the city. There are no tourist kidnappings in Puerto Vallarta that I'm aware of. The kidnappers told the Massabkis to start thinking of people to call in the U.S. for a ransom. The First Feminist Congress was held in Mrida even if most liberal women were uncomfortable with the idea of . State governor Carlos Joaquin called the recent beach commando raid a serious blow to the development and security of the state putting the state at grave risk. With turf wars increasing among rival cartels, homicides in the state rose from 145 in 2015 to 628 in 2020 a 333 percent increase in a place where 75 percent of the local economy is based on tourism, according to Mexican statistics. The signs were photographed by a local citizens advocacy group, which posted them to social media. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Beginning around 2006, criminal groups began to use kidnappings and the ransom money they got from desperate families to help fund those activities, according to Vctor Manuel Snchez Valds, a research professor at the Autonomous University of Coahuila, Mexico. So among stories of drug cartels, kidnappings, and more, it might get you wonderingis Merida, Mexico safe? Cecilia A. narrated that she was walking on the aforementioned avenue whensuddenly two subjects aboard a red Jeep approached. All the violence comes at a time when Mexico is trying to bolster its tourism sector, which accounts for 8.5 percent of the countrys gross domestic product. Of particular note, is that I followed my own advice in selecting the cab, and went to a Sitio cab stand and did not hail a taxi on the street. The US Embassy reports that within the consular district served by the consulate within the Embassy (the US has ten consular districts in Mexico) there were 771 kidnappings reported by the Mexico government. Its part of a trend experts refer to as the democratization of kidnapping. Surprisingly, the data showed that Veracruz cut homicides by 20 percent a statistic that Garcia praised. I feel extremely safe here, said a Dutch expatriate, who just closed on a home in the area. Similarly, the State Public Safety Council was installed and through Yucatn Seguro technological equipment was acquired to strengthen State security through video cameras, among other strategies. It wasnt her brother. Apr 24, 2022, 7:16 PM. Frank ran and found police who returned to get Jennifer, who was hiding in a tree from her attackers. The high-profile kidnapping in 1994 of Alfredo Harp Hel, a Mexican entrepreneur whose family paid $30 million for his release, typifies this trend. The Massabkis believe they were able to escape in part because they are both fluent in Spanish and could understand what the kidnappers were saying. Sevigny told Fox News Wednesday that the men handcuffed him, beat him and tortured him for 38 hours. The death of a Mexican businesswoman snatched by sicarios while picking up her child at a friends home and whose body was found decapitated inside a black bag rattled heightened fears in the state of Veracruz that has been plagued by growing violence. (Photo: Pixabay), All Rights Reserved The Yucatan Times 2020. We live in purgatory: My wife has a multimillion-dollar trust fund, but my mother-in-law controls it. Mexico is a wonderful country, and one that is high on our list of vacation destinations. The principal motives for kidnapping are to subject the victim to some form of involuntary servitude, to expose him to the commission of some further criminal act against his person, or to . Two human rights organizations, the Association . Despite the opening of specialized prosecutors offices, the government has not yet been able to curb the cruelty of themurders, uprisings, and extortion. The Civil Association Stop Kidnapping announced that the number of victims by kidnapping in Mexico increased 29.5 percent, compared to the month of December, registering 114 victims.. According to Numbeo's 2021 statistics, Merida ranks #8 as the safest city in the Americas. 775. The decapitated body of Mexican businesswoman Susana Carrera was found last week after her family was unable to pay kidnappers the ransom they demanded. In the wake of the shocking Cancun shooting, some Americans may be wondering if it's safe to visit the area. Mexicos kidnapping problem was bad enough when most of the crimes were being committed by a handful of cartels. The municipality with the most kidnappings is in Benito Jurez, Quintana Roo, The best jeans in Mexico? Save. Mexican government figures from last month showed that homicide cases in Mexico rose by 15 percent in 2018 with 28,816 investigations opened last year, compared to 25,036 the previous year. Crespo and Valdez promised their victims safe passage across the Yucatan Straits and then overland across Mexico, according to court documents. Some sources claim that the local government is suppressing the extent of the violence in an attempt to protect the tourist industry. The abduction and massacre of 43 Mexican students in Ayotzinapa, the seizing and murder of two federal agents in February, the kidnapping of three students by a group posing as police in March, and the disappearance of a politicians sister in a town just outside of Mexico City in March are the most recent high-profile examples of a criminal business strategy that has ballooned over the past decade. According to the U.S. Department of State, 66 of these were U.S. citizens, 14 of these cases involved Legal Permanent Residents. The states of Veracruz, Mexico City, Puebla, Morelos, and the State of Mexico had the highest incidence of kidnapping crime. The State Department has issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Mexico, which means . Scores are obtained through a methodology that includes crimes such as homicide, kidnapping, willful injury, and extortion. TheU.S. State Department issued an updated Travel AdvisoryWednesday for U.S. travelers visiting Mexico, including new state-level adviceandinformation on "kidnapping risk.". The attackers put a hood over her husbands head while they threatened them both. Single-family home prices slid 1% in January, as compared to December 2022, according to data from Moodys Analytics. A third victim escaped the Merida hideout and alerted Mexican authorities, who freed an unknown number of captives. Last week, the State Department issued an alert to U.S. citizens when reports of "multiple vehicle fires, roadblocks, and heavy police activity" surfaced in Tijuana and the surrounding area. According to local news reports, a note was left with the body saying she was killed because her husband 'didn't want to pay' the ransom. According to the Citizen Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice AC, the rearrangement and the dispute of the cartels by the areas of the state, brought the municipality of Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, to first place in the list of the most violent sites in Mexico. Answer (1 of 7): The very fact of asking the question shows how totally distorted the world media is regarding Mexico. Its a mess.. Getty Images. None of the killings occurred . Kidnappings for ransom accounted for 81 of the investigations, 10 cases had no ransom demands, and 25 cases were virtual kidnappings. The authorities are colluding with the kidnappers, she said. This is the reason why Mazatln stopped being the Capital of Sinaloa, Rescuing tradition! Cabeza de Vaca without limits: former governor persecuted by justice will seek the Presidency! We arent the police, the voice on the other side responded. In Monterrey Mexico a gemologist was kidnapped in 2014 while on a fishing trip. The attack began after elements of the Municipalitys Public Security Secretariat attended to a report of the illegal deprivation of liberty of a person. The states Americans have been strictly told to avoid are Colima, Guerrero, Michoacn, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas. Tourists continue to flock to Mexico each year, even throughout the COVID pandemic. One kidnapper cut off a victims finger when family members couldnt raise funds to release him, court documents say. Mexico is experiencing a combination of conditions that collectively degrade the security environment in certain areas, the report said. The civil association Stop Kidnapping revealed that the number of victims associated with kidnapping decreased in February on Mexicowith a ratio of 7.9 percent, 131 victims were reported during the month.. Thats how they respond when rivals come onto their turf. I am getting better. This prompted them to go ahead and contact local authorities. In the tourist town of Rosarito, the presence ofthe Jalisco Nueva Generacin Cartel,Sinaloa, Tijuana, and Santa Rosa de Limahave been identified. With El Chapo sentenced to life imprisonment at a maximum-security prison in Colorado, the group is now run by Ismael El Mayo Zambada Garcia, 73. With Spring Break travel around the corner, U.S. residents are being urged by the state department to avoid travel to Mexico, with all but two of the country's 32 states under an elevated warning . Its [the recent violence] definitely concerning but its all relative. The kidnapping shocks middle-class, Long Island suburbia and makes nationwide headlines. The couple filed a police report, which MarketWatch reviewed for this story, and flew back to the U.S. for medical treatment, including an emergency surgery on Jennifers nose, which was broken during a fight with her attackers. The kidnapping surge in Mexico is fueled in large part by the insatiable US demand for drugs. Tourists traveling to Mexico due to crime in several Mexican states popular with American tourists. Hoy presentamos nuestro informe mensual . (many of these crimes are never reported to the police). Safety in Yucatan Peninsula. or redistributed. Mazatln Carnival: How much was spent and recovered? Discrimination against indigenous communities, and especially. We are going to check them. In addition, more than 1 million US citizens call Mexico home, living there as permanent expat residents. 0:00. Express kidnappings made up 66 percent of all kidnapping crimes in 2016, according to the National Institute for Statistics and Geography in Mexico. Five years later, the young men are still missing. There is a lot of suffering going on. In its monthly report, the organizationAlto al Secuestrorecorded a decrease in the crime of kidnapping in Mexico. Flix offers opium dealer Guerra a partnership deal. Its the highest across Mexico with the State of Mexico (Edomex) and Mexico City reporting 63 and 32 kidnappings respectively. I am glad the wedding couple escaped alive. Cartel violence, by gangs including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (top right), has taken over tourist hotspots from Cancun to Tulum, Mexico, leaving foreign vacationers like Jennifer Henzold . Meanwhile, a nonprofit organization revealed Tuesday that there have been 69 reported kidnapping cases over the same period. After 2007, as organized crime fragmented and groups faced more competition from rival organizations, abductions increased by almost 200 percent, according to SNSP data. Attention merchants of Tulum this was a warning, said the sign, which went on to threaten managers and owners of bars and restaurants on the Mini Quinta tourist zone. Tulum will keep growing because the Mexican government is really investing in tourism here, said Susann Rottloff, a Tulum-based realtor and German expatriate who has lived in Tulum for the last three years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also determined Mexico to beLevel 3, or High, for COVID-19. The men commanded the couple to remove all of their jewelry and blindfolded Frank as the assailants drove them to a second location. Basically, if you know how to run a drug smuggling operation, you know and own 90 percent of what you need to be a secuestrador [kidnapper], he told me. The men got out of their truck to beat them, breaking away their mirror, then they got into their vehicles and followed my neighbors to their house threatening them, she wrote. The government itself is completely incapable of dealing with the problem., MEXICAN POLICE FIND 20 BODIES, MOST BURNED, CLOSE TO US BORDER. Jose was taken by kidnappers in central Mexico over a year ago. This crime is also not exclusive to Mexico, as the risk is widespread across Latin America. At the risk of stating the obvious, the more urban the environment the higher the risk of a kidnapping. But for many criminal groups, the risks inherent in these kidnappings the publicity and police attention they attracted often werent enough to justify the reward. In Mexico, it is common for police officers to be directly involved in crime, any crime, said Gomez. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Travel safety tips:17 CIA tips on how to think like a spy and stay safe while on vacation, Not everyone wants to come to the US:Gun violence, safety concerns are keeping travelers away. I dont want to get into a war of statistics, he said. Yucatn Magazine is a resource for curious readers looking for news, information and inspiration about living in Mexico. You dont see the violence until you are in the middle of it, Sevigny said. Please consider making a one-time contribution to Vox today. That said, the risk of kidnapping, especially for the foreign business person or tourist who is perceived to be wealthy exists. "Violent crimesuch as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robberyis widespread and common in Mexico," warns the State Department. Instead, many of these homicides are drug-related and criminal groups tend to stay away from tourists because crimes against them draw more media attention, he said. And then there is the Sinaloa Cartel. More than 140,000 descend on the region every week, according to Mexican government statistics, with many wanting to invest in property for the long term, Rottloff told The Post this week. I will be back to Mexico. MONTERREY, Mexico David Ramirez, a 19-year-old college student from Mexico City, and his best friend Miguel Angel Rivera, 20, were on their way to celebrate Miguels birthday in Zihuatanejo, a coastal village in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The NGO detailed that, from December 2018 to September 2021,5 thousand 234 victims of kidnappinghave been registered, 3 thousand 993 investigation folders for the crime of kidnapping have been opened and 4 thousand 585 alleged kidnappers have been arrested. All will be checked now! You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Its a trend that experts refer to as the democratization of kidnapping. We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. May 2, 2021. However the tragic death of Susana Carrera, whose body was found a week after she was kidnapped allegedly with a note claiming she was killed because her husband didnt want to pay a $207,000 ransom, is just one of the dozens of kidnappings and murders reported in the first two months of the year. This is why it is a haven for expats, early retirees, families with children, expats, digital nomads and travelers alike. After hours of being held hostage, several violent altercations, and a failed attempted rape, the two were able to free themselves. If convicted, they could face a maximum of 20 years in prison for kidnapping and a maximum of 15 years for human smuggling, according to media reports. Jennifer and Frank Massabki are telling their story to caution other Americans heading to the country. In 2017 the FBI investigated 116 kidnappings in Mexico. Founded by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra Crdenas in the 1930s in Matamoros, the Gulf Cartel first smuggled alcohol across the border during Prohibition. In Nuevo Laredo, a retired US marine has spent 27 years, Mexico City is number 5 most populous city in the world, 4,221 vehicles were stolen in Sinaloa in 2019, University students in California prefer to study in Mexico. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. According to a study by the National Commission on Human Rights in Mexico, 85 to 95 percent of Mexicans believe the police are corrupt. Later, the victim said that a kidnapper told the group that he had raped the wives of other victims he had previously kidnapped as a form of payment, according to court records. Lamentablemente en #BajaCalifornia la incidencia del delito de #Secuestro aument 350% en los primeros 8 meses del ao, lo que coloca a la entidad en el primer lugar con mayor incremento registrado. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The state ofBaja California cannot clean its face from the violence that thedrug traffickingleft. Her burned-out bullet-ridden SUV was reportedly found . In the month of August of this year, a decrease of 5.7 percent was detected compared to the statistics of July, when 87 events were detected. My concern is that, as a tourist, you are not going to be the target, but you might be sitting at a table next to a target, and suddenly that vacation becomes your last.. The number of victims of kidnapping in Mexico decreased by 10.5% per month in February, when 110 cases were registered compared to 123 in January 2021, the NGO Alto al Secuestro reported on Monday. Walt and his team plan retaliatory kidnappings. Profeco analyzes 17 models, Only Mexicos Supreme Court of Justice can stop AMLOs electoral reform now. CANCN Quintana Roo (Times Media Mexico) - The Attorney General of Quintana Roo, scar Montes de Oca Rosales, said the search of a nightclub in the hotel . The State Department has suggested caution in the state of Quintana Roo, which includes the popular destinations of Cancun, Tulum, and Cozumel. @WallaceIsabel @Jaime_BonillaV @FGEBC @elvigia pic.twitter.com/QRhaovPKb7. While celebrating his 40th birthday, Flix worries about his associates' loyalty and confronts Pacho. When Jennifer and Frank Massabki traveled to Mexico in May 2017, they had recently gotten engaged and were looking for potential locations to host their wedding later that year. The foreign-looking men, according to the woman,blocked her way and tried to get her into the truck, but two neighbors recognized her and came to help her. The Australian Government is not able to guarantee your safety. News reports indicate that the increase in kidnappings in Mexico since 2005 is largely fueled by the drug trade and a surge in the number of criminal gangs. That has put me in the crosshairs of governments, gangs, and cartels., MEXICAN MAYOR GUNNED DOWN DURING HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE. Other advice includes using ATMs which are well lit, or inside banks, to reduce the likelihood of being interrupted or suprised. Miracle friends today and thanks to these 2 people who helped me I can tell it,I am very afraid of going outon the street again.. The U.S. State Department issued an updated Travel Advisory Wednesday for U.S. travelers visiting Mexico, including new state-level advice and information on "kidnapping . This month we had 82 events, which means a decrease of 5.7%, but there was a greater decrease in victims, last month we had 124 victims, today we had 107 victims, which represents a decrease of 13.7,explained Wallace. There's more bad news. Mexico had an estimated 30,000 homicides in 2017, according to a study published by the Justice in Mexico Project at the University of San Diego. The one we read about the most is Kidnap for Ransom. Other forms are Express Kidnapping where the victim is kidnapped for the sole purpose of making ATM withdrawals and Virtual Kidnappings where no kidnapping has actually occurred but family members are manipulated into thinking one has in an attempt to induce them to pay a ransom. (Courtesy of John Sevigny). The U.S. government has limited ability to provide . Kidnappings in Mexico come in three forms. My work focuses on people and their struggle to survive in an increasingly cruel world. In fact, we were hardly bothered by anyone whose attention we did not want. While the states with a record of zero kidnappings were: Baja California, Campeche, Coahuila, Durango, Nayarit, Quertaro, San Luis Potos, and Yucatn, said Miranda de Wallace. In September, the State Department tripled the reward for information leading to his capture from $5 million to $15 million. They had both been to Mexico a handful of times over the years, but said that experience didnt help them avoid this incident. July 4, 1956, WestburyWhen Mrs. Weinberger checks on her sleeping 1-month-old son, Peter, all she finds is an empty carriage and a ransom note, promising the baby will be returned "safe and sound" once the $2,000 demand is met. When Frank got out to talk to the driver, two men with weapons descended upon them and took them hostage in their car, according to a police report filed with Mexico City officials. For a number of months you would go to a restroom in a restaurant and there would be some guy with a backpack trying to sell you drugs. Various groups have splintered into smaller gangs, which have branched out into different illegal business activities, and the associated violence is spreading across Mexico., Dont miss: What I learned after being robbed at gunpoint in Mexico, Kidnappings in Mexico are largely underreported, The actual number of kidnappings in Mexico is largely underreported, according to the OSAC, due to widespread belief among tourists and locals alike that the police may be involved in the crime or are unable to resolve the situation.. Mexican prosecutors say they have found a total of eight dead people on Cancun with two bodies dumped in two spots and four others individually found shot to death. Not only the rich and famous were vulnerable but also the majority of the population, Gomez, the professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, told me.