According to Numbeo's 2021 statistics, Merida ranks #8 as the safest city in the Americas. (Photo: Pixabay), All Rights Reserved The Yucatan Times 2020. Some sources claim that the local government is suppressing the extent of the violence in an attempt to protect the tourist industry. Zero kidnappings in Yucatan. 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. 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. States to reconsider travel to (level 3) include Ciudad Juarez, the city of Chihuahua, Ojinaga, Palomas and the Nuevo Casas Grandes/Paquime region, and Nuevo Casas Grandes. We've received your submission. The woman known as La Jefa the chief was Jaliscos main accountant, part of a subgroup known as Los Cuinis, Almonte said. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Shows how much people think the problem in their community are property crimes (home broken, car theft, etc. After the 'Colado' was kidnapped, his alleged captors sent photographs to the man's family to ask for a ransom of about 10 million pesos. 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. It seems that the once safe Tulum is the latest victim in Mexico's safety crisis. Among those kidnapped was American photographer John Sevigny, who was in the city of Cordoba in the state of Veracruz. They say, We havent been able to investigate because we havent had an internet connection in seven months. Some restrictions include not hailing taxis from the street but rather using a rideshare service like Uber or regulated taxi stands, and to not travel alone. I moved around by bus, alone, and felt extremely safe. They had to find other sources of income, which gave the hitmen in these groups carte blanche to participate in activities like kidnapping and extortion, he said. No. Was it to arrange a kidnapping or a timeshare sales pitch, well never know, nor did we wish to find out. The president of Alto al Secuestro highlighted that there was a 40 percent decrease in this crime between January and August of this year compared to the same period, but in 2019. 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. I heard the kidnappers talking about working with local authorities about kidnapping people.. When they saw that the neighbors came out they got into their truck and left, she said. 2018 promises to be one of the most violent years on record in Mexico. In its monthly report, the organizationAlto al Secuestrorecorded a decrease in the crime of kidnapping in Mexico. And Rodrigo Nieto Gomez, a research professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in California, told me that the skills drug dealers use in their daily lives work for kidnappings too. USA TODAY. Thu 19 Jun 2003 21.26 EDT. Support our mission, and make a gift today. The U.S. State Department rates areas in terms of safety on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being the least safe. The states Americans have been strictly told to avoid are Colima, Guerrero, Michoacn, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas. A third victim escaped the Merida hideout and alerted Mexican authorities, who freed an unknown number of captives. Its part of a trend experts refer to as the democratization of kidnapping. A spokesperson for the State Department told USA TODAY in an email thatthe agency regularly reviews all Travel Advisories to ensure U.S. citizens have the most relevant and timely information to make the most informed decisions regarding their safety and security when traveling overseas. Profeco analyzes 17 models, Only Mexicos Supreme Court of Justice can stop AMLOs electoral reform now. And, We couldnt get a warrant because our printer was broken. Its a joke.. The Australian Government is not able to guarantee your safety. This is going to get a lot worse for you, Jennifer recalls one attacker telling her (she and Frank are both fluent in Spanish). Employee Appreciation Day gestures are nice, but heres what employees really want. kidnapping, also spelled kidnaping, criminal offense consisting of the unlawful taking and carrying away of a person by force or fraud or the unlawful seizure and detention of a person against his will. Cancun and other Mexican vacation cities remain top destinations for U.S. travelers despite several safety warnings in 2017 and early 2018. Without jinxing anything, what we want to make clear is that Merida is a very safe place to be. Arrested in an upscale Guadalajara neighborhood on Monday, Gonzalez Valencia is charged with laundering money for the cartel. In her message the young woman calls on women to be careful. Other advice includes using ATMs which are well lit, or inside banks, to reduce the likelihood of being interrupted or suprised. 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. TheU.S. State Department issued an updated Travel AdvisoryWednesday for U.S. travelers visiting Mexico, including new state-level adviceandinformation on "kidnapping risk.". MRIDA YUCATAN.-. The government itself is completely incapable of dealing with the problem., MEXICAN POLICE FIND 20 BODIES, MOST BURNED, CLOSE TO US BORDER. Im 66, we have more than $2 million, I just want to golf can I retire? I (just) wont be back in Cordoba for a while., Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The Arzates, led by Ismael El Mayo Zambada,direct drug trafficking on the northern border of Baja California. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Hoy presentamos nuestro informe mensual . By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Help me! According to a message from the victim on social media, the events occurred on 32nd avenue, near the Nuestra Seora del Rosario church. Christopher Burgess is a writer, speaker and commentator on global security issues. What I learned after being robbed at gunpoint in Mexico, It broke me: Everyone says you need power of attorney, but nobody tells you how hard it is to use. According to a message from the victim on social media, the events occurredon 32nd avenue, near the Nuestra Seora del Rosario church. Help me! We can't provide you with security and protection. 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. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has launched a campaign aimed at persuading people to not break the law. The Gulf Cartel also has cells in some border towns in Texas, and alliances with mobsters in Italy. The decapitated body of Mexican businesswoman Susana Carrera was found last week after her family was unable to pay kidnappers the ransom they demanded. Scores are obtained through a methodology that includes crimes such as homicide, kidnapping, willful injury, and extortion. 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. Dangerous Areas in Cancun. 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. Cuitalhuac Garcia, governor of Veracruz, appeared to acknowledge Wednesday morning that the number of kidnappings had shut up last month, telling radio journalist Ciro Gomez Leyva that it was worrisome. Although violent crime is rare (but not impossible), petty crime is common. In Mexico, which is heading toward a pivotal presidential election in July, this has meant a surge in kidnappings over the past decade. Between January and March 2018, 400 kidnappings occurred. The fact that in a long period of time there has been not a single kidnapping in Yucatan is due to some of the strategies deployed at the state level, such as the installation of the Coordination Table for the Construction of Peace and the operation of the Multidisciplinary Group of Justice. Only "1 percent of all kidnappers are captured and carried to justice," said Torres Landa, the Mexico United Against Organized Crime consultant. Abducting people and demanding ransom money is one way to do that. 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 . We were held in a house that was practically a torture chamber., He added: I have met a lot of cartel people with my work I havent met anyone as particularly cruel as these men. As noted, the majority of cases reported to the U.S. Embassy have been kidnapping for ransom. I would be surprised if one tourist per year (out of the millions who come annually) was ever kidnapped. Guadalajara celebrates the 481 anniversary of its foundation! I am getting better. Margarita Mara Ochoa, 72, is the sole survivor of a kidnapping that began at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 16th. No matter the level of difficulty anyone is facing, that is not enough reason to choose kidnapping as an option . 50. She called back for hours, receiving no response. A few hours later, Ramirez managed to contact his sister, Deborah. People keep asking me if Tulum is safe. Later, the operation expanded to include gambling, prostitution and theft. Information about crime in Merida, Mexico. Since 2006, Mexico has dropped significantly in Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception Index, moving from position 70 to 135. But this number is likely a low ball. And if there are innocent bystanders, too bad. It is a wicked act. The high-profile kidnapping in 1994 of Alfredo Harp Hel, a Mexican entrepreneur whose family paid $30 million for his release, typifies this trend. Forget about the Traffic Light entering Mexico. This story has been shared 114,982 times. Reynaldo Marquez Crespo, 41, and Jancer Sergio Ramos Valdes, 33, both Cuban, face 35 years in prison on charges of alien smuggling and kidnapping. Names and boundary representation are not necessarily authoritative. Please consider making a one-time contribution to Vox today. While celebrating his 40th birthday, Flix worries about his associates' loyalty and confronts Pacho. CAN TACOS BE HEALTHY should tacos be considered Junk food or health food? Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. U.S. government employees are forbidden from traveling to those states due to widespread violent crime., We just want other people to know these dangers exist, Frank Massabki said. Yucatan kidnapping and killing of businessman. Re: Cartels and kidnapping in PV. Crespo and Valdez promised their victims safe passage across the Yucatan Straits and then overland across Mexico, according to court documents. The couple rented a car from an American company in Mexico City and had been on the road for about an hour when another vehicle rear-ended them. There is also updated information on the "kidnapping risk"for the states of Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Baja California, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Sonora, Nuevo Leon, Puebla, Quintana Rooand San Luis Potosi. After hours of being held hostage, several violent altercations, and a failed attempted rape, the two were able to free themselves. Jalisco is among the main producers of the fentanyl and methamphetamine that is smuggled to the US. "Violent crimesuch as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robberyis widespread and common in Mexico," warns the State Department. You can also contribute via. It all started in 2017 when the local authorities carried out the arrest of two men of Russian origin, who in the United States had a criminal record implicated in drug dealing. Among those killed were Rhonita Maria Miller, 30, and her four children Howard, 12, Krystal 10, and 8-month-old babies Titus and Tiana. The kidnapping surge in Mexico is fueled in large part by the insatiable US demand for drugs. My sister is always struggling with money and drugs: I own a house with my husband and mother. 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.. ", "Use caution when traveling to Mexico as you would to any other country, but also don't let some of these media headlines of violence and criminality undermine the wonderful things that Mexico has to offer and its rich history," she said. Only 1 percent of all kidnappers are captured and carried to justice, said Torres Landa, the Mexico United Against Organized Crime consultant. Surprisingly, the data showed that Veracruz cut homicides by 20 percent a statistic that Garcia praised. The updated Travel Advisory includes new information on the Coahuila, Mexico, Nayarit, and Zacatecas states. A month after his kidnapping, Veracruz prosecutor Jorge Winckler Ortiz reported that his office, as well as the FBI, were investigating something that Sevigny denies. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. But Im not sure, he wrote. It ended on Sunday the 18th, when police officers broke into the building at 113 . Call Davids mom! There are no tourist kidnappings in Puerto Vallarta that I'm aware of. For a full list of destinations, look at the State Departments website. Protesters join friends and family members of the 43 missing students of Ayotzinapa, Mexico, on the third year of their disappearance during marches held throughout 2017 in Mexico City. In addition, they are in charge of defending the plaza with murders and kidnappings against the Jalisco Nueva Generacin Cartel and the Tijuana Cartel. If money was paid, the victims were sent on a bus to the U.S. border and instructed to ask for asylum, according to prosecutors. Mexican drug-trafficking organizations have been engaged in brutal fights against . 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. Local reports claim there have been 366 murders over the past 80 days in the Gulf state of Veracruz more than 4.5 murders each day. 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. The kidnappers told the Massabkis to start thinking of people to call in the U.S. for a ransom. 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. The three Santa Barbara cenotes are in the pueblo (small town) of Homun, where you'll find many of the best cenotes near Merida. The state ofBaja California cannot clean its face from the violence that thedrug traffickingleft. 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. Flix offers opium dealer Guerra a partnership deal. This is a kidnapping.. Mexico is a wonderful country, and one that is high on our list of vacation destinations. In 2016, there were 771 kidnapping cases in the country involving people connected to the U.S., according to the OSAC, including citizens, legal permanent residents and other cases in which an extortion call was made to the U.S. and police (or former law enforcement officials) have been implicated in many of these incidents. Thats where the foreigners, visiting the Malquerida Bar last month, had the bad luck of getting caught in cartel crossfire. 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. But instead of launching a raid at that location, they launch a raid at some other random location. The 63-year-old entrepreneur, who did not want to be identified by name, said he has been vacationing in Tulum for more than 10 years, and bought his first condo in the seaside resort town overlooking the azure waters of the Caribbean Sea two and a half years ago. The attempted kidnappings highlight a concerning trend in Jalisco, where the number of women reported missing has risen steadily in each of the last four years, peaking at 1,161 disappearances in . In Monterrey Mexico a gemologist was kidnapped in 2014 while on a fishing trip. 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. They never made it. 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. 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. Discrimination against indigenous communities, and especially. 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One kidnapper cut off a victims finger when family members couldnt raise funds to release him, court documents say. If you do decide to travel to an area where kidnapping is common, take precautions. 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. But . The Jalisco New Generation Cartel was founded in 2009 by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (El Mencho), who is among the most wanted drug traffickers on the planet after the 2014 arrest of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel. 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.. Beginning next month, the soldiers will be stationed in Cancun and surrounding areas, including Tulum, where Mexican law enforcement said there are 10 groups fighting for drug dominance in the picture-postcard resort town. [The authorities] say they dont have enough information, Davids sister, Lourdes, said. They know where they are. The Expo Dinosaurios arrives in Mrida on March 3. The president of Alto al Secuestro highlighted that there was a 40 percent decrease in this crime between January and August of this year compared to the same period, but in 2019. Crespo and Valdez [] In 2017 the FBI investigated 116 kidnappings in Mexico. The2019studydetails that the bloody incidents have created a negative image of the tourist gem, which has a population of more than 70,000 people. Founded by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra Crdenas in the 1930s in Matamoros, the Gulf Cartel first smuggled alcohol across the border during Prohibition. These criminal organizations have found a special interest in the region due to the drug and people trafficking network. Between January and March 2018, almost 400 people were kidnapped. According to theCitizen Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice AC, the rearrangement and the dispute of the cartels by the areas of the state, brought the municipalityof Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, to first place in the list of the most violent sites in Mexico. He said he has never spoken to Mexican law enforcement about his ordeal. Si quieres verlo a detalle, entra en el siguiente link: https://t.co/RmB00H0C2F pic.twitter.com/gZ1Zngbesq, NATIONAL REPORT FOR 2018 TO 2021 CLICK HERE, NATIONAL COMPARATIVE REPORT 2020 TO 2021 CLICK HERE, STATE REPORT MAP 2018 AGOSTO 2021 CLICK HERE, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Find out what states in Mexico have the worst kidnapping problem, Tlaxcala festivity mocks European colonizers, USD-Mexico Peso Exchange rate today March 1st, 2023. 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. Its a mess.. Mennonites in Mexico. While the majority of Cancun is pretty safe, it's still not the safest place to stay in Mexico. We have other figures that dont coincide (with those of Alto al Secuestro), Garcia said. 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. They democratized kidnapping from something that only happens to the rich to something everybody should fear.. Criminal groups earn less per victim but can carry out many more kidnappings without attracting the attention of the authorities, according to Juan Francisco Torres Landa, a consultant for the organization Mexico United Against Organized Crime. They lost their friend while partying late at night and the next morning the group still had not had any contact with him. 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. The United States tells us to avoid these states. Things have become so dangerous that on Wednesday, Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced the creation of a tourist battalion 1,500 National Guard soldiers wielding automatic weapons to keep visitors safe. But the per capita rate is highest in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, near the U.S. border. In the last few months, a Senior Police Officer and a Taxi driver were both murdered by drug cartels. While its unclear whether the high-profile arrest will lead to the Jalisco Cartels retreat, the rival Gulf Cartel also faces challenges with the recent death of their leader, Ariel (El Tigre) Trevino Pena, who was killed by the Mexican army in a shootout in Matamoros in October. Meanwhile, a nonprofit organization revealed Tuesday that there have been 69 reported kidnapping cases over the same period. 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 month of August of this year registered a decrease of 5.7 percent in the crime of kidnapping compared to the same period of 2019, as reported by Stop Kidnapping. The municipality with the most kidnappings is in Benito Jurez, Quintana Roo, The best jeans in Mexico? Market data provided by Factset. He covers organized crime, immigration, farm policy, and anything in between. | (clockwise from top right) Miguel Tovar; Yuri Cortez; Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images. Answer (1 of 7): The very fact of asking the question shows how totally distorted the world media is regarding Mexico. In two articles for Medium, the photographer relates how on Jan. 8, while staying with a friend in Cordoba, 16 men armed with military-grade weapons walked into the apartment, beat him up and dragged him away. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Two human rights organizations, the Association . Nearly 1,200 kidnappings occurred in Mexico last year. Millions turn to Vox to educate themselves, their family, and their friends about whats happening in the world around them, and to learn about things that spark their curiosity. The sheer number of weapons blew my mind.. CANCUN CLUB SHOOTING LEAVES 5 DEAD, 5 WOUNDED, AUTHORITIES SAY. Will you support Voxs explanatory journalism? In recent weeks, many popular destinations for U.S travelers have changed to Level Four: Do Not Travel. Christopher co-authored the book, Secrets Stolen, Fortunes Lost, Preventing Intellectual Property Theft and Economic Espionage in the 21st Century. He is the founder of Securely Travel. The message threatened death to merchants who refuse to fork over bribes to the drug-trafficking gangs and was signed by Los Pelones the bald ones.. Mexico City's . Legal Statement. Likewise, it indicated that the police of the Poniente Sector were notified but, according to it, they did not pay attention. Mazatln Carnival: How much was spent and recovered? News and information from Mexico\'s Yucatn Peninsula, MEL unlocks private studios where Mrida artists work, Parque Tho: Mrida unveils plans for 20-acre park in Altabrisa, 70 days after fire, no progress restoring Teatro Pen Contreras. In Mexico, it is common for police officers to be directly involved in crime, any crime, said Gomez. Davids family decorated their house with balloons and signs that read, Welcome Back, David and Miguel. But they didnt come back: The kidnappers cut all contact after getting the ransom payment. 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. Reducing your risk of kidnapping in a high risk destination. 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. Finally, someone picked up. 7.8 (1,562) Rate. Organized crime, like any successful business, adapts to changing market conditions. Please consider making a one-time contribution to Vox today. Mexico breaks records as destination and origin of migration in 2022. The Miami-native has traveled extensively for nearly two decades throughout Mexico and Latin America documenting, as he calls it, the lives of people who are struggling to live., American photographer John Sevigny was kidnapped while visiting the city of Cordoba in the Mexican state of Veracruz, where violence and crime is on the rise. 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 monthly report detailed that in January the number of detainees for the crime of kidnapping decreased to 72.4 percent, since only 35 people were apprehended, while in December 127 arrests were reported.