# Danger even in touristy areas?



## Split the USA

Is something different going on in Mexico that’s making it more dangerous? If so, why aren’t Mexican officials and police clamping down to protect their tourism industry?

*Mexican cartels threatening tourism in Cancun*


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## eastwind

I heard of one shooting on the beach in the last year, not three. I heard a rumor, unverified, that it was a drug-dealer territorial dispute - i.e. the "beach vendor" killed was selling drugs on the beach without the blessing of or paying a take to the gang that claimed the beach as territory. 

The police presence is mostly along the hotel road, not on the beach itself. There is a standing checkpoint along the road on the way from the city, where they pull over some cars and search them for guns. But it's impossible to stop the flow as the sheer number of people, hotel zone workers and tourists, traveling back and forth to town means they can only search one car out of hundreds.

There are other standing patrols, there is always a truckload of federal police outside Coco Bongo.

There are occasional patrols by the federal police along the beach, two or four of them will ride along on one or two ATVS. 

Most of the violence is not in the hotel zone, there was a map of Cancun posted by the police showing murder rates by city zone, and two zones at the north edge of Cancun and one in the south were the most violent. These are low-cost housing zones with vast tracts of low-cost housing for rent, and they are where the low-level drug dealers live. And get shot.

I have not read of any reports in the past year of tourists getting hit by crossfire or stray bullets. 

Still, the trend in the number of murders is for the worse, not the better. Acapulco has been ruined, and I think all the same things that didn't work there are being tried in Cancun. From what I read, Playa Del Carmin is no better.

But as of now, the danger to tourists is incidental not direct. Few places in the world worth visiting are safe, in European tourist areas you have to worry about getting blown up or run over. The number of tourists killed in that way in the last year is much greater than the number killed in Cancun (which to my knowledge was zero).

Yer pays yer money and you takes yer chances.


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## citlali

Most of the violence was not in the hotel zone in Acapulco either when it all started and now it is so things are not getting better.


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## lat19n

Aside from weeks like this when all the residents of Mexico City head for Acapulco - are there really many tourists there ? Have the cruise ships returned ? When we were there a while back - it was like a ghost town. To generalize, except for maybe Taxco, Guerrero state is not a happy place. 

We spent a lot of time looking for a place to settle South of Cancun, North of Tulum. Beachfront it was very sleepy - but every morning there were army platoons waking down the beach - at waters edge. Kind of reminded me of the Cuban rafts landing on the shores of Palm Beach County FL.


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## citlali

Guerrero is the only State that scares me I have been there a couple of times and nothing happened but the people who live in Olinala and San Agustin Oapan tell me it is a dangerous state to travel so I just do not go there..I do not feel that safe going to the Costa Chica either..


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## 4Lionsnbaja

Los Cabos also received threats last week.

Here in Ensenada haven't heard anything, knock on wood.


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## eastwind

After this thread was started, a new murder hit the news: California city official is gunned down while vacationing in Mexico | Fox News

It happened in Ixtapa. The tourist was apparently on the beach alone around 4 am.


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## lat19n

eastwind said:


> After this thread was started, a new murder hit the news: California city official is gunned down while vacationing in Mexico | Fox News
> 
> It happened in Ixtapa. The tourist was apparently on the beach alone around 4 am.


I did not read your link - but any person would he a fool to walk along the beach in (say) Ft Lauderdale alone at 4am. 7am sure. I started to mention situations but I'll leave it there.


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## eastwind

Yeah, well, I was sort of wondering who'd be the first poster to blame the victim. I tried to avoid it, but I agree with you. Not quite worthy of a Darwin award nomination, but certainly not wise. Well, he paid for it. RIP.

I guess the best answer to the question "Is Mexico safe?" is, "It depends how stupid you are".


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## chicois8

*Bound to happen sooner or later*

American tourist murdered in Ixtapa:
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/ix...il&utm_term=0_f1536a3787-1bed145008-349510449


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## citlali

He was in the hotel zone say the link Chicois posted and his body stayed for 4 hours on the parking lot before the police came . He died in a parking lot may not have been on the beach..


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## eastwind

citlali said:


> He was in the hotel zone say the link Chicois posted and his body stayed for 4 hours on the parking lot before the police came . He died in a parking lot may not have been on the beach..


I wonder if they updated the story, or I just simply imagined words that were never there. What I recall reading was: "Witnesses told local media they saw Bradley being chased [along the beach] by gunmen who shot him with a 9 mm handgun about 4 a.m." but the words in brackets aren't there now, if they ever were. I do recall the bit about his body being found in a parking lot, but when I first read it I understood that he was shot one place and died another, nearby. 

I'll stand corrected. 

It's a little disconcerting to discover one's had false memories...


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## eastwind

Another news report, this one from breitbart: U.S. Citizen Murdered in Mexico Was City Official in California

It claims it was a "robbery attempt gone wrong".


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## citlali

well since the hotel Zone is by the beach you may have been right..


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## ojosazules11

Not that it makes it any less awful, but the Fox News article indicates that he lived in Playas de Tijuana and commuted to his job in Imperial Beach, CA, so he wasn’t a neophyte in Mexico. 

The San Diego Tribune article provides a bit more information about the man who was killed. 

Authorities: Imperial Beach city official shot three times in Mexican resort town - The San Diego Union-Tribune


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## Zorro2017

The tourist areas are indeed more dangerous than they have ever been. Signs are appearing in Playa Del Carmen announcing the cartel's new perceived "ownership" of the turf to other rival cartels. On January 16, 2017 five people were killed and fifteen were injured in the Blue Parrot Club in PDC when shots were fired through the window during the annual music festival, so getting killed in the crossfire while innocent is a possibility. 

One day later in Cancun grenades and rifles were used in an attack on the State Prosecutor's office, from what I read at the time they were trying to free a low level cartel boss, again, getting caught in the crossfire is a possibility. Here is a report...

The attacker fled, but Pech told the Televisa TV network that a taxi driver who helped the man escape has been linked to previous extortion attempts. Some businesses in Mexico are forced to pay protection money under threat of being attacked.

“Either they didn’t reach an agreement over protection payments, directly extortion, or it may be that somebody did not allow them to sell drugs inside” the nightclub, Pech said. 

“Perhaps the strongest hypothesis is that this person had gone there to demand they comply with protection payments,” he added at a news conference. 


A forensic investigator walks inside the Blue Parrot club, one day after a deadly early morning shooting in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. REBECCA BLACKWELL, AP
Playa del Carmen residents said the shooting came amid a growing and increasingly open drug scene in the resort town, which has long been spared the violence of Mexico’s cartel wars.

Concerns that violence may be creeping into the once-tranquil beachside town were voiced as people attended a Monday evening vigil in front of the Blue Parrot nightclub.

“This is a sign of what has been happening,” said Lenin Amaro, a local business owner and politician.

“It has reached us,” Amaro said of the country’s drug violence. “We were living in what you could call a bubble.”

Federal authorities say the Zeta cartel has been in the state for years, especially in Cancun itself, where the Zetas were blamed for the firebombing of a bar in which eight people died in 2010.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gunmen-attack-state-prosecutors-office-in-cancun-mexico-3-dead/

So the short answer is yes, there is danger in the touristy areas.

Also a lot of reports of people being slipped drugs in their drinks and then robbed even while staying in exclusive resorts. Trip Advisor has been accused of "scrubbing" reports of robbery and rape of tourists after being drugged.

TripAdvisor accuser blasts site for allegedly deleting posts about rape, other crimes | Fox News


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## lagoloo

TripAdvisor started out well enough, but it sold out somewhere along the way and can no longer be relied on as a source of unbiased information. Example: Glowing reviews of local restaurants that don't deserve any praise at all.


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## Rammstein

lat19n said:


> Aside from weeks like this when all the residents of Mexico City head for Acapulco - are there really many tourists there ? Have the cruise ships returned ? When we were there a while back - it was like a ghost town. To generalize, except for maybe Taxco, Guerrero state is not a happy place.
> 
> We spent a lot of time looking for a place to settle South of Cancun, North of Tulum. Beachfront it was very sleepy - but every morning there were army platoons waking down the beach - at waters edge. Kind of reminded me of the Cuban rafts landing on the shores of Palm Beach County FL.


I have lived in the suburbs of Acapulco for more than 20 years. Never been robbed, threatened, or any such thing. Acapulco has been getting a bad rap from the media for years and it does not deserve it. And this year there are more than 20 cruise ships scheduled to arrive in Acapulco Acapulco, Mexico Cruise Ship Schedule 2018 | Crew Center. Personally I couldn't care less if tourists come or not but I have a lot of friends that work in the tourism industry. Volaris has started a new LA to Acapulco direct flight. There is a new space adventure park to be built here as well. This morning I read that we are at 100% occupation for the New Years holiday. If you all are afraid to come here, it's fine with me. That's all.


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## lat19n

Rammstein said:


> I have lived in the suburbs of Acapulco for more than 20 years. Never been robbed, threatened, or any such thing. Acapulco has been getting a bad rap from the media for years and it does not deserve it. And this year there are more than 20 cruise ships scheduled to arrive in Acapulco Acapulco, Mexico Cruise Ship Schedule 2018 | Crew Center. Personally I couldn't care less if tourists come or not but I have a lot of friends that work in the tourism industry. Volaris has started a new LA to Acapulco direct flight. There is a new space adventure park to be built here as well. This morning I read that we are at 100% occupation for the New Years holiday. If you all are afraid to come here, it's fine with me. That's all.


Good for you that you like where you live. We actually visited Acapulco with the intent of possibly relocating there. We visited a few different areas with realtors. Perhaps it was just our luck but we felt like we were back in the 60's or 70's. We have affluent Mexican friends who love Acapulco. We have never been to the Diamonte area - but may take a trip there in February. Mexico has even invested a bit of money in building the Paseo Express (which has had its share of problems) through Cuernavaca to make it faster for people to get from Mexico City to Acapulco. One thing which definitely soured us on Acapulco was when we were hit up by local cops for a 3000 peso bribe (mordida). When I reported the incident on TripAdvisor there was another comment that they also had been targeted at the exact same intersection.


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## Rammstein

lat19n said:


> Good for you that you like where you live. We actually visited Acapulco with the intent of possibly relocating there. We visited a few different areas with realtors. Perhaps it was just our luck but we felt like we were back in the 60's or 70's. We have affluent Mexican friends who love Acapulco. We have never been to the Diamonte area - but may take a trip there in February. Mexico has even invested a bit of money in building the Paseo Express (which has had its share of problems) through Cuernavaca to make it faster for people to get from Mexico City to Acapulco. One thing which definitely soured us on Acapulco was when we were hit up by local cops for a 3000 peso bribe (mordida). When I reported the incident on TripAdvisor there was another comment that they also had been targeted at the exact same intersection.


I liked the 60's and 70's. Maybe that's part of the reason I like it here. The Diamante area is quite expensive. As for the mordida, I don't own a car and don't know much about that. For a little perspective, I live in one of the largest and oldest public housing communities in Mexico. Most of my neighbors are quite poor and I don't know any other expats. That's all.


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## chicois8

Then is must be disturbing to Google "" Most dangerous cities in the world"" and find Acapulco has been #2 through #4 for that last 4 years...

Just because you have not been effected by crime so far does not mean it doesn't exist.


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## citlali

No kidding the body counts speaks louder than anyone´s words. On top of it it does not include the people who have disappeared and are dead as well..


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## eastwind

I'm interested to find out what has happened to property values in Acapulco over the last 10 years as all the drama has played out. I image a lot of owners are basically trapped.

I was originally planning on renting for a year after I moved to Cancun, but ended up extending my lease for a second year, and I don't think I'm going to be willing to commit to buying a place by the end of my second year either. I want to see the security situation slowly getting better, not worse, before I buy in. As a renter, if the situation suddenly becomes unlivable I can fly away with only my security deposit lost.


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## Rammstein

chicois8 said:


> Then is must be disturbing to Google "" Most dangerous cities in the world"" and find Acapulco has been #2 through #4 for that last 4 years...
> 
> Just because you have not been effected by crime so far does not mean it doesn't exist.


Right. Guess my experiences here mean nothing and everyone else is right. Guess I will keep my thoughts to myself in the future.


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## TundraGreen

chicois8 said:


> Then is must be disturbing to Google "" Most dangerous cities in the world"" and find Acapulco has been #2 through #4 for that last 4 years...
> 
> Just because you have not been effected by crime so far does not mean it doesn't exist.


Then it must be disturbing to Google "Most dangerous countries in the world" and find the US at Number 7 and Mexico at Number 9. Just because I have not been affected by crime so far does not mean it doesn't exist.


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## citlali

Just check the murders per 100 000 people in Europe, US and Mexico, right there it will be wake up call.. You can try to justify it and thin that you are not at risk because you do not do drugs or have no money , do not flaunt it and on and on but no matter what the numbers are there and cannot be denied. 
Yes I agree Mexico is more dangerous than the States and the States are more dangerous than Europe..cannot argue with the number of bodies per 100 000 an those numbers do not include the people who have disappeared and are also dead.

Just because it has not happened to you or because you do not know any victims , it does not mean the place is safe.


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## Rammstein

Please accept my sincere apologies. Acapulco is incredibly dangerous and I recomend that none of you all ever come here.


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## 1happykamper

eastwind said:


> Yeah, well, I was sort of wondering who'd be the first poster to blame the victim. I tried to avoid it, but I agree with you. Not quite worthy of a Darwin award nomination, but certainly not wise. Well, he paid for it. RIP.
> 
> I guess the best answer to the question "Is Mexico safe?" is, "It depends how stupid you are".


Ha ha. best answer I have ever seen regarding safety. This would apply to any country !! Thanks for that


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## modeeper

People are always looking for something to cling to when it comes to the safety of #1 or their family. 

How many times have I met an Irishman, an Israeli, or whomever when I ask about the violence they always answer .. never seen any. 

Not to seem too esoteric but the Universe is full of matter on a collision course. If it's a given in the Universe how could it not be "the law" here on Earth?

I just heard on the news how Trump is afraid of sharks. Then the anchor says, the probability of a shark attack while swimming in the ocean is less likely than being seriously injured while playing golf. I've never played golf but if I did I doubt I'd be keeping a keen eye out for my personal safety. 

If I, as an old ******, where taken hostage by some narco gang it could only be what .. a mistake in identity, somebody reported I was badmouthing his sister, or maybe they were attracted to my 10-year-old Converse Allstars and had to own them. 

If you're afraid stay home where you could slip on the bathroom floor and crack your head open.

Just sayin like ..

.


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## DiverSailor123

Where in the world did you come up with those numbers??? USA 50 Mexico 22 https://www.atlasandboots.com/most-dangerous-countries-in-the-world-ranked/ 
Or Mexico #3..The 13 most dangerous countries in the world | The Independent


TundraGreen said:


> Then it must be disturbing to Google "Most dangerous countries in the world" and find the US at Number 7 and Mexico at Number 9. Just because I have not been affected by crime so far does not mean it doesn't exist.


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## TundraGreen

DiverSailor123 said:


> Where in the world did you come up with those numbers??? USA 50 Mexico 22 https://www.atlasandboots.com/most-dangerous-countries-in-the-world-ranked/
> Or Mexico #3..The 13 most dangerous countries in the world | The Independent


Or Mexico #25 (https://list25.com/25-most-dangerous-countries-according-to-global-peace-index/). Looks like the question is not very well posed, since no one agrees on the answer.


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## AlanMexicali

TundraGreen said:


> Or Mexico #25 (https://list25.com/25-most-dangerous-countries-according-to-global-peace-index/). Looks like the question is not very well posed, since no one agrees on the answer.


I noticed right away the writeup on Mexico missed the drug amphetamine from their list of drugs which is poor research.


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## TundraGreen

AlanMexicali said:


> I noticed right away the writeup on Mexico missed the drug amphetamine from their list of drugs which is poor research.


Your comment prompted me to look at some of their other lists. Their list of languages shows a sample for Vietnamese that is not even Vietnamese.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos

lat19n said:


> I did not read your link - but any person would he a fool to walk along the beach in (say) Ft Lauderdale alone at 4am. 7am sure. I started to mention situations but I'll leave it there.


Not that this mayor was a teen, but deserted beaches are like magnets to teens. Bonfire, booze a little something to smoke, music, jumps into the surf nekkid, and most of all, no adults. A shame if that's no longer possible for today's kids.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos

Of course, even back in the 80s, Acapulco police locked beaches up away from hotels, permitting no guests to enter after dusk. I was just nostalgic for more innocent days.


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