Why I Stopped Traveling to Mexico – and the Safety Issues New Reports Highlight

Mexico used to be my go-to vacation destination. Beautiful beaches, incredible food, rich culture. The country had everything I was looking for when I needed to unwind. However, over the past few years, something shifted. Reports of violence, kidnappings, and cartel-related incidents became impossible to ignore. When I started seeing headlines about tourists caught in crossfire and Americans targeted specifically for ransom, I had to make a tough call. My last trip to Mexico was three years ago, and honestly, I haven’t felt comfortable booking another one since.

Here’s the thing: I know Mexico is a massive country with diverse regions, and not every corner is equally dangerous. Still, the pattern I’ve noticed in recent safety reports has made me reconsider whether the risk is worth the reward anymore.

The Numbers Don’t Lie About Rising Violence

The national homicide rate in Mexico fell slightly to 24.9 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2023 from 25.9 in 2022, according to Human Rights Watch. To put that in perspective, the U.S. national homicide rate sits at 6.8 per 100,000 residents. That’s more than three times higher in Mexico.

I came across a particularly troubling statistic while researching for this article. Popular tourism destinations like Tulum, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo and San Miguel de Allende are among Mexico’s 50 most violent municipalities based on their per capita homicide rates between September 2024 and August 2025. These aren’t random border towns most travelers avoid – these are places marketed heavily to tourists like me. Beach resorts like Tulum and Acapulco are seeing murder rates well above the national average due to cartels warring for control of these lucrative resort towns.

What really shocked me was learning that violence in Sinaloa has surged since the capture of cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in July 2024. Violence doesn’t just stay contained to one region either. The ripple effects spread.

Travel Advisories Are Getting More Serious

I used to brush off State Department warnings as overly cautious, but they’ve become harder to dismiss. In August 2025, the U.S. State Department updated Mexico to a Level 2 advisory – “Exercise increased caution” overall, but the country doesn’t have a single classification anymore. Most states in Mexico are currently under a Level 2, or “exercised increased caution,” travel advisory, while seven states including Baja California, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos, and Sonora have a Level 3 advisory, which means Americans should “reconsider travel”.

Even more alarming, six states – Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas – have Level 4 advisories, indicating that Americans should not travel there. The warning specifically mentions crime in Mexico is common and can be violent, ranging from petty street crime to attacks by cartels, criminal organizations, and terrorist organizations, with violent crimes occurring in resort areas and tourist spots. Let’s be real – when your government tells you not to visit certain areas because of terrorism and kidnapping risks, that’s a red flag you can’t ignore.

The U.S. government has limited ability to help in many parts of Mexico, and U.S. government employees are not allowed to travel to certain high-risk areas. If federal employees can’t go there safely, why should I?

Kidnappings Have Become a Legitimate Concern

Perhaps nothing made me reconsider Mexico travel more than the uptick in kidnapping reports. According to reports from organizations tracking kidnappings like Alto al Secuestro, there has been an alarming increase in incidents. In recent years, hundreds of kidnapping cases have been registered annually in the country, though experts believe actual numbers are significantly higher because many incidents go unreported.

Americans have been specifically targeted. Reports indicate Americans, including citizens, Green Card holders, and dual citizens, have been specifically targeted. Kidnappers have specifically targeted passengers with connections to the United States, including U.S. citizens and residents on intercity buses in certain regions.

The incidents aren’t just happening in remote areas. In February 2024, Joseph Constantine Buonincontri, a 35-year-old tourist from New York, was abducted near Tulum after befriending locals and was held hostage in a jungle hideout, with his captors demanding $200,000 (USD) in ransom. Even dating apps have become dangerous, with officials at the United States Embassy confirming several reports of Americans being kidnapped by individuals they met on a dating app, with incidents occurring in recent months in the areas of Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Nayarit.

Cartel Violence Is Spilling Into Tourist Areas

The myth that cartel violence only affects those involved in the drug trade has been shattered repeatedly. Cartels, criminal organizations, and terrorist groups engage in targeted killings and violence, often due to fights over territory that can hurt innocent bystanders. Unfortunately, tourists have been caught in the middle.

As of May 2024, cartels controlled about one third of Mexico’s territory, according to U.S. estimates. The violence isn’t slowing down either. In 2025, Mexico has seen heightened violence, with the CJNG capitalizing on the Sinaloa Cartel’s fragmentation to expand its control across key conflict zones.

I’ll never forget reading about the 2023 Matamoros kidnapping where four U.S. citizens were kidnapped shortly after crossing the border for a cosmetic surgical procedure, intercepted by a group of gunmen in central Matamoros and bundled onto the bed of a pickup truck. Two of them were killed. In early 2024, a California woman was shot and killed while enjoying the pool at Mia Beach Club in Tulum, with investigations finding she was an unintended victim of drug dealers’ crossfire. These weren’t people seeking trouble – they were just tourists.

The Reality Check That Changed My Mind

Look, I’m not trying to scare anyone away from traveling altogether. There were more than 36.7 million visits by Americans to Mexico in 2023, and the vast majority of those people returned home safely. I understand that statistically, the odds might still be in a traveler’s favor. However, for me personally, the risk-reward calculation changed.

Mexico is a paradox – an incredibly popular destination for American tourists that has the most active State Department travel advisories of any country in the world. That statement really stuck with me. When you’re competing with literally every other country on Earth for the most travel warnings, that says something.

I’ve spoken to friends who still travel to Mexico regularly, and they stick to all-inclusive resorts, never leave the property, and follow strict safety protocols. That’s their choice. But for me, half the joy of travel was exploring local markets, wandering through neighborhoods, trying hole-in-the-wall restaurants. If I can’t do that without looking over my shoulder constantly, what’s the point?

Nationally, the homicide rate fell slightly, for the third year in a row, from 25.9 per 100,000 in 2022 to 24.9 per 100,000 in 2023, so there are marginal improvements. Yet more than 115,000 people were considered missing as of September 2024. Those are staggering, heartbreaking numbers.

Maybe someday the security situation will improve enough that I’ll feel comfortable returning. I genuinely hope it does because Mexico is an incredible country with wonderful people and culture. Until then, I’m choosing destinations where I can relax without constantly calculating risk. Sometimes the hardest travel decision is deciding not to go somewhere you love. What would you do in my situation?