Canada updates travel advisory in Mexico amid high levels of kidnappings

Spring break in Mexico? Canada updates travel advisory amid high levels of kidnappings

If you have spring break plans in Mexico, be aware of travel advisories that have been issued in several Mexican cities by the Canadian government.

Canada is currently urging travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico due to “high levels of criminal activity and kidnapping.”

In a warning issued on March 3, the government advises avoiding non-essential travel to the following areas because of rampant violence and organized crime:

All Chihuahua
All Colima, except the city of Manzanillo
All Coahuila, except the southern part of the state at and below the Saltillo-Torreón highway corridor
All Durango, except Durango City
All Guerrero, except the cities of Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo and Taxco
In Guanajuato
- Highway 45 between León and Irapuato
- The area south of and including Highway 45D between Irapuato and Celaya
All Michoacán, except the city of Morelia
In Morelos
- The Lagunas de Zempoala National Park and surrounding areas
- The municipality of Xoxocotla
In Nayarit
- The area within 20 km of the border with Sinaloa and Durango
- The city of Tepic
All Nuevo León, except the city of Monterrey
All Sinaloa, except the city of Mazatlán
All Sonora, except the cities of Hermosillo and Guaymas/San Carlos and Puerto Peñasco
All Tamaulipas
All Zacatecas

We have updated our travel advice for #Mexico with information about tourist cards and the amount of cigarettes and alcohol you are allowed to bring into the country. Consult our travel advice regularly in case of updates: https://t.co/qet9mnD8j0 pic.twitter.com/4vim9kgoiR

— Travel.gc.ca (@TravelGoC) March 6, 2023

“There are high rates of violent crime, such as homicides, kidnappings, carjacking and assaults, including in popular tourist destinations such as the Mayan Riviera (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos and Tulum), and Acapulco,” reads the advisory.

“Inter-gang and cartel fighting has taken place in restaurants, hotels and nightclubs frequented by tourists,” it adds.

If you do plan on spending spring break in Mexico, the government recommends you do the following:

Remain vigilant at all times
Stay in tourist areas
Be very cautious on major highways
Avoid travelling at night
Monitor local media closely

This isn’t the first time Canada has issued a travel warning for parts of Mexico.

In January, parts of western Mexico were forced to a standstill as violence erupted after the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán-López, son of the former drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

The chaos caused flight delays for many Canadians in Mexico, including one woman who got stuck in a Mexican resort town due to the violence.

For more information, read the advisory here.

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