Violence Touches Tourist Areas in Mexico, Puerto Rico
In Mexico, violent drug cartels kidnapped, tortured and murdered the city's new anti-drug consultant within a day of his taking the post, just the latest atrocity in Mexico's ongoing and bloody battle against drug trafficking organizations.
CNN reported that retired Gen. Mauro Enrique Tello Quiñonez, his aide and a driver were killed, with their bodies left in a car on the side of the road between Cancun and Merida. Quiñonez has just been named a special drug-fighting consultant to the mayor of Benito Juarez, the municipal district that includes Cancun. Mexico's Caribbean coast has not been awash in drug violence like the border region of the U.S., but nor has the region been immune: another military anti-drug leader was gunned down in Cancun in 2006, and that killing remains unsolved.
In Puerto Rico, a pregnant tourist visiting from Savannah, Ga., was kidnapped while out for a jog and later found dead with her throat slashed, according to the Associated Press. Sara Kuszak, who was five months pregnant, managed to call for help on her cell phone after being stuffed in the trunk of a car; police later were able to arrest a suspect in the slaying by tracing the signal from the victim's phone.
By all accounts Cancun remains one of the safest places to travel in Mexico, but travelers should keep an eye on the news to ensure that no escalation of drug violence occurs in the city. Even in the most violent battlegrounds between the cartels and Mexico's military and police, tourists are rarely targeted or affected. But a definite degree of caution is warranted if you are planning to travel to Mexico right now.
The drug trade also is largely responsible for the high crime rate in the metropolitan San Juan area, which includes Fajardo. Tourists are more often targeted for petty crimes, not violent attacks. However, the high-profile abduction and murder of a pregnant visitor, in addition to being a tragic and brutal crime, will certainly give some Puerto Rico visitors pause. So far, it appears that the killing of Sara Kuszak was a random attack. I will keep you posted with further details as this case develops.
Which Caribbean Islands are the Safest?
I’VE HEARD ALOT ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN CANCUN?? IS THIS TRUE?? MY 3 20SOMETHING AGED DAUGHTERS ARE TRAVELING THERE-SHOULD I BE WORRIED??
Please keep me posted on Sara. She was a very special woman.
Lea Ann Campbell
Dallas,tx
Kay, I don’t know a lot about this but what I have read suggests that the issue in Cancun is women and girls being trafficked into Cancun for prostitution and sex tourism. While tragic, this is not a situation unique to Cancun and is a sad fact of life in cities all over the world, including in the U.S.
I did not get the sense that your daughters would be in any special danger from traffickers in Cancun; as with most young U.S. visitors, the biggest threat to their safety would likely involve excessive alcohol use. Here are some safety tips you may want to pass along before she travels:
Travel Safety Tips for Women
How to Stay Safe on Your Caribbean Trip
The per capita murder rate in Puerto Rico is 5 times that of the United States. I’m from the U.S.; I lived in Puerto Rico for 10 years until 2005. I was kidnapped in 1997 (and yes, I stayed for 8 more years). I’m alive only because I escaped before they could kill me. I checked out the blogs this morning, and many Puerto Ricans state, as I heard many times while living there, that “these things can happen anywhere”. Yes, they can, but the irrefutable fact is that they happen in Puerto Rico with FIVE TIMES greater frequency than anywhere else in the U.S. Wake up Puerto Rico!! It’s time to take back your beautiful country and stop making excuses! Hold your politicians accountable for their inaction and lack of resolve!
And if you’re a tourist going to Puerto Rico, be VERY careful. Frankly, I’d like to see a boycott of travel and tourism to Puerto Rico. Perhaps that will catch the Puerto Rican government’s attention.
The blog is correct about the Caribbean being relatively safe, but the fact is there are major differences in the level of safety among the various destinations.
In fact, it is actually important to note that the highly unusual murder in Puerto Rico took place in Fajardo (not in San Juan, as the blog incorrectly states in its second reference to the crime). The San Juan metropolitan area, of course, is where tourism is concentrated in Puerto Rico.
The fact is that when it comes to crime affecting tourists, San Juan – and Puerto Rico as a whole – has an enviable record compared to other destinations in the region – and even compared to Florida and other major tourism destinations in the U.S. mainland, for that matter.
Since crime affecting visitors to Puerto Rico is thankfully very rare, there is no need to scare people about this. That doesn’t mean that news such as this shouldn’t remind travelers that wherever they go, they need to take precautions and they should never, ever leave their common sense at home.
I recognize that Puerto Rico has a high crime rate but it’s mainly drug related. Tourist never get killed here. This was an isolated case. We are profoundly disturbed by this crime. It should have not happened. This is a beautiful island and safe for tourists. Of all the crimes accouted for in Puerto Rico, you will not hear serial killers going around killing inocent women (this happens in US not here)or tourists being killed. Simply, when traveling to any place in the world take preacautions.
The statement that tourists are not targeted is complety wrong And fajardo is way away from San juan (I live here) I, as other post, was taken hostage on the island of tortola and just escaped with my life and over twenty stiches and a horrible beating but, San juan especially the old city is very safe
Carmina, your comment that “the high crime rate is mainly drug related” is an often-used rationalization, and it is misleading. For example, in my case, the kidnappers told me that they needed money for a drug deal gone bad. Therefore, the Puerto Rico police / Policía de Puerto Rico classified the crime as drug related. If you are robbed, assaulted, or if you are the victim of any crime committed by someone either taking drugs or affiliated with drug trafficking, then that crime is officially classified as drug related. And it therefore touches all of us.
My 24 year old daughter went to Cancun a few weeks ago with a group of friends, she met a local guy and is talking about going back to visit him, in June, on her own. I’m concerned for her safety. Any comments would be appreciated.
I went to areas of Fajardo and I am a white male. I did not have any problems there at all. It looked very americanized. Also
went all over san juan. At night and day.
I think this way just a random case.
People there seemed very friendly.
Not any more dangerous than miami or nyc.
Julie, I think you should be concerned about your daughter. I know she is 24 but sometimes they do not think about the dangers they may encounter. If possible, try to find out more about this guy (where he works, where he lives, etc)and if she decides to go give her a cell phone to be in contact all the time.
Last week a young woman was shot to death in Old San Juan. She was visiting the city with her boyfriend. It occured because two men were shooting at a third man; the man being pursued grabbed the woman and used her as a human shield. The week before there was an armed robbery of a jewelry store in Old San Juan. Shots were fired, but no one was injured. It is normal to hear gun fire, on any given weekday, coming from La Perla, which is adjacent to Old San Juan. This is simply anecdoctal evidence to back up the statistics which tell you that Puerto Rico has a much higher incidence of violent crime than the mainland US. But, most likely, if you visit you’ll be fine. Old San Juan is considered safe because it’s a tourist hot spot (for Puerto Ricans and foreigners alike) and thus is closely monitored and supplied with numerous cops. However, nearby are crime-ridden neighborhoods. The “spill-overs” seem to be increasing lately. Hope the police respond appropriately.
I am in Puerto Rico right now. I am a 1st and last time visitor. I do not feel comfortable traveling anywhere so far. Just about everything I have seen is littered with grafetti(sp) The beaches are dirty. I am on the East coast. Traveled into San Juan,Fagardo,Rio Grande,many other small towns along the way. Bars on all windows and doors of the residences. Fences with barbed wire at the top of some. Everything in need of a paint job. Beautiful natural surroundings but will not visit again. I don’t think they try too hard to make things nice for the tourists.
It amazes me how people think they have the right to have an opinion about a country when you’ve never experienced it and if you have you didn’t even care to talk to a “local” to see what the island is really like. There is no happiest place to be on earth. I lived all my life there and recently moved to North Carolina because I got a scholarship to go to college. Yes there is 5 times the violence than any state but have you thought that the island is 136 square miles and there are 4 million people living there? If not then maybe you should. Anywhere where there’s such a high population is going to run in to some problems. The isolated case of the tourist is sad and so is the shooting. There isn’t a place in the world I would rather be from. Yes the government SUCKS and we KNOW they’re inneficient but in a democratic country the majority will always win. The US has its perks and better opportunities but there will never be a place where you feel more welcomed and loved than in the island. As a tourist you can’t act “stuck up” like you deserve to be pampered because we will be mean since that’s not the way we were raised. The person that commented on a boy cot on tourism. PLEASE DO. Don’t come back if you’re going to criticize. There’s litter everywhere and if it bothers you so much bend your back and pick it up. But I bet you never did that. Have you ever heard of a place where the population gets together and voluntarily cleans the streets and the beaches because we know our island needs it? Well we do. Where in the US do people leave their “lucrative” jobs, take a vacation day to clean your state? If there is a place let me know. Tourists might be the problem. Because I bet that they’re the main ones littering Old San Juan. I’ve seen it. Thank you.