The five most dangerous states in Mexico

The U.S. government issued an alert to its citizens about states in Mexico that they should not visit or reconsider traveling to for two reasons: the coronavirus pandemic and the high levels of crime they have on record. In a statement, the U.S. State Department lowered the travel alert level for its neighbor from level 4 to 3 on September 8. However, it asked to move cautiously in the Mexican Republic, especially because of "crime and kidnapping".

Not to travel to five states among which are Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, and Sinaloa because of the levels of crime. In the case of Tamaulipas, it added to its warning the crime of kidnapping. Those entities to which Americans should reconsider their trip to Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, Mexico, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Sonora and Zacatecas.

Crimes such as homicide, kidnapping, vehicle theft, and robbery have a high presence in Mexican territory. Organized crime "steals commercial vessels, oil platforms, and supply vessels in the high seas of the Bay of Campeche. Employee travel to certain parts of Mexico is prohibited and the state has limited capacity to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in various parts of the neighboring country.

Other restrictions placed on employees traveling to Mexico include traveling between cities at night, taking cabs on the street, and relying on dispatched vehicles, including cab or Uber bases. They may not drive across the border unless it is a day trip within Baja California between Nogales and Hermosillo on Mexican Federal Highway 15D, and between Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey on Highway 85D (only during the day and with prior authorization from the Consulate.

According to the latest government figures, there were 2,973 homicides in August alone, which meant an increase in crime of 0.67% compared to the same month in 2019. In August there were 95 intentional homicides per day. When comparing the number of intentional homicides with the previous month, the figure decreased by 0.46%, since in July 2,987 deaths were reported due to this crime.

While intentional homicides have been a national casualty, violent deaths of women have not throughout the pandemic. According to the Executive Secretariat of the National System of Public Security, during the month of August, the femicide had a register of 77 cases, a lower figure than the 94 registered in June, it has remained in red color seven of the eight months that have passed this year. In addition, 20.45% more calls for help were recorded for violence against women than in February.

From January to July last year the figure was 2,171 murders, so the increase for 2020 was 3.1 percentage points or 69 more cases, all despite the months of confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 566 femicides registered during this year, the state with the most cases was the State of Mexico: located in the first place, between January and July, 80 victims were counted.