Follow us on Google News, Facebook and Twitter to stay informed. The advisory also noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined Mexico has a high level of COVID-19 and encouraged visitors to see the latestTravel Health Information. Mexico state due to crime and kidnapping. Express Kidnapping was found to be the most common form of targeting tourists or foreigners working in the region: here, the victims are made to draw funds from ATMs, often at knifepoint or gunpoint. 3:44. The Durango prosecutor's office said it had not opened an investigation because it had not received any complaints but confirmed rescues had taken place on Dec. 5 and 7. The U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning for Mexico, which includes the state of Baja California Sur, where Cabo is located. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. The Lindbergh kidnapping inspired the creation of the Federal Kidnapping Act as well as several state-level anti-kidnapping laws. Neighbors reported the kidnapping to the police at around 2:30 a.m., but the first officers arrived at the scene only 50 minutes later, according to a report in the newspaper Milenio. Nuevo Laredo is the headquarters for Los Zetas Cartel, also known as CDN. Last week, the State Department issued a shelter-in-place alert to U.S. citizens with reports of "multiple vehicle fires, roadblocks, and heavy police activity" in Tijuana and the surrounding area. Many of the hundreds of migrants who crossed the Rio Grande from Ciudad Juarez into El Paso this week were part of a group kidnapped in Mexico as they made their way to the United States, according to nine migrants interviewed by Reuters. Further attention has also been placed on the hotel zones in Cancun and Tulum. During periods of stricter lockdown restrictions in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, criminal groups adapted to the prevailing conditions: in Mexico, some established cartels took the opportunity to seize territory and absorbed smaller criminal groups unable to adapt to lockdown conditions; in South Africa, extortionists turned their attention from shuttered nightclubs to cafes and hotels; and in Italy, the Camorra offered loans to struggling businesses to either turn a profit, or for use as money laundering fronts. In the event that a person goes missing or there is a suspected kidnapping, tourists are reminded to contact the local tourist police or other municipal authorities in the region. Puerto Vallarta is dominated by the ultra-violent Jalisco drug gang, which has often openly clashed with the military. Statista. Hostages taken by anti-oil firm protesters in Colombia are freed, Cuba blasts U.S. for years of disregarding evidence on 'Havana Syndrome', Reporting by Tomas Bravo, Kylie Madry and Raul Cortes; Additional reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez and Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Bill Berkrot, Air Canada pilots decry 'embarrassing' pay gap with U.S. after Delta deal, Bolsonaro denies 'illegal acts' in bringing Saudi jewels to Brazil -report, Mexico can't match U.S. incentives for proposed Tesla battery plant, minister says, German sanctions against Russian oligarchs advancing slowly, Turkey's pro-Kurdish party calls for opposition unity after split, Russian defence minister pays rare visit to troops in Ukraine, CORRECTED Italy's Meloni says on track to rebuild 'excellent' relations with UAE, EU releases funds, prepares aid flight for eastern Congo, Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals. Testimony from the nine migrants suggests there were multiple kidnappings across several days in the northern state of Durango, with people taken to at least two main locations and held against their will while ransoms were demanded. Updated on: April 1, 2022 / 4:36 PM Kidnapping has been a problem in Mexico for decades, but it's gotten much, much worse in recent years. Accessed March 04, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/979091/mexico-number-kidnapping-cases/, National Public Security System. Debanhi Escobar, 18, was last seen on the night of 8 April in Nuevo Len, Mexico, when she took a cab after partying with her friends. Four migrants said people in police uniforms stopped the buses they were traveling in and attempted to extort them for between 200 pesos ($10) and 5,000 pesos ($255), before entire busloads were taken by armed men to nearby properties where they were held against their will. Mario Rizo, one of the migrants who said he was kidnapped, said he believed his bus was stopped in the area of the adjacent cities of Gomez Palacio and Lerdo by people in a municipal police patrol truck. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recorded the lowest number of piracy incidents globally in the first nine months of 2021 for any year since 1994. We have always felt safe and welcomed by the people that reside in Mexico. The U.S. recommends against travel to 16 states due to crime. The Spanish-language news outlet Univision reported that the kidnapping victims were found alive inside a vehicle parked at a shopping center. Navy vet, 68, charged with cold-case murders of two young women in 1981. The risk remains high. Resolving and permanently subduing the piracy threat in the Gulf of Guinea, including that of kidnapping, is a complex process, involving not only a maritime security response but also effective land-based interventions to address long-standing socio-economic drivers. Armed members of the National Guard drive past the site of a burnt collective transport vehicle after it was set on fire by unidentified individuals in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on August 12, 2022. Following the U.S State Department, the British government updated its travel advisory in early August, with a specific focus on robberies, muggings, and violent assaults on tourists. The head of the public safety unit in Gomez Palacio, Ivan Torres, confirmed at least 300 people had been rescued on Dec. 7 from a rural site in the area but that his officers had not been involved in the kidnapping. The president of Alto al Secuestro highlighted that there was a 40 percent decrease in this crime between January and August of this year compared to the same period, but in 2019. Reuters could not verify the total number of people who were kidnapped in the region last week. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. South African police statistics show a 133 percent rise in kidnapping between 2011 and 2020, and several high-profile cases in 2021 suggest this trend will continue. The rescue effort led to the recovery of 14 others being held against their will by the . Highly organised and specialised gangs run kidnappings almost as a matter of routine, and there is little to suggest either Haitis security or legal infrastructure currently have the capacity to quell the threat. She was eventually rescued after Mitchell was recognized by a viewer who had seen the kidnapping profiled on America's Most Wanted. But most kidnappings go unreported and very few perpetrators are prosecuted. In one incident, Mexico's Migration Institute (INM) said that along with the Army and National Guard it had freed more than 250 people from a property in the Durango town of Ciudad Lerdo on Dec. 5. With a resurgence of kidnapping in 2021 following a Covid-19-driven hiatus the previous year, Markus Korhonen looks at some of the emerging trends in kidnapping, and how those are likely to be sustained over the coming twelve months. According to local news reports, a note was. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. In another incident, six migrants Reuters spoke to described being held captive for several days. On Dec. 7, according to Rizo, the kidnappers departed quickly after they appeared to spot authorities outside. Kidnapping, extortion & human trafficking, Facebook: quarterly number of MAU (monthly active users) worldwide 2008-2022, Quarterly smartphone market share worldwide by vendor 2009-2022, Number of apps available in leading app stores Q3 2022, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Ex-AG Barr likens Mexican cartels to ISIS, demands Biden send military, Black Labrador puppy joins Border Patrol to support stressed-out agents, South Carolina woman in reputed Las Seoritas drug trafficking group found in Mexico, Mexicos former top cop convicted of taking bribes to help El Chapo cartel, killing of a high-ranking cartel member last week, The Spanish-language news outlet Univision reported that the kidnapping victims, according to a report in the newspaper Milenio. Michoacan state due to crime. The violence in Guerrero has also included thediscovery of hidden gravesholding dozens of bodies and a camp where gunmen stored the severed heads of nine rivals in a cooler. 5945. Legal Statement. Two other migrants also said they had seen people in municipal police uniforms during the kidnapping. Reuters could not verify the total number of people who were kidnapped in the region last week. Four migrants said people in police uniforms stopped the buses they were traveling in and attempted to extort them for between 200 pesos ($10) and 5,000 pesos ($255), before entire busloads were taken by armed men to nearby properties where they were held against their will. Published On 16 Jul 2022 16 Jul 2022 Mexico: Inflation hits 21-year high ahead of rate decision Consumer prices jumped 8.15 percent last month compared to a year earlier, Mex . Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. The State Department has released a notice warning U.S. citizens of the risk of violent crime, including possible kidnapping, in Mexico and urging them to exercise precautions if they choose to tra Two of them specified that they were rescued along with hundreds of other migrants by Mexican federal law enforcement on Dec. 7, and then began walking north on highways. To date, there have been no fatalities from monkeypox in Mexico, Lopez-Gatell said. Americas. Some kidnappings are carried out by insurgents as an act of terrorism, an effort to draw attention to their cause, or a means of extorting the government to comply with the kidnappers' demands. The Attorney General's Office suggested that Gonzalez had ordered the soldiers' kidnapping in retaliation for the April 22 operation to arrest Sal Alejandro Rincn Godoy, a suspected Jalisco. The US Embassy reports that within the consular district served by the consulate within the Embassy (the US has ten consular districts in Mexico) there were 771 kidnappings reported by the Mexico government. The incidents appear to comprise one of the biggest known mass kidnappings in Mexico in recent years, said Stephanie Leutert, an immigration expert at the University of Texas at Austin. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright @ American Post - 2023 - all rights reserved. Lopez Obrador took office in 2018 championing a "hugs not bullets" strategy to tackle violent crime at its roots by fighting poverty and inequality with social programs, rather than with the army. The state prosecutor's office in Chihuahua, along the U.S. border, said in a statement that it received a report on Monday that three people were killed in the town of Cerocahui after a man took refuge in a church to protect himself from an attack. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Civil Association Stop Kidnapping announced that the number of victims by kidnapping in Mexico increased 29.5 percent, compared to the month of December, registering 114 victims. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The kidnappings are a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants as they travel across Mexico, crisscrossing areas rife with drug violence and weak rule of law. 71% of non-family abductions happen on the way to or from school. They were kidnapped for the simple reason that they belonged to the army, Gen. Vicente Prez Lpez said. Choose From Thousands of Cancun and Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts and Hostels with Free Cancellation On Most Properties, TheCancun Sun Community FB grouphas all the latest travel news, conversations and tourismQ&As for the Mexican Caribbean. (There were 21,570 homicides . The statement did not say how the release took place. This tragic event led to the creation of the Amber Alert system, which utilizes radio, TV, text messages, and other communication methods to quickly notify the public when an abduction has taken place and, when possible, describe the vehicle involved. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. To make matters worse, the Stop Kidnapping Association reported that the state of Quintana Roo had the highest amount of kidnappings per hundred thousand inhabitants for August 2022. Mario Rizo, one of the migrants who said he was kidnapped, said he believed his bus was stopped in the area of the adjacent cities of Gomez Palacio and Lerdo by people in a municipal police patrol truck. Last year, more than 34,000 people nationwide died violently, most at the hands of organized crime. (March 20, 2022). Morelos state due to crime and kidnapping. Country Summary: Violent crime - such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery - is widespread and common in Mexico. Updated November 29, 2022 Kidnappings are used frequently in cinema because they create a unique type of atmosphere. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Most of the kidnapped migrants were Nicaraguans, who have been leaving their homeland in growing numbers to claim asylum and pursue better economic opportunities in the United States, encouraged by the knowledge they are unlikely to be immediately deported due to frosty relations between their government and Washington. EL PASO, TX ( NewsNation) Over the past six months, the U.S. Department of State has urged Americans to avoid travel to parts of Mexico and to "reconsider travel" to 11 more amid fears of violence by criminal cartels across the country. Dont Forget Travel Insurance For Your Next Trip! According to children kidnapping statistics, in 74% of abduction-murder cases, the children were harmed or murdered within the first three hours of being abducted. Like other criminal activity, the threat of kidnapping appears to be re-emerging, too. Authorities later said the man, identified as a tour guide, was "taken" to the church. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. It immediately builds tension and stimulates empathy from the viewers, sometimes before you even know who the characters are. The incidents appear to comprise one of the biggest known mass kidnappings in Mexico in recent years, said Stephanie Leutert, an immigration expert at the University of Texas at Austin. Updated: Aug 26, 2022 / 05:45 PM CDT. The army employs very few civilians or outside contractors, and it staffs most services from hospitals and schools to weapons factories with its own personnel. As these have eased, opportunities for criminal actors have expanded, and there appears to have been a return to some activities made more difficult under lockdown conditions, such as kidnapping. Moises, with the Baja California International Liaison Unit, stands on a beach in the village of San Felipe, Mexico . Market data provided by Factset. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. Recent positive developments aside, the Gulf of Guinea will remain a high-risk seafaring area in 2022. The U.S. Department of State issued a warning last month to reconsider Mexico. It also warned that the U.S. government won't be able to help Americans if they become victims of crime while traveling there. The kidnapping took place on Nov. 3, yet is just now spreading as news of Mexican military members searching for two kidnapped Americans has spread along the border. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. No, Big Brother: DeSantis vows to fight Biden's 'Ministry Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, US home prices just did something they haven't done since 2012, Rebel Wilson says Meghan Markle isnt as naturally warm as Prince Harry, Kristen Doute supports Ariana Madix amid mutual ex Tom Sandovals scandal, Celeb-loved jewelry brand Dorsey drops dazzling new styles, Undertaker transforms coffin into barbecue grill, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Tom Sandoval breaks silence on Ariana Madix split amid cheating claims. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. However, since 2018 almost 95% of kidnapped victims have been Haitian citizens, including clergy . While COVID-19 was the main reason for the the Level 3 warning issued on Dec. 8, 2021, it also noted: "Violent crime - such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery - is widespread and common in Mexico." American woman killed in mass shooting in Mexico, Colombia wants to deport "cocaine hippos" to stop them from multiplying, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Alex Murdaugh testifies 4 years after fatal boat crash involving son, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. Migrant estimates of the different incidents, combined with the INM figure, suggests it was over 1,000. The Army and INM did not respond to requests for comment about the Dec. 7 rescue, while the National Guard said it participated as it did on Dec. 5. 10. A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. It does not store any personal data. The head of the public safety unit in Gomez Palacio, Ivan Torres, confirmed at least 300 people had been rescued on Dec. 7 from a rural site in the area but that his officers had not been involved in the kidnapping. Currently, you are using a shared account. Monkey Pox - U.S. Embassy Cancun, Mexico (July 27, 2022) Mexico has confirmed 60 cases of monkeypox, Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion Hugo Lopez-Gatell said on Tuesday. Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Rosalba O'Brien, Before fatal collapse, Turkish building had skirted code thanks to Erdogan policy, UK says Ukraine forces under increasingly severe pressure defending Bakhmut, North Korea says US causing international arms control collapse, Philippines says Chinese navy ship spotted near disputed island, Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals. Thanks for contacting us. The state of Quintana Roo has only recorded one kidnapping case this year, despite the U.S Government issuing a travel warning regarding this issue.