Mexico 2019 Crime & Safety Report: Mérida

This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Consulate General in Mérida, Mexico.

The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Mexico at Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise increased caution due to crime.

Overall Crime and Safety Situation

The U.S. Consulate General in Mérida does not assume responsibility for the professional ability or integrity of the persons or firms appearing in this report. The ACS Unit cannot recommend a particular individual or location and assumes no responsibility for the quality of service provided. Please review OSAC’s Mexico-specific webpage for proprietary analytic reports, Consular Messages, and contact information.

The U.S. Consulate General in Mérida has responsibilities for the three Mexican states on the Yucatán Peninsula: Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. Based on travel industry and U.S. Department of State statistics, more than eight million Americans visited, or resided in this region in 2018. The State of Quintana Roo is home to the tourist destinations of Cancún, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and the coastal area referred to as the Riviera Maya. Yucatán state is home to the cities of Mérida and Progreso, and Campeche’s popular destinations for business and tourism include the City of Campeche and Ciudad del Carmen.

Crime Threats

There is moderate risk from crime in Mérida. According to Government of Mexico statistics, Yucatán and Campeche are among the safest states in Mexico. However, homicides increased to record levels in Quintana Roo in 2018. Most of the homicides in Quintana Roo appeared to be targeted assassinations linked to organized crime; however, turf battles between criminal groups resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens. Shooting incidents injuring or killing bystanders have occurred.

Crime not directly attributed to criminal groups varies in type and frequency throughout the peninsula, but is generally low. While there is no evidence indicating that criminals specifically target U.S. citizens, criminals usually choose victims based on perceived wealth, vulnerability, and inattentiveness. Exercise increased caution throughout the peninsula. Should you find yourself involved in an incident, do not escalate the situation.

1 Reduce their chances of being the victim of a crime at tourist destinations by traveling with a trusted individual and being cognizant of alcohol consumption. Do not accept drinks from strangers, and always watch your drink. There have been reports of individuals falling ill or blacking out after consuming unregulated alcohol. The Mexican Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS) is responsible for inspecting hotels, restaurants, or other establishments for health violations, including reports of unregulated alcohol. Contact COFEPRIS for more information, or to file a report. Additionally, if you feel you have been the victim of unregulated alcohol or another serious health violation, notify the American Citizen Services unit at the Consulate General in Mérida or one of the Consular Agencies listed at the end of this report.

Many vehicular accidents and incidents of crime affecting U.S. citizens involve the excess consumption of alcohol or individuals separated from their traveling companions. For more information, review OSAC’s Report Shaken: The Don’ts of Alcohol Abroad.

Be careful of cash transactions on the street. A hurried transaction for merchandise often leaves the customer with shoddy or counterfeit goods, out-of-circulation valueless currency, or incorrect change. Many shops and vendors readily accept U.S. dollars at their own exchange rate.

Credit card security remains a concern, especially in the tourist areas of Quintana Roo. There have been reports of criminal use of credit cards. Recent reports suggest that in addition to technical gathering, such as ATM skimmers, criminals may also acquire card data manually when cards are handed to or momentarily left with employees of businesses. For more information, review OSAC’s Report, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud.

Cybersecurity Issues

Social engineering of data for scams, kidnapping, and extortion schemes is a cybersecurity issue in the region. Police indicate that in most kidnapping and extortion cases, the victims were targets because of the large amount of personal information available on social media accounts. Mexican citizens are usually the targets of this type of cybercrime, but tourists are not immune to criminal exploitation based on their social media activities.

Other Areas of Concern

The U.S. Department of State updates its travel policy and the travel advisory for Mexico periodically in response to the evolving security situation throughout the country and individual consular districts.

In southern Quintana Roo, when traveling south of Felipe Carrillo Puerto or east of Jose Maria Morelos, serious communication challenges exist. Cellular and Internet service are virtually non- existent. For Quintana Roo, Yucatán, and Campeche, police presence and emergency response are extremely limited outside of the state capitals, population centers, and tourist areas.

2 Transportation-Safety Situation

For more information, review OSAC’s Report, Security in Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights.

Road Safety and Road Conditions

Driving requires vigilance and a defensive approach. Road conditions in the Yucatán peninsula are different from those encountered in the U.S. Local drivers are not uniformly well experienced, and often have cars that are in poor condition or disrepair. Be alert for vehicles moving more slowly than the rest of traffic, and for vehicles speeding through traffic signals at the last minute. Exercised extra care when passing a vehicle or being passed. Drivers should exercise extreme caution outside of major cities at night due to poor road conditions. Prepare for vehicles not using lighting at night; few, if any, road markings; poor lighting; and the presence of scooters, bicycles, pedestrians, and/or animals on the roads. Most accidents involve excess speed and/or alcohol. For more information on self-driving, review OSAC’s Report Driving Overseas: Best Practices.

When driving Cancún-Mérida or Playa del Carmen-Mérida, use the toll roads; they are better maintained, lighted, and have less frequent access points, intersections, and generally lighter traffic.

Check with your U.S. auto insurance provider regarding international coverage. Driving requires local liability insurance, which, in some cases, you must purchase separately from a Mexican insurance provider or through a rental car company.

Public Transportation Conditions

Local commercial and municipal buses and taxis are readily available in most cities. Drivers can be untrained and do not always follow the rules of the road. Vehicles may be poorly maintained or in disrepair. Accidents are common. First-class commercial bus service between major cities and tourist areas exists. For arrivals to the Cancún airport for tourist destinations in Quintana Roo, consider pre-booked private transfer services.

Whenever possible, use taxis arranged by hotel staff or located at designated stands, and avoid hailing taxis on the street. Ridesharing services are options as well, but not all platforms operate in all areas. For more information on alternatives to conventional transportation options, please review OSAC’s Report Safety and Security in the Share Economy.

Terrorism Threat

There is minimal risk from terrorism in Mérida.

Political, Economic, Religious, and Ethnic Violence

Civil Unrest

There is moderate risk from civil unrest in Mérida. While demonstrations occasionally occur, they generally remain peaceful, focus on domestic Mexican policy issues, and do not rise to a level of civil unrest. Taxi strikes and road blockades by taxi drivers have occurred in Quintana Roo in protest of ridesharing platforms. The Quintana Roo government has wavered on permitting these services; their long-term legality and availability is not yet determined.

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Religious/Ethnic Violence

Some indigenous Mayan communities have ongoing disputes and legal cases involving land, water, and other issues, but they rarely involve violence.

Post-specific Concerns

Environmental Hazards

During the Atlantic hurricane season (June 1-November 30), weather emergencies may affect the Yucatán Peninsula. Quintana Roo tends to suffer the greatest effects from Atlantic hurricanes; however, storms have caused flooding and disruption of utility services throughout the peninsula. Minor tropical storms can develop into hurricanes very quickly, limiting the time available for a safe evacuation. Travelers in affected regions have had to delay their departure due to infrastructure damage to airports and limited flight availability. Travelers should apprise family and friends of their whereabouts and keep in close contact with their tour operator, hotel staff, business contacts, and/or local officials for evacuation instructions in the event of a weather emergency.

Avoid driving during and after rainstorms; inadequate drainage creates street flooding and large, submerged potholes. Heavy rains may leave sections of roads washed out completely.

Critical Infrastructure

Portions of all three states are very rural and lack significant infrastructure and adequate medical facilities.

Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche is a hub for Mexican and foreign oil workers with vast littoral oil fields, and hosts numerous foreign companies performing service contracts. In the past few years, there have been a couple notable accidents in this sector, including rig fires and collapses.

Personal Identity Concerns

Same-sex sexual relations are legal in Mexico. The law provides for protections against discrimination based on gender identity. Travelers will find more openness and acceptance in urban areas, and conservative stances in rural areas.

Drug-related Crimes

Crime attributed to narco and transnational criminal organizations occurs in the tourist areas of Quintana Roo, and occasionally in Campeche and Yucatán. The infrequent reports of travelers as drug-related crime victims frequently link the victim to narcotics use or purchase, trafficking, or associating with cartel members. The primary concern stemming from drug-related crimes is the potential for bystander or “wrong place/wrong time” violence. Although infrequent, this potential threat is important to consider in Quintana Roo, as homicides and violent incidents have increased in public areas visitors frequent.

4 Kidnapping Threat

Kidnappings for ransom in the Yucatán Peninsula remain an anomaly. Express kidnappings are those in which criminals abduct the victim for a short time and force them to withdraw money, usually from an ATM; these are occurring with more frequency, but are still uncommon, and even less common among tourists or visitors.

The Yucatán Peninsula states continue to experience a high number of telephonic extortions and frauds (virtual kidnappings). Both forms of kidnapping mostly affect Mexican nationals; however, consular officers have received a few reports from U.S. expatriates and tourists experiencing virtual kidnapping or similar phone calls in the Mérida Consular District. For more information, review OSAC’s Report, Kidnapping: The Basics.

Police Response

Police presence and emergency response are extremely limited in rural areas outside of the state capitals, other population centers, and tourist areas. Corruption and involvement in criminal activity within law enforcement organizations, along with fear of reprisals from criminal elements, discourages many victims from reporting crimes.

An investigating officer may ask anyone involved in a traffic accident or victimized by crime to accompany them to a local police station to file a report. You must file a complaint in the area where the crime occurred. Attempting to file a complaint after return to the U.S. can be a difficult, time consuming, and a sometimes-impossible process.

Cooperate with the police if they stop or question you. When ticketing non-residents (out of state vehicles and/or drivers), it is common for local police to retain an ID or a license plate to ensure payment of a fine. If this happens, the police should explain where and how to pay the fine and retrieve the item kept as collateral.

How to Handle Incidents of Police Detention or Harassment

Do not offer tips or bribes in any form to police officers. In the event that an officer should suggest anything other than a normal solution to a traffic violation, note their badge number, nametag, or police vehicle number, and provide it to Consulate General Mérida or Consular Agencies Cancún or Playa Del Carmen. Notify the Consulate General or Consular Agencies should you encounter problems while traveling in this part of Mexico, including detention or arrest.

Crime Victim Assistance

911 is the national emergency number for police, fire, and emergency medical response. Operators generally will not speak English. In Mérida and Cancún, emergency response call centers have made efforts to staff emergency phone lines with English-speaking operators, but do not rely on this.

After reporting to the local police, U.S. citizen victims of crime should contact Consulate General Mérida or the Consular Agencies to report crimes and to receive information regarding available services.

5 Police/Security Agencies

Police forces operate at the federal, state, and municipal levels. At the federal and state levels, police authority operates in two primary functional areas: protective/preventative policing and investigative policing. Judicial police forces have primary responsibility to perform criminal investigations on behalf of the federal or state prosecutor’s office and have sole authority to arrest suspects not caught in the act. Preventative police forces patrol and prevent acts of crime through their deterrent presence. In practice, preventative police will respond to acts of crime in progress, and can arrest suspects caught in the act. Municipal police forces operate locally, providing preventative policing in municipalities. All investigative duties fall to state or federal judicial police depending on the law(s) involved. If you are involved in an incident, the police who arrive first at the scene will not be the same who will take your statement and make a report. You generally must go in person to file your police report at a police station for any judicial action or investigation to begin.

Other security forces include the Army (SEDENA, Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional) and the Navy/Marines (SEMAR, Secretaría de Marina). SEDENA and SEMAR forces sometimes act as a deterrent presence or appear in counter-drug operations in support of preventative police operations and federal initiatives.

Medical Emergencies

Useful information on medical emergencies abroad is available on the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs webpage, Get Help with a Medical Emergency Abroad.

Contact Information for Available Medical Services

Find extensive information for available medical services by region and medical specialty and available air ambulance services at the Consulate website.

Insurance Guidance

All doctors, hospitals, or medical facilities, public or private, require full payment for services, in cash or by credit card, at the time of service. Many times, U.S.-based health insurance plans do not cover travelers in Mexico; small procedures can sometimes result in bills of several thousands of dollars. Most providers are not able to bill a U.S. insurance company for payment. Rather, they will give you receipts for your payment so you may request reimbursement from your provider; be sure to get an itemized bill. The Consulate has received reports of local hospitals preventing U.S. citizens from discharge until payment in full or until both parties agree on a payment plan. Conversely, there have been reports of sick or injured U.S. citizens discharged or turned away from private hospitals because they could not pay up front for service. By Mexican law, hospitals must provide medical service only to preserve life. If you believe you are being charged unfairly, you may contact the Mexican consumer rights protection agency, PROFECO, at tel 01-800-468- 8722 and ask for an English-speaking operator.

Ensure you have adequate health insurance while traveling throughout Mexico. Medicare and Medicaid will generally not cover medical expenses incurred outside of the U.S. Many health insurance policies do not cover costs of air ambulance service. Consider purchasing insurance that will cover medical evacuation (medevac). It is a good idea to get a 24/7 phone number from your insurance carrier. For more information, refer to OSAC’s Report, Medical Evacuation: A Primer.

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Country-specific Vaccination and Health Guidance

Tap water is not potable. Bottled water and beverages are safe; many restaurants and hotels serve tap water unless you specifically request bottled water. Take normal tourist precautions with regard to drinking water, using ice, and eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and salads. For more information, refer to OSAC’s Report, I’m Drinking What in My Water? The CDC offers additional information on vaccines and health guidance for Mexico.

OSAC Country Council Information

The Mérida consular district hosts the OSAC Yucatán Peninsula Country Council that meets in Cancún on an ad-hoc basis during the year. Interested private-sector security managers should contact OSAC’s Western Hemisphere team with any questions.

U.S. Consulate General Mérida Location and Contact Information

Consulate Address Calle 60 No. 338-K x 29 y 31, Col. Alcala Martin Mérida, Yucatán, 97050

Consulate Contact Numbers

Dialing from the U.S.: 1-844-528-6611 Dialing from within Mexico: (01) 999-316-7168 Website: https://mx.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/Mérida/

Consular Agencies in Cancún and Playa del Carmen offer limited services for U.S. citizens.

Consular Agency Cancún Blvd. Kukulkan Km 13, Torre La Europea, Despacho 301 ZH, Cancún, QR, 77500 Dialing from the U.S.: 1-844-528-6611 Dialing from within Mexico: (01) 999-316-7168

Consular Agency Playa del Carmen Plaza Progreso, Local 33 Carretera Federal Puerto Juarez-Chetumal, Mz. 293 Lt. 1, Playa del Carmen, QR Dialing from the U.S.: 1-844-528-6611; Dialing from within Mexico: (01) 999-316-7168

A Consular Agent also operates in Cozumel, but does not have a physical office. Contact numbers are the same as above.

Nearby Posts: Embassy Mexico City, Consulate Ciudad Juarez, Consulate Guadalajara, Consulate Hermosillo, Consulate Matamoros, Consulate Monterrey, Consulate Nogales, Consulate Nuevo Laredo, Consulate Tijuana

Consulate Guidance: U.S. citizens should register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known. While Consular Officers will do their utmost to assist U.S. citizens in a crisis, travelers should always be aware that local authorities bear primary responsibility for the welfare of people living or traveling in their jurisdictions.

Additional Resources: Mexico Country Information Sheet, Consular Districts in Mexico

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