Jackson Jambalaya

Cartels, Republicans, Democrats, crony capitalists; what's the difference....

Isn't that interesting? The cartel expert says that most crime associated with Mexican tourism is American on American, not Mexican on American. That is consistent with my observations after nearly 50 years of traveling in Mexico.

The suggestion that resorts are "safe" because cartels own or invest in them is false. The tainted food, tainted alcohol, and petty crimes are primarily associated with the resorts. We always rent a beachfront private condo or house with a kitchen and avoid resorts. If you want a canned resort experience, just go to Destin. If you want to experience Mexico, avoid resorts.

And no one drinks the water in Mexico, including Mexicans.

If you want to know where the cartels are operating so you can avoid areas perceived as dangerous to tourists, then review the U.S. Department of State's website for travel advisories for Mexico. That will tell you the states where cartels dominate.

There are over one million Americans living in Mexico and more moving there every year. Numerous Americans and Canadians retire to Mexico because the cost of living is so inexpensive there and it is a beautiful country with great food and people, a vibrant culture, and a relaxed way of life. Now that we are retired, we will probably start spending 6 months of each year in the Yucatan and the other six months at our home in Mississippi. We love being there and we are not afraid of Mexicans. You're safer in most of Mexico than you are in Jackson, MS.

Prohibition works!

Mexico - why in the hell would anyone want to go?

Took a trip to Mexico back in the fall. Ran into a lot of expats that run businesses in the area we were in. Never once felt in danger and never once had a problem. Also, we didn't stay in a resort either.

7:14 - In Jackson, the natives are killing each other as well as robbing visitors. Same is true in Mexico. I think your point is, "Why spend money to go to Mexico to be robbed, assaulted or murdered when you can do that in Jackson for very little?" Your claim that Mexico is safe is bullshit. And if we need to read State Department bulletins to figure out which roads to take....the answer is 'stay the hell away'.

Enjoy your retirement.

In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, after the flood waters receded, crime began spiking. I was living there at the time and worked closely with an engineer that consulted with the city on planning and infrastructure. In a meeting where tensions were high due to the increase in crime, this engineer shared that he had been assured that things related to crime were about to get better quickly because the two large crime families that had been in place before Katrina were moving back into town. Sure enough, within three weeks, the spike in violent crimes and especially property crimes was past and things began to settle back down. Interesting how things really run.

I've been vacationing in Mexico for over 40 years. We just returned from a 3 week vacation in the Yucatan.

Not content with his previous appeal to authority, and his need to be the authority, he goes deeper.

That is consistent with my observations after nearly 50 years of traveling in Mexico.

Heaven forbid someone should relate his or her personal experience about the subject.

I went one time. I was not pleased, got sick, worried constantly about cartels. You can’t take a weapon to Mexico with you...but you CAN arm yourself here at home. Just remember, the cartels have a hell of a lot to do with our illegal drugs coming into this country and will sell anything for a dollar. We really need the wall. Just a matter of time before the corona virus enters into the country through the southern border.

It’s just my opinion. I could care less who goes there or lives there. Just not for me.

to 7;14............ since you seem to be in total denial that mexico is out of control feel free to goggle CANCUN.......VIOLENCE IN THE TOURIST AREAS....... and read about the body counts from cartel violence. enjoy your six months per year in yucatan.

HELLO 7;14.....STRAP THIS ONE ON......goggle : dallasnews .com., 5 tortured bodies stuffed in vehicle in cancun bringing monthly total to 57................put that in you margarita and drink it.

Possibly one should consider that the Cartels have more than enough money to hire pro-trolls, to help "control Internet discourse". I suspect that many of the posts in this thread, are from such individuals.

And I have to wonder what (or who) a person has been doing down there, to feel the need to travel to Mexico for nearly 50 years. Tennessee Williams' account of being raped by a cabana boy on a Mexican beach, is what first comes to mind. Next, I'm remembering that great scene in 'From Dusk till Dawn', where the bordello full of vampires, is sitting atop an Aztec temple: "We even got horse p----, chicken p----..."

But maybe some regulars just go down there for the cheap booze, and the cheap drugs...

So give your money to the cartels through their cartel owned resorts, make them even more powerful than they already are.

United States Department of State

Mexico Travel Advisory

Mexico - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution

Exercise increased caution in Mexico due to crime and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or significantly restricted.

~~~~~

Crime in Mexico occurs at a high rate and can be violent, from random street crime to cartel-related attacks. Over the past year, Mission Mexico has assisted U.S. citizens who were victims of armed robbery, carjacking, extortion, kidnapping, pick-pocketing, and sexual assault. Mexico’s murder rate for the first nine months of 2019 increased by nearly 3 percent over the same period in 2018. Increased levels of cartel-related violence have resulted in turf battles and targeted killings, injuring or killing innocent bystanders. Travelers who find themselves in an active shooter scenario should flee in the opposite direction, if possible, or drop to the ground, preferably behind a hard barrier.

While Mexican authorities endeavor to safeguard the country’s major resort areas and tourist destinations, those areas have not been immune to the types of violence and crime experienced elsewhere in Mexico. In some areas of Mexico, response time of local police is very slow. In addition, filing police reports can be time consuming and may require the payment of a $10-40 processing fee. See our Mexico Travel Advisory for more information.

"Travelers who find themselves in an active shooter scenario should flee in the opposite direction, if possible, or drop to the ground, preferably behind a hard barrier."

I suppose that if someone is dumb enough to go to Mexico in the first place, that person probably IS dumb enough to actually NEED someone to tell them to run in the opposite direction, in case of gunfire.

France, England and Germany are also rated at level 2, same as Mexico, so I'm sure none of you snowflakes would dream of visiting Europe. Norway is level 1 so maybe you could expand your cultural experience by going there.

Associated Press: In Mexico, a cartel is taking over

Mexico’s fastest-rising cartel, the Jalisco New Generation gang, has a reputation for ruthlessness and violence unlike any since the fall of the old Zetas cartel. In parts of the country it is fighting medieval-style battles, complete with fortified redoubts, to expand nationwide, from the outskirts of Mexico City, into the tourist resorts around Cancun, and along the northern border.

Jalisco so likes violence and heavy armament that U.S. prosecutors said its operatives tried to buy belt-fed M-60 machine guns in the United States, and once brought down a Mexican military helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade.