Mexico: Deadly clashes near Cabo San Lucas May 1

Event

Deadly clashes between members of a criminal organization and the Mexican military broke out on Monday, May 1, San José del Cabo, near the popular resort town of Cabo San Lucas (Baja California Sur state). At least eight people were killed, including one soldier; no civilians were harmed. The soldiers reportedly came under attack while carrying out patrols in the area. Military-grade weapons along with drugs, vehicles, communication equipment, uniforms, and tactical equipment were seized following the skirmish. It is unclear which group the assailants were linked to.

Context

A spike in gang and drug-related violence has been reported in the municipality of Los Cabos, home to San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, in recent months, in line with a more general trend affecting diverse areas in Mexico. The rise in gang warfare has pushed homicide rates to levels not seen since at least 2011.  

Los Cabos is a major tourist destination, which attracted 1.9 million tourists in 2015, of whom 50 percent were foreigners. Other tourism hotspots, such as Cancún and Acapulco, have also suffered from increasing rates of violent crime in recent weeks and months.

Advice

Individuals in Mexico are advised to remain vigilant due to high crime rates, including muggings, kidnapping, and extortion. Keep in mind that criminals are often armed (do not offer resistance if confronted) and avoid showing signs of wealth in public.

Due to extreme levels of violence linked to the presence of various armed groups, many Western governments advise against travel to a large portion of Mexican territory, including Guerrero, Colima, Sinaloa, Michoacán, and Tamaulipas states and the northeastern border with the United States, as well as to a lesser extent Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, Nayarit, Nuevo León, and Sonora states.