Mexico: US restrictions on Playa del Carmen lifted March 16 /update 2

Event

On Friday, March 16, the US lifted its travel warning (in effect since March 1) for Playa del Carmen (Quintana Roo state) permitting US government personnel to travel to all parts of the city as well as to use the ferry services between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. The US government still advises US citizens to exercise increased caution due to concerns over high rates of crime.

Context

From March 7 through March 12, the US Consular Agency in Playa del Carmen was closed due to undisclosed security concerns. This closure followed a series of security incidents in the region in the preceding weeks. On February 21, an explosion rocked a ferry operating between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, wounding 25 people. On March 1, Mexican authorities discovered two undetonated explosive devices on a ferry that provides service on the same route. The second incident prompted the US Embassy in Mexico to issue a security alert prohibiting US government employees from taking these ferries until further notice. The Mexican government has since claimed that there is no known connection between the two incidents and organized crime. On March 15, Mexican authorities announced plans to reinforce security at the country's Caribbean ports and docks, notably the Cozumel and Playa del Carmen docks.

Advice

Due to extreme levels of violence linked to the presence of various armed groups, some Western governments advise against travel to a large portion of Mexican territory, including Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas states, the northeastern border with the US, and, to a lesser extent, Baja California, Chihuahua, Durango, Jalisco, Nayarit, Nuevo León, and Veracruz states.