"Armed criminal groups target public and private passenger buses traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers hostage and demanding ransom payments.. "Be cautious and discreet about discussing your financial or business affairs.". Meza Flores allegedly leads a number of armed gangs in southern Sonora, particularly in the municipalities of Navojoa and Guaymas. It will likely take more than a plea to ease the siege-like conditions. Such increased caution is advised in Quintana Roo state which includes popular tourist areas Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and the Riviera Maya. The countrys remaining 15 states and its capital city, Mexico City, also have a lesser warning: Exercise increased caution.. The requests for money began immediately. While Joey and I were chatting with a lovely couple from Tucson, we noticed people still shoving their way up front. Antonio Martir, who works in a beauty salon in a shopping center where La Soriana supermarket is located, heard gunfire and grenade explosions in the afternoon of Aug. 5 from a chase that went past on the street nearby. Visit Tijuana Explore Mexicos Culture And History In Just One Day From Shelbyville KY! Why are Criminal Dynamics Constantly Changing in Tamaulipas, Mexico? Traveling to those states is as dangerous, according to the State Department's safety ratings, as traveling to Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. I am certainly grateful to return to a clean, safe home, hot shower, and pleasant smells. Every year, thousands of Americans travel to Canada in order to save money on prescription drugs. Violence in the small border town escalated in January and resulted in the departure of a large number of families from a community where residents live in constant fear, hardly ever leaving their . Nogales, is not a tourist town. Most of what I read was not very favorable for Nogales which I thought was pretty unfair considering I had a great time during the day and at night. Que Dios te bendiga. Before you travel, you should learn the rules so that you dont face any problems when crossing the border into the United States. Its also not a stretch to say that Nogales is the worst smelling place Ive ever visited. Good food and if you walk across it is fast and faster than driving. Thank you for pointing this out. The rate of crime in Nogales is 64.57 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. We paid our $5.00, and left the green ticket in the car window. In July 2021, for example, a wave of shootings took place over the course of three days in Magdalena de Kino. The tourists standing there were looking angrier by the minute that no one was helping. Gang activity, including gun battles, is widespread," the agency says. ompanies that have established maquiladoras (factory in Mexico run by a foreign company) in Nogales include Continental AG, The Chamberlain Group, Walbro, General Electric. Everything from simple taco shells to exotic tortillas is available. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. Photograph: Bryan Smith/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock Even though I failed to follow my own rule of never eating on the tourist strip, both meals were inexpensive and pretty good. 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According to Lantia Intelligence, a firm that specializes in risk analysis in Mexico, the criminal group has consolidated during the first few years of the administration of President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador. Are there issues with crime? We just started using the dentist in Nogales and have nothing but good things to say about it. Unexpected changes in sidewalk elevation occur without warning. My first question is, why do all of these people keep shoving to the front of the line? The Chapitos are currently a big problem for the Sinaloa Cartel. In Nogales you have a 1 in 34 chance of becoming a victim of crime. Because there are so many fakes on the market, you should only buy if you think you have negotiated a good price. NEVER had problems. Although Ive lived in southern Arizona for almost two years, we havent had the desire nor the time to cross the border. The CJNG's main interest in Sonora appears to be access to drug corridors and border crossings. Then the computers went down! Some media outlets claim that the CJNG has expanded its presence from the southern part of the state and from the northern border of Baja California. Media outlets report him as Magdiel Ara Chan, who was off duty at the time. I will next time take off my wedding ring and proceed on. "It's not worth the risk because we don't know what could happen," he says. The violence is the worst cabdriver Juan de Dios says he has seen in his 40 years in Nogales. People stared at us everywhere we went. "Now we have violent deaths, gunfire from high-powered weapons such as AK-47s, we have crimes where four people die in a single act," says Arturo Ramrez Camacho, chief of police in Nogales, Sonora, in Spanish. The illiteracy rate for Nogales in 2020 was 0.99%. This means that this municipality has the largest per capita murder rates in the world. Keep a full tank of gas BEFORE you cross the border. With the rate of 138 homicides per 100,000 residents, almost six people are killed every day in Tijuana, according to the Citizens Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice. Get a Global Entry pass/card in the Sentry Program from Homeland Security. Summary of cost of living in Nogales. Hours later, the vehicle in question was engulfed in flames south of Nogales, in a lot between the Monarcas and Bellotas subdivisions. There's no evidence that drug traffickers are targeting Mexicans not involved in the trade or U.S. citizens passing through or visiting, Coulson and Ramrez say. Minor dangers in Nogales, Mexico Photo by brwaldon/Pixabay. I have now been here for 2 years, and I can honestly say I feel safer here than I did when I lived in Phoenix, AZ. We continued to watch the minutes tick by. . Compare Tucson crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout. There's another bullet hole in the plastic lining of the driver-side door. There is a separate line for those without passports though and it is usually slower. Only brought one credit card, passport, and $40. Dever, Estrada and Coulson agree the violence isn't likely to slow down until one of the cartels seizes control. Would we go there again? Murders have spiked in Mexico's northern state of Sonora, thanks to the volatile mix of a veteran drug trafficker's alleged return, internal disputes within the Sinaloa Cartel, and an offensive by the powerful Jalisco Cartel New Generation. "People's attitudes are changing," says Martir, 28, in Spanish. Nuevo Laredo: downtown, yep. Ensenada is a coastal city and also happens to be the third-largest city when it comes to population. We chose a small apartment when we moved to Arizona so we could still enjoy the privilege of travel when we want. Municipalities such as Cajeme and Empalme recorded even larger jumps in homicide rates, increasing more than 40 percent when compared to 2020. The U.S. State Department's travel alert regarding violence along the U.S-Mexico border lists Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros as areas of concern but doesn't mention specifically Nogales or any other Sonoran city. The total time from queuing up to setting foot on American soil: 32 minutes. A strong partnership between law enforcement and community members is critical for reducing crime, according to the FBI. Living here, Ive learned which pharmacies I can trust. We started walking. San Carlos is a small little community that lines the Ocean . As with any big city (in the US or elsewhere in the world) watch where you are. The shootouts were reported to be part of the battle between the Chapitos and El Mayo. In fact, since the mid-sixties, there has . Drug traffickers brought violence to spring-break meccas, shooting up nightclubs and leaving bodies in suitcases outside exclusive condos. If you return to the United States from Mexico with these substances, you will not be given a prescription by a reputable doctor. Ive seen CBP make them wait or send them back. Once again & I do feel better and ready to make another visit. The leader of a search group trying to locate missing loved ones even made a recent public appeal to cartel bosses to curb violence aimed at locals. Jen (or anyone else in the know), whats this about a senior line for re-entry into the U.S? Returning to the U.S.? Map out your drive and be aware of much needed bathroom stops. The city was founded in 1880 by a San Francisco merchant, Jacob Isaacson and called Isaactown. And I was quite surprised how quiet my room was being that close. Im leaning towards no after weighing all of your information. It will destroy their sewer or septic systems. You do not need to exchange your U.S. dollars, as just about everywhere will accept the U.S. currency. THERE IS NO REASON TO EVER GO TO NOGALES. Visiting Nogales made us realize just how rich we really are on the other side of the border. Nogales has an upbeat and festive vibe, and people are friendly and welcoming to one another. Nogales, Mexico: Most Populous Municipality In Sonora. It was higher than in 68.2% U.S. cities. The cartels are no longer waging their battles in back alleys or inside homes, Coulson says. The city was ranked as one of the 5 best cities to live in Mexico. Four of the 11 Mexican states that the State Department says Americans should "reconsider" traveling to Chihuahua,Coahuila, NuevoLeon and Sonoraborder the USA. Yeah I wouldnt be going for any of the hard drugs. A radio station told residents about a 10 p.m. curfew. Me and my partner visiting a friend in Phoenix, we are from Melbourne, Australia, heading to Nogales, Mexico on the 8th of May, your info has helped us greatly, thankyou!! Shopping good, pharmacy prices much cheaper than US (and same name brand meds). Our top priority is to keep terrorists and their weapons from entering the United States. That means the homicide crime rate was 29 per 100,000 in 2020. I wouldnt recommending leaving the U.S. without a valid passport. NOGALES, SONORA Officer Lamberto Ruiz climbs into his police truck and looks through a spiderweb of cracks fanning out from a bullet hole in his windshield. Global Entry access through Sentry? Vendors along Avenida Obregon in downtown Nogales say it's still safe for visitors to come across. Santa Cruz County Justice of the Peace Emilio G. Velasquez made his decision following hours of . Nogales (also Heroica Nogales) is a city of 185,000 people in Sonora on the United States-Mexico border.. My general feeling is that Nogales isnt for shopping. That was the extent of our three hours of wandering. Thousands of Tucson homes use 250% more water than you. I dont have any experience with the others. Talk to your friends, family, and co-workers to see if they have any recommendations. Although I did my best to hide my wealth by dressing in a jeans and t-shirt, and leaving the jewelry and expensive bag at home, we still looked like wealthy gringos. Once you leave the three or four tourist blocks, a whole different Nogales emerges. So this is how its done. It shares a 230-mile border with Texas, and murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, extortion and sexual assault commonly occur, the State Department says. After crossing the borders of twenty countries, this is by far the easiest. ONLY travel in daylight hours. Visitors to Nogales should consider parking in one of the many lots near the border because of the citys difficult traffic conditions. Nogales is not a place for tourists. Traveling to Phoenix to visit a friend. Many are very kind and hardworking trying to make an honest dollar, so all purchases are very much welcomed for them to feed their families. Quintero has been in hiding since his 2013 release from a Mexico prison, but narco-banners, media reports and statements by authorities claim he has emerged as the head of a new group, the Caborca Cartel, to regain control of Sonora. The Ambos Nogales binational region is strategically located as Mexico's gateway to Arizona and the entire Western United States. The food is great, the people are amazing and you can have a lot of fun with the shopping. The cartels have far more resources than the municipal police, making it a necessity to have federal and state police to back them up, he says. Sonora Crime News. Border Patrol agents discovered a tunnel beneath the street in October 2020. Anything like that right at the border will be expensive and not always legit. Is Nogales, Mexico safe? Americans cross the border to go to the dentist and buy cheap prescription drugs and and then leave. Joey and I were continually looking out for each other by pointing out the hazards. We really didnt know if it was safe, or of the stories of shootouts in the streets were true. That lack of communication makes it difficult to coordinate and cuts into the efficiency of the operation, he says: Contact reporter Brady McCombs at 573-4213 or bmccombs@azstarnet.com. I plan on walking into Nogales on my own on February 26 for the first time, having lived in Tucson for 2 years. Being on the street at night is quite dangerous, it is also better to move around the city only in groups. Nogales is in the state of Sonora, one of the most dangerous places in Mexico. 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