Acapulco travel ban

U.S. Government prohibits employees from Acapulco travel

The US government on Friday banned its employees from travel to the resort city of Acapulco, where an increase in the number of killings attributed to drug gangs in recent years has become the Pacific port one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

The new travel guidelines published online by the State Department extended a ban that already covered most of the state of Guerrero, where Acapulco is located, and which has been a critical point in violence related to trade and drug production.

The US government employees were allowed to travel to Acapulco long as they did so by air, not land. Yet they are allowed to travel by plane to Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, on the coast of the same state.

Acapulco, famous for decades for being a favorite of Hollywood stars and other American tourists, and home to about 700,000 residents, recorded 902 homicides last year, according to government figures. Throughout the state of Guerrero 2,106 murders were recorded, representing an increase of 33% over the previous year.

Violence peaked in the summer of 2015 in Acapulco, but homicide rates remain high and have even become common in tourist areas near the beach.

Last month, Good Friday, were discovered the dismembered bodies of two men in plastic bags and a cooler in neighborhoods that are located along the main coastal avenue in the city.

In late February, a street vendor was shot dead in broad daylight on the beach Condesa. Earlier this month, another victim – a man, was killed in the same area.

In January, another peddler was shot dead on the beach by a man who escaped on a personal watercraft.

139 homicides were recorded in Acapulco in the first two months of 2016. This is an increase from the 95 murders recorded in the same period of 2015, but less than the rate last summer, when 107 homicides were recorded only in August.

Guerrero is the only Mexican state to which the State Department has a ban on almost all travel for employees of US government but has warnings “caution” or “postpone non-essential travel” to other parts of the country that are beset by drug-related violence.

The US government on Friday banned its employees from travel to the resort city of Acapulco, where an increase in the number of killings attributed . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • sargassum-slams-cancun-playa-restaurantsSargassum Crisis in Cancún and Playa del Carmen Forces Restaurants and Beach Clubs to Cut Staff Businesses in Cancún and Playa del Carmen report steep losses due to sargassum, with restaurants losing diners and beach clubs sending staff on unpaid leave. Restaurants and beach clubs along the shores of Puerto Juárez in Cancún and Playa del Carmen are grappling with a sharp downturn in business due to a relentless invasion of…
  • puerto-vallarta-flooding-landslide-hurricane-erickHeavy rains flood Puerto Vallarta streets and trigger landslide in tunnel Flooding from remnants of Hurricane Erick paralyzed key roads in Puerto Vallarta and caused a landslide in the Luis Donaldo Colosio tunnel, Civil Protection continues damage assessment. The city of Puerto Vallarta was overwhelmed Thursday night by heavy rainfall that caused major flooding, stranded vehicles, and triggered a landslide in the Luis Donaldo Colosio bypass…
  • tropical-storm-erick-warnings-mexico-coastHurricane Erick will bring heavy rains to Puerto Vallarta Hurricane Erick Puerto Vallarta will bring heavy rains to Puerto Vallarta by Friday but poses no risk to the northern coast of Jalisco. Meteorologist Víctor Manuel Cornejo López, of the Civil Protection scientific committee for the Bay, reports that Hurricane Erick will deliver significant rainfall to Puerto Vallarta without threatening the region’s safety. According to…
  • huracan-erick-2025-mexico-peligroHurricane Erick Becomes Eastern Pacific’s Strongest Cyclone of 2025, Eyes Mexico’s Southwest Coast Hurricane Erick rapidly intensified off Mexico’s Pacific coast, becoming the second hurricane of the 2025 season and threatening southwestern Mexico with dangerous wind, rain, and storm surge. This story is available in Spanish: El huracán Erick se fortalece rápidamente y amenaza la costa suroeste de México The 2025 eastern Pacific hurricane season continues to surge…
  • hurricane erick damagePuerto Escondido and Pinotepa Nacional suffer severe damage from Hurricane Erick (VIDEO) Hurricane Erick caused widespread destruction in Oaxaca's coastal towns, including Puerto Escondido and Pinotepa Nacional, with downed power lines, flooding, and road closures. Oaxaca’s southern coast is reeling after Hurricane Erick made landfall early Thursday morning, slamming into Santiago Pinotepa Nacional at 5:30 a.m. with maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour. Although the…
  • Arrivals at Puerto Vallarta airport increases nearly 50 in JanuaryAirlines warn of possible flight delays and cancellations in Puerto Vallarta Airlines warn of possible flight delays and cancellations in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and more due to Hurricane Erick. Flexible travel policies are now in place. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco — Travelers passing through Puerto Vallarta International Airport and other major airports across Mexico may experience delays or cancellations due to the ongoing effects of…
  • sargassum-free-beaches-quintana-roo-summer-2025Sargassum-Free Beaches in Quintana Roo for Summer 2025, including beaches in Cancún Travelers looking for sargassum-free beaches in Quintana Roo this summer can still find clear waters in Isla Mujeres and parts of Cancún, according to updated reports. As the summer travel season ramps up, much of the Caribbean coast is once again dealing with sargassum, the brown seaweed that washes ashore in thick mats and affects…
  • cancun-hotels-sargassum-cleanup-failuresCancún government demands answers from hotels on sargassum cleanup failures Mayor Ana Paty Peralta will meet with hotel leaders in Cancún to address failures in sargassum cleanup efforts, amid growing environmental and public health concerns. The municipal government of Benito Juárez is taking a firmer stance on the growing sargassum problem in Cancún, calling on the hotel industry to explain its inadequate handling of seaweed…
  • puerto-vallarta-flooding-first-storm-2025Puerto Vallarta hit by flooding, fallen trees, and damaged roads after first storm of the season Heavy rain and a nighttime storm caused widespread flooding, road closures, and downed trees in Puerto Vallarta. Several key roads remain impassable. PUERTO VALLARTA — The first major storm of the rainy season swept through Puerto Vallarta overnight, leaving behind extensive damage across the city, including widespread flooding, blocked roads, and fallen trees. By morning,…
  • Know your consumer rights in Mexico Is it legal for restaurants to include the tipPuerto Vallarta restaurants face 33 percent staff shortage Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta face a 33% staffing shortfall as they prepare for a busy summer holiday season, aiming to boost sales by up to 60% despite ongoing labor challenges. As Puerto Vallarta prepares to welcome a surge of summer tourists, the city’s restaurant sector is grappling with a serious staffing problem—operating with roughly one-third…
Scroll to Top