U.S. Embassy Warns Travelers of Kidnapping Risks at Tourist Hotspot
Travelers are getting set for a busy summer season, but the United States embassy in one popular country is sharing some serious advice ahead of those warm-weather vacations.
The US Embassy and consulates in Mexico are warning travelers about using dating apps in certain areas of the country with a new security alert.
“You’ve got to be careful, buyer beware. You’ve got to assume that something bad could happen to you in this process,” said Bobby McDonald, a retired Secret Service agent and criminal justice lecturer at the University of New Haven.
“If you choose to use it, be on extra-high alert. Be extra careful of where you’re meeting this person or persons. Make sure that it’s in a public area. Make sure it’s an area where you’re going to have cellphone service. Make sure that you’re just watching out for yourself, situational awareness. Be careful and let people know where you are."
The embassy's warning of a potential kidnapping threat is specifically concentrated in the Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Nayarit areas. They say that "victims and their family members in the United States have at times been extorted for large sums of money to secure their release.”
The embassy also urged travelers to take caution when meeting new people, advising them to meet in public and avoid isolated locations like "residences or hotel rooms, where crimes are most likely to occur.”
McDonald gave more advice, saying that travelers should research areas that they're heading to, and that they should have the US Embassy's number close at hand if they're traveling out of the country.
Jalisco has the highest threat level of any Mexican region, with a "Level 3" designation, urging travelers to reconsider going there amid threats of crime and kidnapping. Nayarit is classified as “Level 2,” which requests that travelers exercise caution when going there.
Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom all currently have "Level 2" advisories on travel from the State Department.
“The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas,” it said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“We take seriously our commitment to provide US citizens with clear and reliable information about every destination in the world so they can make informed travel decisions. We make this information available to US citizens so they can be aware of their surroundings and take necessary precautions.”
As the summer travel season intensifies, it's clear that safety is everyone's top priority.