Carjacking and highway robbery are serious problems in many parts of the border region, and U.S. cit

Travel Warnings are issued when long-term, protracted conditions special airline ticket commuting sarasota that make a country special airline ticket commuting sarasota dangerous or unstable lead the State Department to recommend that Americans avoid or consider the risk of travel to that country. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff. The countries listed below meet those criteria.
For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet website at where the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Country Specific Information for Pakistan can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Holders. They do not need to obtain a visa if they are holding a government passport. special airline ticket commuting sarasota In addition, Transiting Japan without a Visa (TWOV) is still allowed. Transiting means that they entered Japan with the purpose of transferring to another airline to travel to a third country. Usually special airline ticket commuting sarasota passengers are "in transit" and allowed to "TWOV" within 72 hours of entering the first country.
Exeptions: Non-U.S. citizens who are using airline passes special airline ticket commuting sarasota (or "Buddy Pass") are required to obtain a transit pass before connecting through Japan's airports. There is a possibility that the "buddy" pass holder might be stranded in Japan when there are not enough seats. To enter Japan, a transit pass is required. Citizens of the U.S. who are using "buddy passes" are OK to transit Japan without a visa.
Mexico July 12, 2013 The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens about the security situation special airline ticket commuting sarasota in Mexico. General information on the overall security situation is provided immediately below. special airline ticket commuting sarasota For information on security conditions in specific regions of Mexico, which can vary, travelers should reference the state-by-state assessments special airline ticket commuting sarasota further below.
This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Mexico dated November 20, 2012 to consolidate and update information about the security situation and to advise the public of additional restrictions on the travel of U.S. government (USG) personnel.
Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day. More than 20 million U.S. citizens visited Mexico in 2012. The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist special airline ticket commuting sarasota destinations, and there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal special airline ticket commuting sarasota Organizations (TCOs) special airline ticket commuting sarasota have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime that is reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes.
Nevertheless, U.S. travelers should be aware that the Mexican government has been engaged in an extensive effort to counter TCOs which engage in narcotics trafficking and other unlawful activities special airline ticket commuting sarasota throughout Mexico. The TCOs themselves are engaged in a violent struggle to control drug trafficking routes and other criminal activity. special airline ticket commuting sarasota Crime and violence are serious problems and can occur anywhere. U.S. citizens have fallen victim special airline ticket commuting sarasota to criminal activity, including homicide, gun battles, kidnapping, carjacking and highway robbery. While most of those killed in narcotics-related violence have been members of TCOs, innocent persons have also been killed. special airline ticket commuting sarasota The number of U.S. citizens reported to the Department of State as murdered in Mexico was 113 in 2011 and 71 in 2012.
Gun battles between rival TCOs or with Mexican authorities have taken place in towns and cities in many parts of Mexico, especially in the border region. Gun battles have occurred in broad daylight on streets and in other public venues, such as restaurants and clubs. During some of these incidents, U.S. citizens have been trapped and temporarily prevented from leaving the area. TCOs have used stolen cars, buses and trucks to create roadblocks on major thoroughfares, preventing the military and police from responding to criminal activity. The location and timing special airline ticket commuting sarasota of future armed engagements is unpredictable. We recommend that you defer travel special airline ticket commuting sarasota to the areas indicated in this Travel Warning and exercise extreme caution when traveling throughout the northern border region.
special airline ticket commuting sarasota The number of kidnappings and disappearances throughout Mexico is of particular concern. Both local and expatriate communities have been victimized. In addition, local police have been implicated in some of these incidents. We strongly advise you to lower your profile and avoid displaying any evidence of wealth that might draw attention.
Carjacking and highway robbery are serious problems in many parts of the border region, and U.S. citizens have been murdered in such incidents. Most victims who complied with carjackers at these checkpoints have reported that they were not physically harmed. Carjackers have shot at vehicles that fail to stop at checkpoints. Incidents have occurred during special airline ticket commuting sarasota the day and at night, and carjackers have used a variety of techniques, including bumping/moving vehicles special airline ticket commuting sarasota to force them to stop and running vehicles off the road at high speeds. There are some indications special airline ticket commuting sarasota that criminals have particularly targeted newer and larger vehicles, especially dark-colored SUVs. However, victims driving a variety of vehicles, from late model SUVs to old sedans have also been targeted. While violent special airline ticket commuting sarasota incidents have occurred at all hours of the day and night on both modern toll highways ("cuotas") and on secondary roads, they have occurred most frequently at night and on isolated roads. To reduce risk, if absolutely necessary to travel by road, we strongly urge you to travel between cities throughout Mexico special airline ticket commuting sarasota only during daylight hours, to avoid isolated roads, and to use toll roads whenever possible. The Mexican government has deployed federal police and military personnel throughout the country as part of its efforts to combat the TCOs. U.S. citizens traveling on Mexican roads and highways may encounter government checkpoints, which are often staffed by military special airline ticket commuting sarasota personnel or law enforcement personnel. TCOs have erected their own unauthorized checkpoints, at times wearing police and military uniforms, and killed or abducted motorists who have failed to stop at them. You should cooperate at all checkpoints.
The U.S. Mission in Mexico imposes restrictions special airline ticket commuting sarasota on U.S. government employees' (U.S. citizens working at the Embassy and the nine consulates throughout Mexico) travel that have been in place since July 15, 2010. USG employees and their families are not permitted to drive for personal reasons from the U.S.-Mexico border to or from the interior of Mexico or Central America. special airline ticket commuting sarasota Personal travel by vehicle is permitted between Hermosillo and Nogales but is restricted to daylight hours and the Highway 15 toll road ("cuota").
USG personnel and their families special airline ticket commuting sarasota are prohibited from personal travel to all areas to which it is advised to“defer non-essential travel”. When travel for official purposes is essential, it is conducted with extensive security precautions. USG personnel and their families are allowed to travel for personal reasons to the areas where no advisory is in effect or where the advisory is to exercise caution. While the general public is not forbidden from visiting places categorized under “defer non-essential travel,” USG personnel will not be able to respond quickly to an emergency situation in those areas due to security precautions that must be taken by USG personnel to travel to those areas.
Below is a state-by-state assessment of security conditions throughout Mexico. The accompanying map will help in identifying individual locations. Travelers should be mindful that even if no advisories are in effect special airline ticket commuting sarasota for a given state, crime and violence can occur anywhere. For general information about travel and other conditions in Mexico, see our Country Specific Information.
Aguascalientes: You should exercise caution when traveling to the areas of the state that border the state of Zacatecas, as TCO activity in that region continues. There is no advisory in effect for daytime travel to the areas of the state that do not border Zacatecas; however, intercity travel at night is not recommended.
Baja California (north): Tijuana, Ensenada and Mexicali are major cities/travel destinations in the state of Baja California - see map to identify their exact locations: You should exercise caution in the northern state of Baja California, particularly at night. There were 278 homicides in Tijuana special airline ticket commuting sarasota from January to June 2013. Mexicali’s murder rate has climbed from 14.3 per 100,000 in 2011 to 15.8 per 100,000 in 2012. In the majority of these cases, the killings appeared to be targeted TCO assassinations. Turf battles between criminal groups resulted in some assassinations in areas of Tijuana and Mexicali frequented by U.S. citizens. Shooting incidents, in which innocent bystanders have been injured, have occurred during daylight hours.
Chihuahua: special airline ticket commuting sarasota Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua City, and Copper Canyon are major cities/travel destinations in Chihuahua - see map to identify special airline ticket commuting sarasota their exact locations: You should defer non-essential special airline ticket commuting sarasota travel to the state of Chihuahua. In Ciudad Juarez, personal travel by USG employees outside the northeast portion of the city (the area near the Consulate General) is restricted. Although homicides have decreased markedly—from a high of 3,100 homicides in 3010 to 749 in 2012—Ciudad Juarez still has one of the highest homicide rates in Mexico. Crime and violence remain serious problems thr