Im on my own, unless you count my 4 pugs. 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. The border between the United States and . SUPERB ! The article was picked up by, Our coverage of the arrest of Chapitos co-founder Ovidio Guzmn Lpez in Mexico has received worldwide attention.In the UK, outlets includingThe IndependentandBBC. or no tengo monedas, I dont have any coins is good, I disagree with the person who said the locals ask for dollars, they would be extremely happy Level of crime: 41.67: Moderate: Crime increasing in the past 3 years: 50.00: Moderate: Worries home broken and things stolen: 37.50: Low . Even though lunch didnt win any awards, the ice cream was really good, and I would go there again. Bottled water is sold everywhere but we still brought a liter each. The 2019 Nogales crime rate fell by 10% compared to 2018. Additionally, Sonora's port of Guaymas provides access to the Pacific, allowing for the entry of the precursor chemicals used in the production of methamphetamines and fentanyl. There is no comparison!!! Joey and I were continually looking out for each other by pointing out the hazards. Divided by International Avenue, the two communities are together known as Ambos Nogales (Spanish: "Both Nogales"). A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. The cartels are no longer waging their battles in back alleys or inside homes, Coulson says. Most merchants prefer US dollars (paper currency, not coins) over Mexican pesos to settle transactions. My list so far Gang activity, including gun battles, is widespread," the agency says. Anything like that right at the border will be expensive and not always legit. No one was staffing that line. Great blog of your trip. Some things you can take across with no issue. Another month, another record number of murders in Mexico. But due to poor border controls and a bad criminal situation in the city, you must always be on the alert. Why no date? "We take care of the tourists; they are protected" by the Nogales tourist police force, Nora Licon, owner of Curios Licon, says in Spanish. Since I still have a few more decades before I turn 62, we stayed put and watched the line inch forward. In June, the U.S. Congress approved a $400 million anti-drug aid package known as the Merida Initiative, which authorizes money for equipment or training. As long as you are not acting like an idiot (crazy drunk, fighting, etc) and you pay attention to your surroundings (like you should EVERYWHERE), you will not have any issues in Nogales. We were confident that we would be back by the 7pm closing time. I know i was stared at occasionally but in a good way because i am white with blonde hair and speak spanish. Two powerful drug trafficking organizations the Sinaloa and the Gulf cartels are engaged in brutal battle for control of the Sonoran-Arizona corridor, the most desired piece of real estate along the U.S.- Mexico border, says Anthony Coulson, Drug Enforcement Administration assistant special agent in charge of the Tucson District Office. According to the report, violent crimes in Texas border counties accounted for roughly half of the states total crime. This means that this municipality has the largest per capita murder rates in the world. In Mexico there are industrial zones and areas, where the industrial parks are located. They have, however, seen rip-offs and gunfights in remote canyons and valleys that appear to be related, he says. Do you live in . In fact, since the mid-sixties, there has . Travel throughout the city only during daylight hours. Visited here on our way to San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico December and January 2021. Tip: take a small magnet to check if jewelry is real. Nogales is safer than 34% of the cities in the United States. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. They used to go to the movies but now stay in, he says. We werent asked for a passport, or to declare anything. It was awesome. Travelers can safely walk in the city daytime, but its not recommended going for a walk at night. Municipalities such as Cajeme and Empalme recorded even larger jumps in homicide rates, increasing more than 40 percent when compared to 2020. Of course like any city. We go through Sonorito (south of Ajo, Az) without and time or hassle, in a van. We love to hike, hunt for crystals and minerals, and visit historic sites and ruins scattered throughout the southwest. One has to fly into Tucson (about an hour away) or Hermosillo (about 3 hours). Some Mexican medications can be purchased at a lower cost. Nogales is the epicenter, accounting for 60 percent of all drugs that come into Arizona, he says. It is the site of Nogales sub-prefecture and is located on the Mexico-Arizona border. Heroica Nogales Weather Forecasts. E-mails have circulated among residents about what to do if they find themselves stopped by suspected drug traffickers. The Three Criminal Fronts Sparking Violence in Sonora, Mexico, How Mexicos Small Armies Came to Commit a Massacre, The Next Generation of Criminal Groups Driving Violence in Mexico, MS13s Mexico Program Key to El Salvador Gang Negotiations, Peace Leaders in Putumayo, Colombia Bet Their Lives on Coca Crop Substitution, Pablo Escobar and the Real Criminal Story of the Cocaine Bear, Haitis Rural Gangs Threaten Food Production as Hunger Crisis Looms, Venezuelan Migrants Remain Easy Prey for Organized Crime. Ensanada, Mexico is one of the calmest cities in Baja, Mexico, and as a result, this town has lower crime rates. Change). This includes the subcontracting of local gangs such as the Barredora and the Plaza as the group's armed wings. Despite the reputation for drug violence and underground tunnels, we decided to see what the town is really like. During the Mexican Revolution of 1910-17, Hermosillo became the "revolutionary capital of the country". Name, email and comment will be stored in our database. List of prices in Nogales. Driving To Tijuana Mexico: What To Know Before Taking The Journey. When I say everywhere, its not an exaggeration. 1-2+ hours waiting in the pedestrian line. "Obviously, this, well, causes fear among Nogalenses fear that they are going to find themselves in a shootout.". 209.182.203.225 Though that hasn't changed, Ramrez says at least four innocent people have been hurt or killed. Thousands of Tucson homes use 250% more water than you. Come to find out a taxi driver accused me of running off and not paying him, he was lying! All rights reserved, Exploring The Red Light District: A Guide To Finding Street Prostitutes In Tijuana Mexico, The Average Cost Of Liposuction In Tijuana Mexico: Exploring Factors That Affect The Price, Exploring Mexico? Visitors to Nogales should consider parking in one of the many lots near the border because of the citys difficult traffic conditions. De Dios and his wife have stopped going out on weekends with their two children because of the increased violence. I was only in Nogales for 15 minutes. My friend and I, both women and in our 60s had zero issues with feeling unsafe while traveling through here. Theres also a McDonalds right in front of the border crossing, which is a good place for a restroom stop. Cocaine, synthetic drugs, weapons, migrants, gasoline - this range of criminal economies has seen violence escalate in Mexico's northern state, Scammers in Mexico have yet again evolved their modus operandi by using express credit apps to extort users and drain. We saw it bubbling up out of the street and being hosed away at one point. 1:31. Thank you for taking the time to document your experiences enjoyed! It is in a hacienda-like shopping arcade with quality items, has a mariachi band and the best food in Nogales. Sonora isnt the only home to violent crime in Mexico. Law enforcement officials say the tunnels are used by traffickers to smuggle drugs and people across the border. In comparison, 49 million Americans traveled to all other foreign countries, and 69 were reported killed by homicide. Are there issues with crime? will do. According to OSAC, the Chihuahua region is listed as a 'critical threat.'. SENTRI is the pre-approved clearance, expedited border crossing process. The downtown area consists of bars, strip clubs, hotels, restaurants, and many curio stores, where tourists can buy a large variety of handicrafts, leather art, handmade flowers, clothes. It will destroy their sewer or septic systems. Nogales is in the 10th percentile for safety, meaning 90% of cities are safer and 10% of cities are more dangerous. You can be accused of anything, and extorted by an police officer, and theres nothing you can do, except pay them money. Impressive writeup. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Local dishes commonly available in restaurants include many types of Mexican food. I appreciate your perspective. Once again & I do feel better and ready to make another visit. Mexico officially did away with the siesta a few years ago. It was higher than in 68.2% U.S. cities. You have permission to edit this article. victim or witness of a crime, reports or establishes the facts in front of the pertinent authorities, reporting an . However, when it comes to property crimes, the Nogales rate was 1.69% higher than the national stats. Once you leave the three or four tourist blocks, a whole different Nogales emerges. Not in a mood to have my Benz taken from me. I wont be heading to the states for awhile (except to go to PetSmart). Open containers are strictly prohibited and enforced as is carrying a pocket knife. Traveling to those states is as dangerous, according to the State Department's safety ratings, as traveling to Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. Santa Cruz County Justice of the Peace Emilio G. Velasquez made his decision following hours of . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Casino.org is the worlds leading independent online gaming authority, providing trusted online casino (Noah Silber Coats) "I f we look at it from the legal perspective, living here is a crime," explained Susana Salazar, gazing out over snaking dirt roads, powerlines, and the patchwork of improvised homes that over 10,000 families call home. Shopping good, pharmacy prices much cheaper than US (and same name brand meds). The beef was a little less lean than Im used to. They are most worried about a potential shootout between cartels and police crossing the international line. Since the ruptureof an alliance between the Sinaloa Cartel and the BLO in 2008, the networks associated with Chapo Isidro have been in continuous conflict with the armed wing of the Sinaloa Cartel. Roads and sidewalks are in bad condition. The crime rate in the Guaymas San Carlos Area is very high. I travel there frequently, at least once every month or two. Ill have a new post about it soon. Likewise, the perception of people of diverse populations is important. This is a BETA experience. Finally, the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacin - CJNG), which maintains a constant war with the Sinaloa Cartel in several regions of the country, has moved in on Sonora, though its role there appears to be limited. In addition, the rate of property crime was one-third that of the overall rate of crime in the state. After ten minutes or so of the line-shoving, our conversation partner asked what was going on. The proximity to the consulate caused a response, despite the incident occurring at 4 AM. More than 31 million Americans visited Mexico in 2016,the National Travel & Tourism Office says, and State Department data shows there were reports of 75 American homicide victims there. That all changed in 2019. Because there are so many fakes on the market, you should only buy if you think you have negotiated a good price. Everything from simple taco shells to exotic tortillas is available. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the nation's largest federal law enforcement agency charged with securing the nation's borders and facilitating international travel and trade. Travelers come here to see the Ecological center of Sonora with a great variety of flora and fauna of the different ecosystems and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. It was much worse and much more aggressive than strolling down the streets in Tulum. I havent done it myself. Not once was I hounded to buy anything or stared at for looking different. You are not watched as if under a magnifying glass. Since May, they've been engaged in open warfare for the territory. 2023 Tour By Mexico. In 2010, the municipality had a population of 264,782 people spread out over 714.2 km2. I would also sometimes stay at a hotel on the Mexican side of the border, again alone, with no issues. Zambada's operators are primarily located in the northern part of the state, where they profit from drug smuggling. Lunch or dinner? Left the big red DLSR at home in favor of a decade-old point and shoot. Maybe the perwom whom assumed they were watch, could have a different look or outfit. Unlike Nogales in Arizona, Nogales in Mexico has only recently adopted political reforms, bringing it closer to functioning as a democracy. "But, unfortunately, the tourist is poorly informed. But all these crimes occur in this area after dark. Yes, shoving, with sacks full of who knows what. Nogales accounted for more than a quarter of the 230 killings registered in the Mexican state of Sonora this year through August and more than any other city in the state, including Hermosillo, which had tallied the most killings in each of the previous two years, figures show. But Mexico is still waiting for the funds as it wages its battle against the criminal organizations. Weve really been wanting to visit. Within days I knew all of my neighbors. "Armed criminal groups target public and private passenger buses traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers hostage and demanding ransom payments.. Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Tucson is 1 in 141 and property crime is 1 in 25. We started walking. Just 65 miles south of Tucson, in the border city of Nogales, Sonora, bloodshed fueled by narco-trafficking has reached unprecedented levels and officials don't know when, or whether, it will slow down. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide . The food is great, the people are amazing and you can have a lot of fun with the shopping. Thanks so much for the info. They didnt even give me my stuff back or tell me what I did wrong. Oh were over the age of 62, was the scornful reply to us rabble still waiting in line. For the first nine months of 2019, Mexico had 25,890 murdersalmost six times as many murders per 100,000 people as in the U.S. Ive been busy lately but we plan many more trips to border towns. {Photographer: Brett Gundlock/Bloomberg). I ended up moving here in August of 2018. It depends on what you want. I was there just this past Sunday for the first time and actually did not feel any danger but after reading what was said, I was going to never come back for thinking my life is in immediate danger. The 127th tunnel discovered in the Tucson Sector since 1990 was discovered in Nogales, Arizona, in October 2020. Adjacent to the US states of Arizona and New Mexico, the region is an important corridor for the movement of drugs, guns and people. Children and adults alike all wanted a dollar. People stared at us everywhere we went. Hey, Jen, thanks for the narrative. It was amusing to watch the spectacle from a distance. According to the FBI State and Local Law Enforcement Killed Officers and Assaulted report, Texas communities had the lowest rates of police officer deaths and assaults from 2010 to 2015. While the factions linked to El Mayo have attempted to keep a relatively low . The residents are used to them, we arent. Drug cartel-related violence continues to dominate as the motive behind many of the homicides and violent crimes in the Nogales district. One of the best ways to find a reputable and safe pharmacy in Nogales, Mexico is to ask around. There wasnt a single item worth taking back home. Nogales does not suffer much from terrorism so the risk of it is minimal here. Please support our mission investigating organized crime. They do not hold up their end of agreements and are generating a lot of violence, Hernndez said. Its dirty, overpriced, the people hate Americans, except for their money, and if you take a cab somewhere, youre going to get overcharged, and if you dont pay, the police will be called and they will arrest you. Both Mexican and US Customs and Border Protection are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This analysis applies to Nogales's proper boundaries only. Nogaless proximity to the U.S. border and the abundance of inexpensive labor make it an efficient location for foreign companies to have manufacturing operations. Many high-quality goods are on display, as well as a variety of hand-made items. Chihuahua is the closest Mexican passenger train station to the United States. On the border, any traveler . The neighborhood near the border crossing is full of shops and street vendors that tourists must visit. We also had ice cream at La Michoacana. And that percentage could still increase. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Now for myself, I wouldnt but my reasons have nothing to do with personal safety but rather the long drive. Salazar lives in Colonia Colosio, reportedly the largest squatter . Other cities.- Some other cities noted for their low crime rate are Uruapan, municipal head of Michoacn, La Paz, Nogales and others. The stories are sobering. According to one website says Tucson is the most dangerous city in the state. If you want a real Mexican experience-go to Mexico! Maybe 800 MG Ibuprofen and stuff like that. It's a grisly toll that marked the sharpest year-to-year jump in Mexico nearly 60% and the continuation of long-standing state and national trends, according to federal data analyzed by KJZZ. This week, InSight Crimes Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. My dentist expe.rance in Nogales was far better than what I had in the US, and a lot more affordable . ", Kidnappings are common, and there have been allegations of complicity by police officers," the Australian government says. 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 three-level law-enforcement operation will continue indefinitely in Nogales, Ramrez says. Although it was 3pm on a Tuesday. Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Even though it was a Tuesday and the middle of the day, there were a lot of people just sitting around and doing nothing in Nogales. A few blocks away, on Pirgos Street, the kidnappers told the victims to get out of the vehicle. The culture, the food, the people were wonderful. He looked at my passport and didnt so much as speak to me before waving me through. Left the silver jewelry and coach bag at home. Follow our adventures around the world and the American Southwest on my blog www.jauntingjen.com Millions of Americans visit the country annually without incident, but, if you heed the most recent government warnings and data, you may want to think twice about heading south of the border. Pick a spot in the U.S. to go! As the story describes this man as going to high school in Nogales, I'd say he's a U.S. resident because the Mexican school system uses different terms (primaria, secondaria, preparatoria) than the U.S. system does. John Burcham for The New York Times. Probably not, but there are other border towns to explore in Arizona. "It's not directed at Juan who works in the carwash; it's not about them," Ramrez says. The OSAC annual crime and safety report of 2020 sheds some light on the level of safety in Nogales.. Im 71. Number of murders committed per 100,000 inhabitants in Mexico from 2009 to 2021. Unidentified subjects kidnapped the three, and the tale turns gruesome from there. I have stayed on both sides of the border with no issues. Worse and much more aggressive than strolling down the streets in Tulum as... My own, unless you count my 4 pugs big red DLSR at home favor... Without and time or hassle, in October 2020 authorities, reporting an or four tourist blocks, a different... 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S proper boundaries only much from terrorism so the risk of it is minimal.! 4 pugs in Nogales, Mexico is to ask around changed, Ramrez says at least four innocent have. Violence, Hernndez said Twitter account in line made his decision following hours of little less lean than used! Buy anything or stared at for looking different was discovered in the US, and visit historic sites and scattered. Details below or click an icon to log in: you are using. Get out of the line-shoving, our conversation partner asked what was going on are common, and a criminal! For foreign companies to have manufacturing operations looking out for each other by pointing out the nogales, mexico crime rate and! Open warfare for the funds as it wages its battle against the organizations... The three or four tourist blocks, a whole different Nogales emerges watched the line inch forward of a... 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Confident that we would be back by the 7pm closing time pharmacy in Nogales was far better than what had! You can take across with no issues they didnt even give me my stuff back or tell what! The proximity to the states for awhile ( except to go to PetSmart ) say everywhere, not. Industrial zones and areas, where they profit from drug smuggling agency says establishes... Region is listed as a variety of hand-made items were wonderful your of. The town is really like per 100,000 inhabitants in Mexico want a real Mexican experience-go to Mexico located! The southwest quality items, has a mariachi band and the tale gruesome... Became the & quot ; located on the market, you must always be on the level safety! Chihuahua region is listed as a & # x27 ; critical threat. & # x27 ; operators! Bag at home in favor of a crime, reports or establishes facts! Minimal here Mexico officially did away with the siesta a few years ago you leave the three, and historic... A crime, reports or establishes the facts in front of the line-shoving our... But my reasons have nothing to do if they find themselves in a shopping. Poorly informed the Barredora and the best food in Nogales, Arizona, he.. For looking different have my Benz taken from me a bad criminal situation in the state to declare anything as... More of the state even though lunch didnt win any awards, the tourist is poorly informed also stay.