Mexico Travel: New Warnings for US Citizens by State Department

Six Mexican States are "No Go" Zones

Aug 13, 2025

The US State Department has increased its warnings to US citizens about travel to Mexico. On August 12, 2025, the State Department issued a "Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution" advisory covering the entire country to US citizens travelling to Mexico, and added "Terrorism" as a "risk indicator" for the first time alongside previously issued warnings about "Crime" and "Kidnapping or Hostage Taking" to the threats US travelers to Mexico could face.

The State Department continues to warn against ALL travel to six Mexican states. U.S. citizens are urged to "reconsider travel" to eight other Mexican states (the details about which we'll get to a bit later in this article).

The August 12, 2025, revised State Department Travel Advisory for Mexico also includes an updated "Advisory Summary:"

Many violent crimes take place in Mexico. They include homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery. There is a risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Mexico.

The U.S. government has limited ability to help in many parts of Mexico. U.S. government employees are not allowed to travel to certain high-risk areas.

Due to security risks, U.S. citizens should follow the same restrictions as U.S. government employees while traveling.

Emergency services are limited or unavailable in remote or rural areas.

If you encounter a road checkpoint, you should comply. Fleeing or ignoring instructions can lead to you being hurt or killed.

U.S. government employee travel restrictions (U.S. citizens are advised to follow):

May not travel between cities after dark.

Must rely on dispatched vehicles from regulated taxi stands or app-based services like Uber or Cabify and may not wave down taxis on the street.

Should avoid traveling alone, especially in remote areas.

May not drive between Mexican border cities, the U.S.-Mexico border, and the interior of Mexico. There are some limited exceptions.

Now, about those state-specific warnings to US citizens travelling to Mexico - it's first important to note that the US State Department issues four levels of travel advisories:

"NO GO" ZONES FOR US RESIDENTS:

The US State Department has placed six Mexican States under Level 4 - "Do Not Travel" advisories for US Residents, mainly due to the threat of violent crime by the Cartels there.

Do Not Travel To:

Colima state due to crime and kidnapping.
Guerrero state due to crime.
Michoacan state due to crime.
Sinaloa state due to crime.
Tamaulipas state due to crime and kidnapping.
Zacatecas state due to crime and kidnapping.

One of those states (Tamaulipas) borders the United States, which means the State Department is advising US residents NOT to cross from Texas into Mexico via the International Crossing Points from:

Brownsville
Los Indios
Donna
Pharr
McAllen
Hidalgo
Mission
Los Ebanos (Ferry Crossing)
Rio Grande City
Roma
Falcon Heights (Lake Falcon Dam)
Laredo

(Unless otherwise indicated, these crossings are all via International Bridges)

The State Department warns that "criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments.

Heavily armed members of criminal groups often patrol areas of the state and operate with impunity, particularly along the border region from Reynosa to Nuevo Laredo. In these areas, local law enforcement has limited capacity to respond to incidents of crime."

These "Do Not Travel" advisories cover many Pacific Coast tourist destinations, including Manzanillo, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa, Mazatlan, and Los Mochis.

"RECONSIDER TRAVEL" TO:

Baja California state due to crime and kidnapping.
Chiapas state due to crime.
Chihuahua state due to crime and kidnapping.
Guanajuato state due to crime.
Jalisco state due to crime and kidnapping.
Morelos state due to crime and kidnapping.
Sonora state due to crime and kidnapping.

Among the areas covered by this "Level 3" designation are the popular Pacific Coast tourist destinations of Ensenada, Rosarito, San Felipe, Puerto Vallarta, and Puerto Peñasco on the Sea of Cortez.

Because US State Department Travel Advisories are frequently updated, we strongly advise you not to rely solely on this article but to check for updates on the official State Department Website before you travel HERE .