January 2018 State Department Mexico Travel Warning

January 2018 State Department Mexico Travel Warnings

Travel advisories for Mexico and Sonora

January 2018 State Department Mexico Travel Warning

Recommends that travelers reconsider travel plans to Sonora

The US State Department has issued an advisory that advises Americans with travel plans to visit Sonora, Mexico to reconsider those travel plans due to increased crime in the state of Sonora. While we still think that Sonora is a very safe place to visit (when using proper precautions), the warning has some merit.

The U.S. State Department issued its latest Mexico Travel Advisory on January 10, 2018, in conjunction with a State Department Fact Sheet that announced a new advisory system for international travel.

Both announced updates to how the State Department provides traveler information and advisories. Read more here.

Among the changes is a new four-category system of rating a nation or region within that country with respect to potential safety concerns, ranking areas from “1” (Exercise Normal Precautions) to “4” (Do Not Travel).

The state of Sonora, Mexico, along with other Mexican states along the U.S.-Mexico border, received a designation of “3” (Reconsider Travel), meaning that anyone with plans to visit Sonora should reconsider their travel plans. The rationale for the given designation was with a letter “C,” for crime – “widespread violent or organized crime is present in areas of the country.”

As always, the State Department has provided very general information with no specific sources or examples for the “C” rating assigned to Sonora. It also fell short in connecting the risk of increased crime to its potential connection with or impact on tourists and other visitors.

In fact, the only event in Sonora where they issued an alert in 2017 was for a January protest weekend on the border in Nogales, Sonora.

Here is the text regarding travel in Sonora, from the State Department’s International Travel Country Information Page for Mexico:

Sonora state – Level 3: Reconsider Travel

Reconsider travel due to crime. Sonora is a key location utilized by the international drug trade and human trafficking networks. However, northern Sonora experiences much lower levels of crime than cities closer to Sinaloa and other parts of Mexico. U.S. government employees visiting Puerto Peñasco must use the Lukeville/Sonoyta crossing, and they are required to travel during daylight hours on main roads.

U.S. government employees are prohibited from travel to:

The triangular region west of Nogales, east of Sonoyta, and north of Altar.
The eastern edge of the state of Sonora, which borders the state of Chihuahua (all points along that border east of Federal Highway 17, the road between Moctezuma and Sahuaripa, and state Highway 20 between Sahuaripa and the intersection with Federal Highway 16).
South of Hermosillo, with the exception of the cities of Alamos, San Carlos, Guaymas, and Empalme.

Is Sonora, Mexico Safe?

It is a shame that federal government employees cannot visit some of the marvelous locales in Southern Sonora like Navojoa and the beaches of Huatabampito. However, the State Department is right in erring on the side of caution, not only because Sonora can be a very dangerous place, but because levels of crime, especially in Sonoran cities, have increased over the past few years.

Due to its geographic location and proximity to the United States, Sonora has major smuggling corridors for the transport of drugs and humans across the border.

And in recent years Sonora has seen an increase in street crime, murders and assaults.

Just last year, summertime machete assaults shocked residents of Hermosillo and spread to other cities in Sonora. Retailers in Caborca demanded that the city’s municipal president do something to stop the high levels of robberies and theft, a movement that generated a response from local and state authorities. And residents of other cities also protested increased crime and insecurity.

And no discussion of how safe it is to visit Sonora should neglect mentioning the impact of the “Fast and Furious” debacle orchestrated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Justice Department, the U.S. Attorney in Phoenix and others, which resulted in the flow of thousands of automatic and semi-automatic weapons from Arizona into Sonora.

Although the program was ended, it resulted in well-armed criminal elements south of the border, and the flow of illegal weapons continues today.

However, as we and others point out, almost none of the crime and threats of crime affect tourists who stay in tourism areas and follow basic travel safety rules.

Conclusion

From a personal perspective, I have traveled in various parts of Sonora, Mexico for nearly 25 years and have never been assaulted, robbed or the victim of violent crime. On the contrary, I have always found the people of Sonora to be very friendly and helpful to visitors.

In fact, a week after the State Department issued its warnings and advisories I rented a car and took a week-long trip from Southern Sonora to Northern Sonora and the border, which included stops along the coast of the Gulf of California, border cities and the towns in the Rio Sonora region. I met a lot of great people, saw interesting and beautiful places and had an enjoyable time. Read more about my trip.

Ultimately the decision to visit and explore Sonora is yours, and will depend on your judgment and individual travel experience, plans and risk mitigation. If you would feel more comfortable traveling in a guided tour group, you can learn more about that here.

Safe travels.

January 2018 State Department Info for International Travelers

January 2018 State Department Travel Updates

New risk ranking system introduced

Changes in State Department’s Traveler Safety Information

On January 10, 2018, the United States Department of State announced changes to its traveler safety and security information, in a fact sheet titled “New Travel Advisories for U.S. Travelers.”

The fact sheet announces that State will discontinue its previous practice of issuing travel warnings and advisories, and will instead rank countries and regions within those countries using a four-tier advisory system.

Advisory Levels

They have assigned an advisory level number to a country or region, ranking the potential risk to travelers from 1 to 4, with level 1 as the lowest risk designation of “Exercise Normal Precautions,” and Level 4 being the highest risk advisory of “Do Not Travel.”

A nation’s traveler advisory level may differ with regions within the country.

For example, Mexico received an overall threat level of 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), and the Mexican states that share a border with the United States (including Sonora) all received a designation of Level 3 (Reconsider Travel). Five Mexican states received the highest Level 4 rating – Do Not Travel.

Additional Rationale – Letter Grades

The travel advisory levels are accompanied by a general letter grade to provide a rationale for the advisory level and “other specific advice to U.S. citizens who choose to travel there.”

The letter grade that the State Department used to justify its Level 3 designation of Sonora is “C,” for crime: Widespread violent or organized crime is present in areas of the country. Local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.”

Other letter designations used by the State Department in its new advisory system include: T for terrorism; U for civil unrest; H for health; N for natural disaster; E for a time-limited event; and O for other.

The State Department claims that it will review and update travel advisories based on security and safety information.

Decentralized Travel Alerts

In a move toward decentralizing travel-related information, rather than issuing a nationwide travel warning, embassies and consulates will now issue “alerts” to replace the previously used “Emergency Messages” and “Security Messages.”

This makes sense, especially considering last year’s discovery of tainted alcohol that was mainly at “all-inclusive” resorts in the Yucatan Peninsula and perhaps did not warrant the nationwide Mexico warning from State.

Alerts will cover areas such as “demonstrations, crime trends and weather events” (I think by using the term “weather events” they also mean to include natural disasters, like earthquakes and floods).

Summary

State has implemented an advisory-level rating system for foreign countries and regions within those countries, so that travelers can be aware of the potential risk level when planning a visit.

Advisories have not been eliminated, as claimed, they have just been de-centralized from top-level announcements to dissemination by the level of local embassy or consulate advisories.

See the State Department Mexico embassy and consulate messages and advisories here.

And read more Mexico travel information here.

To see all of the advisory levels State has assigned, click to visit the U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisories page.

22nd Anniversary of Radio XEETCH

22nd Anniversary of Radio Station XEETCH

Etchojoa, Sonora

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Indigenous Radio Station Celebrates 22 Years

Etchojoa, Sonora

Indigenous radio station XEETCH, the “Voice of the Three Rivers” in Etchojoa, Sonora, celebrated its 22nd anniversary over the weekend of February 17 – 18, 2018.

XEETCH transmits music and information in four languages – Yaqui, Mayo, Guarijio and Spanish – to a region that includes Southern Sonora, Northern Sinaloa and Western Chihuahua.

The annual event has become one of the biggest indigenous gatherings of the region, with more than 20,000 attending last year’s anniversary. And from the looks of it, this year there were even more attendees and participants.

Starting in December, the grounds of the XEETCH campus were converted to a large celebration venue, with traditional wood-and-thatch structures occupied by vendors of art and crafts, authors, healers, religious artifacts, dancers, traditional food kitchens and structures where members of various indigenous groups gathered.

Since the event was during Lent, many of the participants wore traditional clothing and masks of Fariseos, a Lenten season tradition of the Mayo and Yaqui peoples. There were also traditional pascola and deer dancers, women in beautiful traditional dresses and other examples of traditional clothing and dance.

For those who are interested in a first-hand cultural and learning experience with the indigenous people and cultures of Sonora, Mexico, the annual XEETCH anniversary offers a wonderful opportunity for a rich cultural immersion.

If you are interested in attending the 2019 anniversary with an Alamos, Sonora tour group, contact Ambos Tours of Arizona.

See more photos on our Facebook page

Driving from Magdalena to the Rio Sonora

On the Road in Sonora, Mexico

Scenery from Sonora highway 54 between Magdalena and Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico

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Drive from Magdalena to the Rio Sonora

Important note: This driving route is outside of the Sonora Free Zone, so a Banjercito vehicle permit (federal or Sonora Only) is required to drive in this territory of Sonora. I was driving a Mexican rental car that did not require a permit. Even though there are no customs stations or signage along the way, be aware that foreign vehicles are not allowed in this area without an importation permit.

There are different ways to reach the Sonora River highway known as the Route of the Rio Sonora. You can start from the north, at Cananea, or from the south from Hermosillo to Ures and on to the Rio Sonora highway.

Another route that is perhaps the most convenient way to explore the Route of the Rio Sonora is via the Kino highway, from Magdalena to Sinoquipe, Sonora.

On a pleasant day in January 2018 with just-right temperatures and abundant sunshine, I sat in my hotel room in Magdalena de Kino and studied the Google map of the area on my phone.

This was the last leg of a driving trip that had started in Navojoa, Sonora, through Southern Sonora, Hermosillo, the Coast of Caborca, Puerto Peñasco, the Golfo de California to San Luis Rio Colorado and the Western Sonoran border region and now to Magdalena. And I wanted to drive the Route of the Rio Sonora before returning my rental car to Southern Sonora.

I had driven Sonora highway 2 from Imuris to Cananea and did not particularly like it, because its sinous mountainside turns combined with heavy traffic could make it a challenging drive.

I once came around a blind turn east of Imuris and had to make a split-second swerve for the shoulder (thankfully there was one) to avoid a head-on collision with a semi hauling a double-wide manufactured home that was driving in the middle of the highway.

With that though still in mind, I considered taking an alternate route. Rather than driving to Cananea and starting the drive along the Rio Sonora where state highway 89 begins, I considered driving from Magdalena to Sinoquipe on Sonora highway 54, a drive of less than two hours that also passes through the pueblo of Cucurpe, which I had never visited.

Everyone I asked said that the road to Cucurpe and Sinoquipe was in good condition, and they were right. It looked to have been repaved recently, and with the exception of the last 12km (five miles) or so at the end of the drive, the highway is in very good condition.

To get to the highway from highway 15, also known as Avenida Niños Heroes as it passes through Magdalena, you can either take a turn to the southeast on the corner where the large Coppel department store is located, or at the intersection where you see the small bell tower monument.

Either street will pass through a residential section of Magdalena before it intersects with the highway. This route is also historically significant, and known as the Kino Highway, because Jesuit priest Father Eusebio Francisco Kino took the route to Magdalena when he left Cucurpe in March of 1687 to begin his significant work in the region.

The drive was very nice – beautiful scenery and very little traffic. The highway has a lot of curves and hills, and there are places where you can park and enjoy the scenery along the way, but do not drive too fast or you will not have enough time to safely pull off the road.

Use the usual precautions when driving on Sonoran rural highways – headlights on, be alert, do not pass other vehicles, keep your eyes on the road and drive at a reasonable speed.

The drive from Magdalena takes about 40 minutes until the road descends into the lovely, historic pueblo of Cucurpe, Sonora. Read more about Cucurpe.

Cucurpe to Sinoquipe

After leaving Cucurpe the road once again ascends into the hills and mountainous curves. Not far from Sinoquipe, there is a roadside parking spot at the Cajon de la Piedra Lisa (Smooth Stone Box Canyon), where Captain Juan Batista de Anza and his expedition were attacked in the middle of the night and barely escaped alive.

This is a first taste of the Spanish presence – from explorers, conquistadors and missionaries – that had such a large influence on the pueblos of the Rio Sonora. In fact, the body of Captain de Anza, who led his expedition to the Northern California region that is now San Francisco, is interred in a marble crypt in the beautiful mission church of Arizpe, Sonora.

The last 12 kilometers (about seven miles) of the highway is in bad condition, though passable. A road crew was doing some minor work, but it did not look like it was going to be finished any time soon. At any rate, the small inconvenience was tolerable, especially considering how good the roads were for most of the drive.

And as you turn the final corner of the highway and see the marvelous rocky cliffs and small town ahead, you have arrived at Sinoquipe, along the Route of the Rio Sonora. Read more about the Rio Sonora.

Scenery from Sonora highway 54 between Cucurpe and Sinoquipe, Sonora, Mexico

Roadside shrine near Sinoquipe, Sonora, Mexico

Day of the Dead 2017 in Sonora, Mexico

Festivals, processions and other events

Festival de la Calaca 2017 - Guaymas, Sonora

Day of the Dead - Dia de Muertos - procession in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico

Day of the Dead - Dia de Muertos - in Caborca, Sonora, Mexico

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Day of the Dead Altars

Day of the Dead Altar Components

Day of the Dead Cemetery Observances

Day of the Dead Art

Sonora Butterfly Refuge Restoration Project

Nature, Culture, Education and Traditions in El Júpare, Sonora

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The cuatro espejos butterfly conservatory in El Jupare, Sonora, Mexico

The Creadora de las Mariposas Cuatro Espejos is a butterfly conservatory, education center and cultural resource in the Mayo pueblo of El Júpare, Huatabampo, Sonora. Read more about the Creadora de las Mariposas Cuatro Espejos.

Four Mirrors (Rothschildia Orizaba) butterflies are large, beautifully decorated nocturnal creatures that are indigenous to Central and Southern Mexico, Central America and South America. They belong to the family of Saturnids, some of the most visually appealing butterflies, and are in the Lepidoptera class, which includes insects and butterflies with scales.

The butterflies have ribbed and symmetrically decorated wings in brown and gold tones, and in each quadrant there is a smooth square that reflects light like a mirror, from which they derive their name.

In the wild, the larva of the Four Mirrors butterflies are threatened by insects like flies and spiders, who lay their eggs in the cocoon a caterpillar has constructed. The parasitic eggs then feed on the protein in the chrysalis, killing the butterfly.

In addition to providing safe habitat for Four Mirrors butterflies, the Creadora de las Mariposas Cuatro Espejos provides a valuable educational resource to local students for nature and cultural learning, as it is a direct connection to the history, traditions, religion and culture of the Yoreme Mayo – its abandoned cocoons are used to create leggings for traditional dancers, and an economic stimulus to artisans and others in this small Southern Sonora agricultural community.

Damage from the break-in at he cuatro espejos butterfly conservatory in El Jupare, Sonora, Mexico

In September of 2016, the butterfly refuge was breached and burglarized. Most of its cocoons were stolen, leaving the facility without the ability to host more butterflies, help propagate the species, provide educational programs or create Tenabaris or other works of art.

Although its physical structure is still in good condition, the Crearadero has not recovered from the theft and has fallen into disarray. Plants that once provided sustenance and shelter to the butterflies have withered and died, and others have become overgrown.

Funding for the original construction of the conservatory was provided by El Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (Conaculta), Mexico’s federal agency that funds the arts. However, there is no money available to fund the needed tasks to restore the conservatory to functionality, and there are no local resources available to fund such a project.

Sr. Antolin Vazquez, project director for the conservatory restoration project

Damage from the break-in at the cuatro espejos butterfly conservatory in El Jupare, Sonora, Mexico

Traditional Mayo Pascola dancer and musician

Butterfly cocoons used to make the tenabari leggings worn by traditional dancers

Beautiful caterpillar of the cuatro espejos butterfly. Photo © Trinidad Vazquez Yocupicio

We believe that this butterfly sanctuary that is so important to the natural environment, religion, culture and economy of this community should be saved – restored and made functional again – and we hope that you do as well.

This campaign is to fund the first and largest phase of the restoration of the Crearadero de las Mariposas Cuatro Espejos butterfly conservatory, which will be accomplished in three phases.

Phase I

The first phase is to prepare the facility for the re-introduction of Rothschildia Orizaba butterflies, to include adding security structures to prevent future break-ins. This phase will be the most costly and labor-intensive of the project, and if we receive enough donations they may be sufficient to accomplish all three phases of the restoration.

It includes: consultation with a plant scientist to plan the restoration of the habitat and implement safeguards to prevent the entry of natural predators and hazards; clean the facility to remove dead plants, trim existing plants and add new plants; add an exterior perimeter security fence; and patch and repair holes in the exterior fabric.

Phase II

When the facility is ready, the second phase will be the reintroduction of the butterflies to the site by transplanting butterfly eggs.

Phase III

And the third phase is the full operation of the conservatory, to include maintenance and additional security. The goal is to make the facility self-sustaining at some point in the near future, but in the immediate time after the conservatory enters operational phase there will be a need for resources to fund services (maintenance, horticulturalist, security) and supplies.

We will report on the progress of the project, and if you have any questions or would like to contribute, please contact us.