Mexico 2008 Crime & Safety Report: Nuevo Laredo

Crime & Safety
Americas - Mexico
5 Feb 2008

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Overall Crime and Safety Situation



Nuevo Laredo was the scene of a vicious war between rival criminal elements that resulted in numerous murders in the last few years. Some of the victims were Americans citizens and most of the crimes remain unresolved. In additions to the murders, kidnapping for ransom emerged as serious problem. Many prominent business people were abducted and released after the alleged payment of ransom of up to several hundreds of thousands of dollars.



Official corruption, lack of public confidence, and media sources that are constantly threatened by drug cartels contributed to the perception of a violent city out of control. However, since the beginning of 2007, the security situation in Nuevo Laredo began to show signs of improvement. The number of homicides in 2007 was the lowest in five years. Homicides dropped from 187 in 2006 to approximately 45 in 2007. For a city of this size, these figures are high in comparison to cities of similar size in the U.S. Nevertheless, violent crimes reported by U.S. citizens have considerably decreased and reports of kidnappings have essentially ceased.


Although Nuevo Laredo’s security situation has improved, visitors are urged to remain vigilant during their stay. Travelers should leave valuables and irreplaceable items in a safe place, or leave them at home since criminals select their victims based on perceived affluence and vulnerability. All visitors are encouraged to make use of hotel safes when available, avoid wearing obviously expensive jewelry or designer clothing, and carry only cash or credit cards that will be needed for each outing.



ATM Crime


Visitors should be aware of their surroundings at all times, even when in areas generally considered safe. U.S. citizens should be cautious in general when using ATMs in Mexico. Cloning/counterfeiting of ATM cards and credit cards occurs in Mexico, and travelers are advised to check their account activity online at least weekly to detect fraudulent charges early. Visitors are also advised to avoid using bank machines in dark or isolated areas. It is recommended that visitors traveling into Nuevo Laredo on day trips use ATM5 in Laredo, TX.
Visitors are most vulnerable to assault and robbery when visiting local “red light districts,â€