Nogales included in Sonora travel advisories
The U.S. State Department updated its Sonora, Mexico travel advisory twice in August. The state of Sonora continues to have a Level 3 warning level (Reconsider Travel, due to crime), and as before the advisory starts with the words “Reconsider travel due to crime. Sonora is a key location used by the international drug trade and human trafficking networks.”
The first update from the previous advisory was to delineate which highways government employees may use for travel (but only during the daytime) in the state. This includes the previously accepted route from the Lukeville / Sonoyta border crossing to the coastal resort city of Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point.
Government employees may also drive from Nogales to Rocky Point, and from Nogales to the Sonoran capital of Hermosillo. But no farther south.
The travel advisory also provided travel guidance for federal employees who visit the city of Nogales, Mexico, including the definition of zones where they are not allowed to go, when they should travel and transportation restrictions. Read more about the August 2018 State Department Nogales Travel Advisory.
But perhaps the biggest change was to prohibit federal government employees from visiting the magical Southern Sonora pueblo of Alamos and the coastal areas of Empalme, Guaymas and San Carlos.
This announcement was a result of increased crime in the Guaymas – San Carlos area, to include the disappearance of a Mexican tourist from Southern Sonora who was on vacation with his family in Guaymas – San Carlos. He sent a message to his family that he and three other men were being taken by local police, and the three have not been seen that time.
Since then, busloads of people from Southern Sonora have come to the Guaymas – San Carlos area to protest the men’s disappearance, which is still a mystery. And additional shootouts and street crime has been reported, especially in Guaymas.
A few days later the State Department also issued travel guidance to federal employees who want to visit the border cities of San Luis Rio Colorado and Agua Prieta, and the historic mining town of Cananea, Sonora.
The full text of the current State Department travel advisory for Sonora, Mexico follows. Click here to visit the Mexico travel advisories page.
Text of the August 2018 State Department Travel Advisory
Sonora state – Level 3: Reconsider Travel
Reconsider travel due to crime. Sonora is a key location used 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 may use the Lukeville/Sonoyta crossing, and are required to travel during daylight hours on Federal Highway 8. U.S. government employees may also travel to Puerto Peñasco from Nogales by using Federal Highway 15 south and east via Federal Highway 2 and State Highway 37 through Caborca during daylight hours. U.S. government employees may travel between the cities of Nogales and Hemosillo, however, travel is restricted to daylight hours and only on Federal Highway 15 through Imuris, Magdalena, and Santa Ana.
U.S. government employees are prohibited from travel to:
- The triangular region west of the Mariposa port-of-entry, east of Sonoyta, and north of Altar.
- The district within Nogales that lies to the north of Ayenida Instituto Tecnologico and between Periferico and Corredor Fiscal, and the residential areas to the east of Plutarco Elias Calles. U.S. government employees are not permitted to use taxi services in Nogales, but bus travel is permitted. Movement around the city after dark is by vehicle only. U.S. government employees should avoid El Centro and all night clubs after 10:00 p.m.
- 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).
- San Carlos, Guaymas, Empalme, and all points south of Hermosillo via Federal Highway 15.
Travel of U.S. government employees to the following cities is permitted with the noted restrictions:
- San Luis Rio Colorado:S. government employees must travel during daylight hours through the San Luis, Arizona port-of-entry and may not travel beyond the city limits.
- Cananea:S. government employees must travel during daylight hours through the Naco, Arizona port-of-entry and along Route 2 to Cananea, including the Cananea mine, and may not travel beyond the city limits.
- Agua Prieta:S. government employees must travel during daylight hours through the Douglas, Arizona port-of-entry and may not travel beyond the city limits.