Police, Navy, & National Guard Increase Presence In Los Cabos To Fight Crime 

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With the busy season underway in the popular vacation destination of Los Cabos, it’s no surprise that tourists flood the area.  And with the tourists often comes an influx of drug traffickers ready to provide tourists with illicit substances that are illegal in Mexico.  Ahead of the arrival of the thousands of tourists who will be visiting the area in the coming months, the police, Navy, and National Guard are increasing their presence to help fight crime, including drug trafficking. 

Drug Trafficking In Los Cabos 

Overall, drug trafficking in Los Cabos increased by 42 percent between 2021 and 2022.  This is according to the Criminal Traffic Light of Baja California Sur, which is used to monitor crime levels in different cities throughout the state.  When comparing January 2022 to January of this year, though, there has been an increase in drug trafficking of 142 percent.  It is this number that has caused concern and led to increased security.   

@lisagrossschroeder What the heck Cabo? Not sure if we should be scared or feel protected. #foryoupage #fyp #mexicanmilitary ♬ Zou Bisou Bisou – Gillian Hills

Ongoing Security Operations 

While security is being increased due to the upcoming influx of tourists that will be arriving in Los Cabos, that is not to say that ongoing security operations aren’t already taking place on a regular basis as well. 

According to the general director of Public Security, Preventive Police, and Municipal Traffic, Jesús Antonio Gómez Rodríguez, up to 20 operations to discourage the sale of drugs are carried out every month, with 3-4 arrests made during each operation. 

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What Public Security Officials Have To Say 

Jesús Antonio Gómez Rodríguez stated that they “are fighting it hand in hand with the state police, with the Secretary of the Navy and with the National Guard, we are continuously making tours in the areas with the highest tourist influx.” He further commented that they “carry out operations with the canine pairing of the Secretary of the Navy at least four times a week.” 

Where You Can Expect To See Increased Security 

There are a number of areas in Los Cabos that get a lot of tourist traffic, and this is where you will typically see an increase in security during the busiest seasons of the year, spring being one of them.

The beaches, shopping areas that are popular among tourists, the nightlife area, downtown San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, and the marina areas are generally the areas most filled with tourists. As a result, this is where you are most likely to see an increased security presence. 

Tourist Safety 

Despite the fact that drug trafficking is a crime that is still present in Los Cabos, tourists who avoid situations involving illegal substances generally don’t have to worry about being a victim of a drug trafficking crime.

During 2022 surveys given to tourists and reports on the sentiments of locals both concluded that people feel safe living in and visiting Los Cabos. The increase in security during times when there will be more activity in the area is one of the reasons that tourists can feel safe when vacationing in the region. 

Security In Mexico 

While there are a few areas in Mexico where the U.S. State Department has issued very serious travel advisories for, Los Cabos does not fall into either of the two most serious categories, which are: Do Not Travel To and Reconsider Travel To.

The State Department does advise travelers to exercise caution when traveling to the State of Baja California Sur, which is where Los Cabos is located, but this is general advice that you should consider when traveling anywhere. Furthermore, there are no restrictions on traveling to Los Cabos for government employees, which is a good indicator that it’s safe for tourists to travel to Los Cabos too. 

The Navy and National Guard are commonly used in conjunction with the police to provide extra security in Mexico. It may be an unusual thing to see, but they are there to keep tourists safe so everyone can simply enjoy their Los Cabos vacation.