The situation in Mexico is highly sensationalized by the media. Yes, it exists and roughly 40,000 people have died since 2006, but these numbers aren't all innocent civilians. If Fox News were to say that the world was a warm and friendly place and everything is okay, you would likely change the channel to watch Border Wars or Toddlers and Tiaras.
Truth be told, we have been keeping tabs on current events south of our border daily. If you analyze the situation closely, you'll notice that the violence only affects politicians, law enforcement, reporters, gang members and drug dealers…there are no casualties that I've found involving wandering vagabonds. Sure, you can be at the absolute wrong place at the wrong time and there are innocent casualties. You have the same odds of being attacked by an escaped gorilla from the zoo or being struck by lightning. There are thousands of travelers who still wander through Mexico and Central America every year, completely unscathed.
HOW TO STAY SAFE IN A SCARY WORLD
Try to keep a heightened situational awareness. If you have an escape strategy and a backup plan ready then you will rarely be caught by surprise. Talk to the locals when you get your gas, groceries, or at your hostel. Find out if there are any dangers to be aware of on your planned route. Is there any political protests or possible coups on the road ahead? Has there been any FARC or guerilla violence in the area lately? Try to keep a low profile. Avoid driving a brand new full-sized/heavy duty pickup (which the cartels love to steal) and avoid jet skiing in any areas that are known narco-traffiking hot spots. It's impossible to go completely unnoticed when you're traveling, but as long as you use common sense you will be fine.
Traveling through Mexico can be just as safe as traveling through the US. Just the other day I read an article about the cartel's presence in Austin. Should I avoid stepping out my front door here in Austin? That's weird, I don't see any cartel here?
Mexico has violent crimes every year. There's gang violence, turf wars, murder, sex trafficking, kidnappings, etc...all of these things happen in ridiculous numbers within the United States borders too. I can be killed in parts of LA just as easily as I can be killed in parts of Juarez. I don't want to drive through any of these places that are known to be dangerous. Most of our travels will be through quiet pueblos and colonial cities. If you ask many Europeans about traveling in the US, they often react the same way Americans do..."are you crazy, it's so dangerous there! Everyone has carries guns and there's so much crime!" Apparently people still believe we still walk around having shootouts like the OK Corral.
KIDNAPPINGS
The kidnappings that have become common over the past few years are definitely tragic and scary. I've read about the mass graves and hundreds of bodies found dumped near the border. The dozens of tortured bodies dumped in the streets of Mexico. I've watched disturbing videos taken by the cartels, showing them interrogating then mutilating their victims with chainsaws. I educate myself about these horrors because I want to be completely aware of what waits on the other side of the border and worst case scenarios. This makes it very difficult to sleep at night, but not because I'm afraid of these things happening to me, but because I'm disturbed that humans will do these things to each other.
If you read in detail about these crimes you'll find several patterns. The mass kidnappings and mass burials consist of immigrants who are risking everything to make their way north, to the United States. Often these immigrants have not paid off their debts to the cartels that are smuggling them north, and they are held for ransom until the debt is paid. They are often being kidnapped and given the choice to work for the cartels or die. Do I fear that this could happen to us? Anything is possible. Do I realistically think it will happen? No. Fortunately for us there is too much at risk when two American tourists go missing. There would be too much media attention that would be bad for the drug business. Unfortunately these undocumented immigrants disappear quietly, with only their families wondering if they are alive in the US or missing somewhere between Nicaragua and Mexico.
Another trend is the constant turf battles between the individual cartels. There are more than a dozen large groups that are constantly fighting for rights to territory and trade routes. The dozens of bodies that end up dumped in the streets of major cities are from this ongoing war amongst themselves, intended as a message that they will fight for that turf. Am I worried about this happening to us? No.
