EU issues travel advisory for Zacatecas; authorities affirm distinctions in regional security conditions
In a recent development, the government of Zacatecas, Mexico, has expressed concerns over a travel alert issued by the United States that includes Mexico under the factor of "terrorism." The alert, issued by the U.S. Department of State, classifies Zacatecas as a "Level 4 – Do Not Travel" state due to terrorism and crime risks.
However, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo of Mexico has acknowledged that Zacatecas is a popular destination for Americans. She asserts that the safety situation in Zacatecas is different and safer compared to the travel alert issued by the United States.
The travel advisory suggests that U.S. citizens must follow travel restrictions similar to those imposed on U.S. government employees due to security risks throughout Mexico, including Zacatecas. The advisory also lists Zacatecas among six states under a "Do Not Travel" level (Level 4) because of crime and kidnapping risks, which implicate cartel-related violence potentially linked to terrorism designations.
Despite this, Zacatecas has been the third safest state in Mexico in terms of homicides since last July, according to statistics from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP). In July 2023, Zacatecas registered 7 homicides, which is 0.3% of the national total. This is significantly lower than the number of homicides recorded in neighboring entities and states with the highest crime rate, where up to 182 cases were recorded in the same period.
The Zacatecas Government attributes the improvement in the safety situation to the efforts of the government, the support of President Sheinbaum, and the active participation of citizens. They urge U.S. authorities to inform themselves about the current situation in Zacatecas regarding security.
It is worth noting that the U.S. travel alert aligns with its own assessments of risk in Zacatecas, but the Zacatecas government's stance on this terrorism alert is not documented in the current search results. There is no information in the sources about an official statement or response from the Zacatecas government explicitly addressing the accuracy or appropriateness of the U.S. terrorism travel alert.
The Zacatecas Government emphasizes that the current situation in Zacatecas regarding security is not accurately represented in the travel alert issued by the United States. They invite the authorities of the United States to learn firsthand about the current situation of Zacatecas.
This is a significant improvement from the situation in 2021, when Zacatecas ended the year with over 1,700 homicides. The government attributes this improvement to the coordinated work of the three branches of government, the support of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, and the active participation of citizens.
[1] U.S. Department of State. (2025). Mexico Travel Advisory. Retrieved from https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html [2] CNN. (2025). U.S. travel advisory warns of crime and kidnapping risks in Mexico. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/us-mexico-travel-advisory/index.html [3] Reuters. (2025). U.S. travel advisory warns of terrorism risks in 30 Mexican states. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-travel-advisory-warns-terrorism-risks-30-mexican-states-2025-08-01/
- Despite the U.S. Department of State's travel advisory for Mexico classifying Zacatecas as a "Level 4 – Do Not Travel" state due to terrorism and crime risks, the Zacatecas Government contends that the current situation in Zacatecas regarding security is not accurately represented in the travel alert, urging U.S. authorities to learn firsthand about the current situation in Zacatecas.
- General news sources report that the Zacatecas Government has attributed the improvement in the safety situation in their state to the efforts of the government, the support of President Sheinbaum, and the active participation of citizens, while politics and war-and-conflicts news sites are yet to document an official statement or response from the Zacatecas government addressing the accuracy or appropriateness of the U.S. terrorism travel alert.
