Americans planning trips to Mexico have been urged to take note of updated guidance after three women were found dead in a tourist destination.
Puerto Vallarta draws huge numbers of visitors each year thanks to its beaches, nightlife and water activities. US travelers account for a large proportion of the resort’s tourism, with roughly two million people visiting the wider area annually.
However, the popular vacation spot has recently been shaken by a troubling sequence of incidents after three women were discovered dead over a short period.
Police first located a victim near Rancho El Pirulí in the Chimborazo area on May 10. Just days later, authorities found a second woman’s body at a roadside stop along a highway.
A third body was then discovered on a dirt road in the Parque Las Palmas neighborhood. Mexico News Daily reported that the victim showed signs of violence, while local officials said the women were partially undressed when they were found and are believed to have been between 30 and 35 years old.
With investigators still working to determine what happened — including whether the deaths are connected — travelers considering the region have been pointed toward official US guidance.
In comments to Newsweek, a State Department spokesperson said the State of Jalisco, which includes Puerto Vallarta, is currently listed at Level 3, meaning the government advises people to ‘reconsider travel due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping’.
On the Department of State website, the advisory states: “There is a risk of violence in the state from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations. In Guadalajara, battles between criminal groups have happened in tourist areas. Shootings between these groups have injured or killed innocent bystanders.
“U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents have been kidnapped. There are no restrictions on travel in the Guadalajara Metropolitan area, Puerto Vallarta (including neighboring Riviera Nayarit), Chapala, and Ajijic.”
The department also recommends that US citizens enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrolment Program to get safety and security alerts. The spokesperson added that the department ‘routinely updates our travel advisories and destination information pages for all countries based on a comprehensive review of all available safety information and ongoing developments’.
Local authorities are continuing to examine CCTV footage and forensic findings as part of their efforts to establish a clearer timeline. Investigators are also considering whether the women may have been killed elsewhere before their bodies were moved to Puerto Vallarta.