Narco killings in Guadalajara vs USA

“In light of the changing security situation, the U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara has now prohibited U.S. government officials from traveling after dark between Guadalajara and the Guadalajara International Airport and recommends that U.S. citizens consider similar precautions,” the diplomatic mission said in its latest security update.

But Fernando Guzman Perez – the interior secretary of Jalisco state, whose capital is Guadalajara – downplayed the threat to people’s safety in Mexico’s second-largest city and said there are at least five U.S. cities that are more dangerous.

“I can give you precise figures: New Orleans, which has a rate of 52 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants; Baltimore, with 34; and St. Louis, with 39,” he said.

Jalisco state has a homicide rate of 11.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, while Guadalajara’s rate is 10 per 100,000, the secretary said.

In its alert, the consulate also recommended that its citizens exercise greater precaution when driving in the city and on highways across Jalisco state due to a “marked escalation of criminal activity.”

While I completely agree with Sr. Guzman I always figure these warnings are just to cover the Consulate’s butt in case something happens to a U.S. citizen. Then they can say they put out a warning.