Ducey: Arizonans should be cautious of Mexico travel amid violence
Nov 12, 2019, 7:00 PM
(KTAR News Photo/Matt Bertram)
PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey said Tuesday that Arizonans should be cautious about traveling to Mexico in the wake of recent violence south of the border.
“I’m always going to caution safety,” Ducey told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Gaydos in the Afternoon. “I want people to follow their best judgement.”
Nine dual citizens belonging to a Mormon offshoot community were killed in a cartel ambush in the Mexican state of Sonora last week, including six children.
A mass grave with more than 50 bodies was also recently found in Rocky Point, a city Ducey said he frequents for work and leisure.
Ducey said he’s spoken with law enforcement on both sides of the border to ensure that Arizonans will be safe in Mexico, but there’s no guarantee.
Some in La Mora, the town about 70 miles south of Arizona where the attack occurred, have already escaped to Arizona to avoid further violence.
Ducey added that he would be open to working with Sonora Gov. Claudia Pavlovich to ease safety concerns for those who want to travel to popular Mexican vacation destinations.
“The first thing we will do is protect our border and protect our citizens,” Ducey said. “That’s what the Department of Public Safety and the Border Strike Force is there for.”
Ducey advised citizens to also follow the federal travel advisory for Mexico.
“I think if you stay on the main thoroughfares [in Mexico], it should be safe,” Ducey said. “But people have different tolerances for how they feel.”