Overview

• The US Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a security alert on June 5 for Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Nayarit after confirming several kidnappings linked to dating apps
• Multiple US citizens have been abducted by individuals they met online, with families in the United States extorted for large sums to secure their release
• Security experts say Mexican cartels are exploiting dating platforms as a ruse to lure foreign visitors into kidnapping and extortion schemes
• The State Department advises meeting online contacts only in public areas, avoiding isolated locations such as private homes or hotel rooms, and sharing travel plans with friends or family
• Jalisco is rated Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”) due to crime and kidnapping and Nayarit is Level 2 (“Exercise Increased Caution”) in the current travel advisory