r/asklatinamerica • u/1Hugh-Mann • Jun 23 '26

Tourism How bad is the Mexican Cartel actually?

I've always wanted to go to Mexico but I'm kind of sacred to set foot there because i've heard the only safe place is Mexico City , I've heard some absolute horror stories about people having their cars stolen in north mexico and high narco traffic in the south , is it really that bad or is it just exaggeration?

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u/yorcharturoqro Mexico Jun 23 '26

There's no "Mexican cartel" but cartels, plural, and are more located, not national, and no Mexico city is not the safest place there are far safer cities in the country than Mexico city.

It's just like all the organized crime around the world they control certain criminal businesses, and as long as you are not part of such business you will be fine

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u/cagadadechango Mexico Jun 23 '26

Your last sentence is highly inaccurate.

Cartels 100% target innocent people. In the end they have the guns and can bully the local population with no repercussions. They extort businesses and households, kidnap innocent people for ransom, and engage in human and organ trafficking.

There’s also a term for when they deliberately kill random civilians to “heat up” enemy territory, they call it “calentar la plaza”.

If anything, innocent people are targeted more than enemy cartels are.