Crime in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Your statistics are ridiculous. SMA does NOt have a murder rate of 120 per 100000. Laughable. In 2023 there were 5 murders in 2023!! Oh and how many were gringos?? Zero.

Wow, it is really a difficult prognosis and creates a quandary for American (and other) travelers.I want to go back to Mexico, but reading crime reports it makes me very nervous. Is the government even in control anymore?

Just got back from SMA and this crime wave is totally overblown. The Centro and surrounding areas were completely safe. A lot of outlying areas are considered part of SMA and that is where the trouble is and it's small. SMA is safe and I live in the South Beach area of Miami Beach Florida. That's far more dangerous than tame SMA and even that is safe.

What you must realize is that Mexico is a police state and the police are not even in control. The are bought and paid for by the cartels. In fact, the police work in concert with the cartels in many instances. It is estimated that 1/3 of Mexican territory is lawless and controlled by the cartels. Things are happening all around the state of Guanajuato: murders, road blocks, explosions, attacks of all sorts perputrated by the cartels. They are vile and vicious murderers and have no human compassion in their souls. Businesses are being extorted in SMA, the police are bought off, murders are not reported for fear of retribution. The town of Celaya is a defacto hell-hole. It is called the "The most Violent City in the World" by the Rio Times. Do you know how far it is from SMA? 35 miles. What the expats in SMA don't realize or want to admit to themselves is that all of this is going on around them and they don't want to see it. Yes, on any given day, you will be ok but your risk goes up by the day. The cartels are gaining control of the state and you might not get out. Look at what is happening in Michoacan right now. The city of Aguililla is literally being taken over by the cartels to the point where they control who comes in and who goes out. This is happening in 2021! President Obregon says, "hugs, not bullets." He is living in a dream world with no connection to reality. It is a truly cavilier and cruel position to take. If something does happen, police will not investigate. They are afraid to know where it will lead them because they know where it will lead them: to the cartels. Police are being hunted and killed in the state of Guanajuato. To say that SMA is safe is truly naive. To compare Mexico to the U.S. is absurd. The US does not have roving bands of cartels running around and controlling the roads! Completely different and not comparable in any way shape or form. I was considering going, but I won't after my research. The mexican government doesn't have the power to control any of this and I'm not sure it wants to anymore. It doesn't have the stomach for it. Whenever anyone stands up to the cartels, they are killed along with their family. President Obregon has declared by his policies and words to the cartels they have free reign to carry on their activies with impunity. Mexico and its people are so beautiful and I wish I could vacation there but I won't take the risk nor will I reward the Mexican state with my business when it refuses to protect its own people, much less its visitors.

The majority in the crime in Mexico, including San Miguel is drug related....cartel related....yes, there are dishonest police officers....there have always been....but, I've been living here for 6 years, friends that have been living here for 40 years without issues.....if you are considering Mexico it comes with the territory everywhere....but, I've never felt safer walking in the central during the day or night.