The governments of Canada and the United States have issued a security alert for travelers to Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo) and La Paz following a series of violent incidents in the state of Baja California Sur.
The alert comes after several reports of shootings and clashes between civilians and police throughout last week. Three passenger buses were also set on fire in Los Cabos on April 24.
Security Alert: Los Cabos and La Paz, Baja California Sur
Location: Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, and La Paz, BCS
🔴 Link: https://t.co/6nxjnNTomG pic.twitter.com/lwqtgSZsE2
— U.S. Consulate Tijuana (@ConsuladoUSATJ) April 25, 2025
On April 22, separate attacks in the area surrounding Los Cabos claimed the lives of three high-ranking law enforcement officials, including two soldiers and the commander of the Narcotics Unit of the Baja California Sur Attorney General’s Office, Ulises Omar Cota Montaño.
Both incidents are presumably related to the recent appearance of “narcomantas,” or banners announcing cartel threats in La Paz and at the Los Cabos International Airport.
Antonio López Rodríguez, head of the prosecutor’s office of the state of Baja California, said a comprehensive investigation is being carried out.
On Thursday, several passenger buses were set on fire in the municipality of Los Cabos. According to the federal Security Ministry (SSPC), security agents from several agencies were deployed to an operation at a property located in the Arcos del Sol neighborhood, where several individuals who may have participated in the incident were sheltering. In a press release, the SSPC announced that four men aged 22, 24, 25, and 29 were arrested, and seven firearms, magazines, and cartridges were seized in the operation.
A travel advisory is also in place for Mazatlán and other areas in Sinaloa, due to an ongoing internal dispute within the Sinaloa Cartel, which erupted following the U.S. arrest of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in July 2024.
According to local media reports, April 7 was the most violent day of 2025 in Sinaloa, with a total of 14 homicides, nine of which occurred at a rehabilitation center in Culiacán.
Authorities have also reported threats against public officials and increasing criminal activity in the area. Travelers are advised to exercise increased caution, avoid crowds, monitor local media for official updates and follow instructions from local authorities while visiting Baja California Sur and Sinaloa.
With reports from El Heraldo de Saltillo, Infobae and Pax News
