The Americas Post - Uncle Sam says more of Mexico should be off your itinerary

For the second time in less than a year, the U.S. State Department has responded to increasing violent crime in Mexico by expanding the list of places that Americans should avoid for their own safety.

An updated travel advisory released this week warned U.S. citizens to avoid non-essential travel to 14 states in northern and central Mexico, warning that U.S. citizens are subject to drug-cartel action “including homicide, gunbattles, kidnapping, carjacking and highway robbery.”

The last warning, in April 2011, covered only 10 Mexican States. The new advisory includes parts of Aguascalientes, Guerrero and Nayarit in central Mexico, and says non-essential travel to Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas and Michoacan is no longer a good idea. The April warning against non-essential travel to parts of Sonora and central Jalisco, where violence is widespread, still stands.

“Gunbattles have occurred in broad daylight on streets and in other public venues, such as restaurants and clubs. During some of these incidents, U.S. citizens have been trapped and temporarily prevented from leaving the area,” the travel advisory said.

“The location and timing of future armed engagements is unpredictable. We recommend that you defer travel to the areas indicated in this travel warning and to exercise extreme caution when traveling throughout the northern border region,” it added.

Over 47,500 people have been killed in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon unleashed Mexican armed forces against well-armed drug cartels in December of 2006.
The State Department advisory reports that 130 Americans were murdered in Mexico last year, up from 111 in 2010 and 35 in 2007.

Recent attacks include a fire in a Monterrey casino that killed 52, mostly women. A U.S. missionary couple from Colorado was also killed at their home near Monterrey earlier this month. The advisory urged travelers to the city to use “extreme caution.”

The Americas Post - Victim Sheila Nabb poses with husband Andrew under happier circumstances. Photo Credit: Facebook

The governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa has promised an extensive probe into what happened to a Canadian woman hospitalized after she was badly beaten at a posh Mexico resort.

Sheila Nabb, 37, was vacationing with her husband  Andrew, at the all-inclusive Hotel Riu Emerald Bay resort last week when she was found inside a hotel elevator with serious injuries to her face.

The official statement released Wednesday said investigators are collaborating with Canadian authorities to keep them informed as the case advances.  The governor also expressed concerns to Mexican media that the incident could hurt tourism revenue.  He said surveillance cameras at the resort could provide some clues but investigators are hoping to speak with Nabb.

Nabb had been expected to undergo facial reconstructive surgery Wednesday or Thursday, but family members said she has contracted pneumonia, a condition common with a tracheotomy — a hole made in the windpipe to ease breathing.  She has been sedated again with the surgery rescheduled for later this week.

New business alternatives within Airport Security

The U.S. Government agency that manages airport security shifts its strategic emphasis from stopping weapons to finding people.

It’s a potential $4 billion market for private industry, based on what the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, currently spends on aviation security.

“Businesses that are good at data analysis, behavior-pattern recognition, big data handling, data-visualization — all ought to come out ahead,” said Stewart Baker, who headed the Department of Homeland Security from 2005 through 2009.

“We could also see an increase in demand for identification tools, such as biometric and facial-recognition scanners,” he said in an interview.

Stepping up to the plate are well known publicly-traded companies such as…READ MORE HERE

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers (Photo credit to PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

Boston’s Logan International Airport will be the testing ground of a  new technology of airport security, aimed at screening passenger behavior. The test will start next Tuesdat.

During the new development, officers of the TSA Transportation Security Administration working at the Logan Airport will train screeners on having more conversations with passengers at the security checkpoint.  The system is based after Israel’s enhanced airport screening methods.

Under the new program officers will be trained in human behaviour. They will will ask passengers non-intrusive questions and they will be trained to see how passengers respond. Those travelers who exhibit suspicious behavior will be pulled aside for more screening. Examples of suspicious behaviour could be struggling with answers and avoiding eye contact.

The offciers of the Logan Airport will receive advanced training, in theory and practice, in both classrooms and on-the-job experience , designed to improve their communication skilss and engage in conversations with passengers having as objective to identify suspicious behavior and anomalies.

The traveler will not feel the conversation like it was a sort of interrogation, but more of a  ‘casual greeting’ conversation with a behavior detection officer after they provide their ID and boarding pass.  If his/her act is suspicious, the passenger may get selected for an extended, but still limited conversation.

In the first phase, around 60 TSA officers are scheduled to take part in the training.

Logan will be the first airport in the U.S. to roll out the pilot program, which is targeted to officially begin in mid-August. After a certain period, TSA will evaluate how this pilot program impacts security, screening operations and passenger flow.

The results will determine how the TSA will proceed with the program.

Airport Body scanners

The Transportation Security Administration TSA, for its acronym in English) on Tuesday tested a new “Scanner” body, at the  McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. The scanner has a lower cost than others.

Critics have complained that the normal scanner systems that capture images of the whole body of people violate their privacy, but Dwayne Baird, spokesman for the TSA, said that the new scanner and its software, introduced in the day, is not so intrusive.

The new scanner allow managers to find out the same things about the passangers but uses a more general view, without revealing details of the body.

He added that the issue is whether TSA can improve measures of protection of privacy without sacrificing security levels.

There are nearly 500 “full body” scanners in use in 78 U.S. airports. The system displays the silhouette of a traveler in a computer screen, and can reveal hidden weapons or explosives.

In the screens the inspectors can not distinguish a person’s face, and the images are seen in a private room, but many people believe that these systems are revealing too much about what some people wear under clothing.

Burned car in mexican highway

Recently, and due to the drug war in Mexico two new developments are happening in the U.S. border region of Rio Grande Valley and the north of Mexico.

The first new development at the border is that  more and more elite Mexicans look to foreign investment in the rio Grande Valley as a way to escape the violence. That happens specially in the Hidalgo County and the city of McAllen.

Due to kidnappings, wealthy Mexicans no longer feel safe in their country and many are looking to relocate and invest north of the Rio Grande. But the investment has more to do with the requirements for legal immigration, than any other reason.

Permanent residency, or a investor visa, is available to foreign nationals and their family members who invest at least $500,000 in the United States, according to the immigration laws.

The second development has also to do with the violence in Mexico. Criminal activity in northern Mexico, like kidnapping for ransom, burglary and extortions has many mexicans opting to fly between the Rio Grande Valley, the city of McAllen and Mexico, rather than traveling by car/bus and risking cartel violence.

Small planes ferry mexicans and american businessmen from/to Monterrey,  Tampico and the Rio Grande Valley. The reasons are multiple, it can be just be shopping in the U.S. ,  family visit , tourism or business. The reason behind these flights are obvious, to avoid the danger of  becoming  part of highway quarrel among rival cartels or open gun battles between the cartels and government police and mexican troops. Also to avid kidnappings for ransom.

Business people with luggage waiting in line at airport terminal. Juice images.

A company vying to sell airport shoe scanners has finished its “trial” at Indianapolis International, collecting results from 3,000 travelers who volunteered to try its machine in the lobby.

Morpho Detection says its data-collection experiment, which ended in late July, showed its scanner can process more than 300 customers an hour. Travelers still had to remove their shoes at the airport’s security checkpoints.

Morpho says it’ll use the data to fine-tune machines and submit it to the Transportation Security Administration.

TSA wants to revive the idea of allowing travelers to keep their shoes on at checkpoints and has announced its plans to buy 100 shoe scanners by next year. About a dozen companies hope to bid for the business.

All hotel rooms abroad are bugged for audio and visual surveillance. This statement, of course, is NOT TRUE, but that is the premise under which you must operate to maintain an adequate level of security awareness while conducting business abroad. Many hotel rooms overseas are under surveillance. In those countries where the intelligence services are very active, if you are a business person working for a western/american company of interest to the government or government sponsored competitor, everything that you do in that hotel room may be recorded and analyzed for possible vulnerabilities or for any useful information that can be derived from your conversation.

With the basic premise established above, here are some security tips that will minimize the potential risks.

Hotel Room Key

Keep it with you at all times. The two most common ways that thieves and others use to determine if a person is in their hotel room is to look at the hotel room mail slot or key board or call the room on the house phone. If you do not answer the phone that is one thing, but, if your room key is there, you are obviously out and the coast is clear for a thief or anyone else who is interested in searching your room and luggage.

Upon Arrival

Invest in a good map of the city. Mark significant points on a map such as your hotel, embassies and police stations. Study the map and make a mental note of alternative routes to your hotel or local office should your map become lost or stolen.

· Be aware of your surroundings. Look up and down the street before exiting a building.
· Learn how to place a telephone call and how to use the coin telephones. Make sure you always have extra coins for the telephone.
· Avoid jogging or walking in cities you are not familiar with. If you must jog, be aware of the traffic patterns when crossing public streets. (Joggers have been seriously injured by failing to understand local traffic conditions.)

Valuables

Valuables should normally be left at home. The rule of thumb is, if you neither want nor can afford to lose them, DO NOT TAKE THEM! However, if you must carry valuables, the best way to protect them is to secure them in your local offices. If that is not possible, the next best course of action is to seal any valuables by double enveloping, initialing across seams and taping all edges and seams before depositing them in the hotel’s safe deposit box or safe.

Luggage

Keep it locked whenever you are out of the room. It will not stop the professional thief or intelligence agent but it will keep the curious maid honest.
Passport

Keep your passport with you at all times. The only time that you should relinquish it is:

· To the hotel if required by law when registering.
· If you are required to identify yourself to local authorities for any reason.

At night, lock your passport and your other valuables in your luggage. This eliminates their mysterious disappearance while you are asleep or in the shower.

Utilize a portable or improvised burglar alarm while asleep. Two ash trays and a water glass are quite effective as an alarm when placed on the floor in front of the entry door into your room. Place a water glass in one ashtray and put the second ashtray on top of the glass. If a straight chair is available, place it next to the door and put the ash tray/water glass alarm on the edge of the chair where it will fall with enough racket to wake you.

Guest Room as a “Safe Haven”

Hotels are required to provide reasonable care to ensure that guests have a safe and secure stay. Hotels are not required to guarantee guest security. You are responsible for your personal security and property.

· While in the room, keep the door closed and engage the dead bolt and privacy latch or chain. A limited number of hotel emergency keys can override the dead bolt locks. To ensure privacy use the latch or chain!
· Hoteliers provide guest room “safes” for the convenience of guests. However, these containers are not as durable as bank safes and can be breached. Furthermore, the Housekeepers Liability Laws provide that if guest property is not in the “care, custody and control of the hotel,” the hotel is not liable. Guests should always place money or valuables in the safe deposit box at the front desk of the hotel.
· When leaving the guest room, ensure that the door properly closes and is secured. Make a mental note of how your property was left; avoid leaving valuables in plain view or in an
unorganized manner. A number of hotel employees enter the room each day to clean, repair and restock the room. Although most hotel employees are honest and hardworking, a few succumb to the temptation of cash or jewelry left unprotected.
· If you determine that an item is missing, conduct a thorough search prior to reporting the incident to hotel security. Do not expect to receive a copy of the security report, as it is an internal document. The incident should be reported to the local police, the Regional Security and Consular Officers at your Embassy, and your insurance carrier. Hotel security can provide a letter verifying that you reported property missing.
· Prior to traveling, it is recommended that you copy all credit cards, passport, air tickets and other documents to facilitate reporting loss and replacing them. While traveling abroad, secure these documents in the room safe deposit box and carry copies of your passport and visa.
· Request housekeeping make up your room while you are at breakfast, rather than leave a “Please Service This Room” sign on the door knob. This sign is a signal to criminals that the room is unoccupied.
· If you are required to use parking stickers in your auto, be sure that it does not indicate your name or room number.

Around The Hotel

Most first class international hotels have spent a considerable sum to ensure your safety and security. Fire safety equipment, CCTVs, and security patrols are often part of the hotel’s security plan. Regardless of the level of security provided by the hotel, you need to become familiar with certain aspects of the security profile of the hotel. This will take on increased significance when you may be forced to stay at the only hotel at a particular location.

· Vary the time and route by which you leave and return to the hotel. Be alert for persons watching your movements.
· Note if hotel security locks certain access points after dark. Plan to use the main entrance upon return to the property.
· Speak with the bellman, concierge and front desk regarding safe areas around the city in which to jog, dine or sightsee. Ask about local customs and which taxi companies to use or avoid.
· Do not take valuables to the spa or work out room. Note if there are house phones available in the event of a confrontation or emergency.
· Be cautious when entering rest rooms in the hotel. On occasion, unauthorized persons use these facilities to deal drugs or engage in prostitution or theft. Female travelers should be alert to placing purses on hangers on the inside of the lavatory doors, or on the floor in stalls – two frequent locations for grab and run thefts.
· Areas around public telephones are often used by criminals to stage pickpocket activity or theft. Keep briefcases and purses in view or “in touch” while using phones. Caution is urged in safeguarding telephone credit card numbers. Criminals wait for callers to announce credit card numbers on public phones and then sell the numbers for unauthorized use.
· Purse snatchers and briefcase thieves are known to work hotel bars and restaurants waiting for unknowing guests to drape these items on chairs or under tables only to discover them missing as they are departing. Keep items in view or “in touch”. Be alert to scams involving an unknown person spilling a drink or food on your clothing. An accomplice may be preparing to steal your wallet, briefcase or purse.
· The pool or beach area is a fertile area for thieves to take advantage of guests enjoying recreation. Leave valuables in the hotel. Safeguard your room key and camera. Sign for food and beverages on your room bill rather than carry cash.
· Prostitutes take advantage of travelers around the world through various ploys, use of “knock out” drugs, and theft from the victim’s room. Avoid engaging persons who you do not know and refrain from inviting them to your guest room.

Hotel Fire Safety for the Traveler

Fire safety at home and abroad is a matter of thinking ahead, knowing what to do, and keeping your fear under control. Panic and smoke are the most dangerous threats in the case of a fire. To minimize the risk of a fire, the traveler should remember the precautions listed below and where feasible:

· Stay only at hotels which have smoke detectors and/or sprinklers installed in all rooms and provide information about fire/safety procedures.
· Request a room between the second and seventh floor. Most fire departments do not have the capability to rescue people above the seventh floor level with external rescue equipment (i.e., ladders).
· Inquire as to how guests are notified if there is an emergency.

Your Hotel Room

· Note the location of the fire exits (stairs) on your floor. Count the number of doors between your room and the exit. If there is a fire, you may have to crawl there in the dark.
· Check exit doors to be sure that they are unlocked and that stairwells are clear of obstructions.
· Note the location of fire alarms, extinguishers and hoses and read any fire safety information available in your room.
· Check outside your room window to ascertain if there is a possible escape route that would be feasible in an extreme emergency.

In Case of a Fire

· KEEP CALM – DO NOT PANIC.
· Call the front desk and notify them of the location of the fire.
· Check your door by placing your palm on the door and then on the door knob. If either feels hot, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR.
· If it is safe to exit from your room, head for the stairs. TAKE YOUR ROOM KEY WITH YOU, YOU MAY HAVE TO RETURN TO YOUR ROOM.
· If the corridor is full of smoke, crawl to the exit and again check the door before opening it to see if it is hot. The fire could be in the stairwell.
· DO NOT USE THE ELEVATOR!
· If you can not leave your room or the stairwells are unsafe and you must return to your room:
· Notify the front desk that you are in your room awaiting rescue.

· Open a window for fresh air. Do not break the window as you may need to close it again if smoke starts to enter from the outside.
· Fill the tub and sink with water. Soak towels and blankets as necessary to block vents and openings around doors to keep the smoke and fumes out.
· Attempt to keep the walls, doors and towels covering vents and cracks cool and wet.
· A wet towel swung around the room will help clear the room of smoke.
· Cover your mouth and nose with a wet cloth.
· Stay low, but alert to any signs of rescue from the street or the halls. Let the firemen know where you are by waving a towel or sheet out the window

Obtain an International Drivers Permit (IDP).  This can be purchased through your AAA Club (or similar).  Have your passport photos and a completed application.  There will be a fee involved.  Carry both your IDP and your local/state driver’s license with you at all times.

• Some countries have a minimum and maximum driving age.  Check the laws before you drive in any country.
• Always “buckle up”.  Some countries have penalties for people who violate this law.
• If you rent a car, always purchase the liability insurance.  If you do not, this could lead to financial disaster.
• As many countries have different driving rules, obtain a copy of them before you begin driving in that country.
• If the drivers in the country you are visiting drive on the opposite side of the road than in the U.S., practice driving in a less populated area before attempting to drive during the heavy traffic part of the day.
• Be aware of the countryside you will be driving in.  Many countries require you to honk your horn before going around a sharp corner or to flash your lights before passing.
• Find out before you start your journey that has the right of way in a traffic circle.
• Always know the route you will be traveling.  Have a copy of a good road map, and chart your course before beginning.
• Do not pick up hitchhikers or strangers.
• When entering your vehicle, be aware of your surroundings.
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