Over 2,500 Americans are arrested abroad annually. More than 30% of these arrests are drug related. Over 70% of drug related arrests involve marijuana or cocaine.
If getting arrested is your measure of trouble, the answer is Mexico. More specifically, it’s Tijuana, followed by Guadalajara, Nuevo Laredo and, across the Atlantic, London.
That’s the upshot of a new tally by the U.S. State Department tracking arrests of Americans abroad.
Police in the sprawling border town,Tijuana, arrested 520 Americans in 2006, more so than any other city on the planet.
In fact, according to statistics released by the American State Department and published by the LA Times, Mexico claims four of the top five cities in which the most Americans were taken into custody. Only London, at number 4 on the list with 274 arrests stood in the way of Mexican penal domination.
Here are the Top10 Places where Americans got arrested.
Tijuana, Mexico:
Before Vegas were Vegas, Tijuana was the glitziest place to go. Pre-1933, the year Prohibition was repealed; Californians would cross the border to get a drink and taste other forbidden fruits. Its rowdy rep continues. Last year, 520 U.S. citizens were arrested there, many on firearms, drug and alcohol charges.
Guadalajara, Mexico:
The capital of Jalisco state sits at 5,100 feet, and it’s a good place to chill out. But Americans still manage to get into hot water: 416 U.S. citizens were arrested there in 2006.
Nuevo Laredo, Mexico:
Cars line up in the Mexican city, which lies just across the border from Laredo, Texas. Visitors come to Nuevo Laredo to shop at El Mercado for Mexican handicrafts. But it can be a rough-and-tumble town.
The State Department (www.travel.state.gov), in its consular information sheets, says it can be violent. 359 U.S. citizens were arrested there in year 2006.
London:
Sure, you think of Tower Bridge, at left, and the Tower of London when you visit Britain’s capital, but you don’t think you’ll end up one of its inmates.
According to the State Department, travelers seem to have a propensity for getting arrested in the city on the Thames. In 2006, 274 U.S. citizens were arrested in London; the State Department declined to comment on why.
Mexico City:
The capital of Mexico was founded by the Aztecs in the 14th century and today is the country’s center of finance, government and culture. At left, dancers perform in Zocalo, the world’s second-largest public square.
Mexico City is a huge urban area that can be tough to navigate, with about 570 square miles and around 18 million people. In 2006, 208 Americans lost their way and were arrested there.
Toronto:
This genteel Canadian city, viewed from the northern shore of Lake Ontario where the skyline is dominated by the CN Tower, hardly seems a magnet for trouble. Yet in 2006, 183 U.S. citizens ran afoul of the law and were arrested.
Nassau, Bahamas:
Nassau has a wonderful, natural port and attracts lots of cruise ships, which disgorge their passengers into this city of about 200,000. These and other visitors often find trouble in paradise, however: In 2006, 108 U.S. citizens were arrested there.
Mérida, Mexico:
This city, the inland gateway to the Yucatán and the capital of the state, has some beautiful colonial architecture, including the Casa de Montejo, which was built in 1549. But that beauty turned ugly for some Americans: 99 were arrested there in 2006.
Nogales, Mexico:
Just across the border from Arizona, Nogales attracts U.S. visitors for shopping and dining. But the fun went sour for 96 U.S. citizens who were arrested there in 2006.
Hong Kong:
This high-energy special administrative region of China can be chaotic, attesting to its importance as a financial and trade center. It was definitely not the center of calm for the 90 U.S. citizens arrested there in 2006.
Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
