State Department Begins Tracking Alcohol-Related Incidents in Mexico
by Jessica Montevago /
The U.S. State Department received a dozen complaints last week after it began tracking reports of blackouts due to tourists drinking potentially tainted alcohol in Mexico.
The announcement comes after the U.S. Office of Inspector General launched a probe into the State Department’s policies and procedures handling those cases to “determine whether additional work is warranted.” Several senators have called out the State Department for downplaying the risk to American tourists.
“We are concerned about reported incidents that the consumption of substandard or unregulated alcohol in some tourist areas in Mexico has resulted in illness or blacking out,” said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, in a statement released Friday.
The State Department did not reveal any details about the 12 reports it received, but told USA Today it will “press the Government of Mexico and Mexican state authorities to make the safety and protection of U.S. tourists a priority.”
An investigative report published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in July found more than 120 cases of tourists who reported blacking out and being robbed, taken to jail, sexually assaulted, or injured during vacations in Mexico. The report stemmed from the death of a 20-year-old American, whose family alleges she was given tainted alcohol.
The State Department updated its country specific information for Mexico in July to provide updated safety information regarding tainted alcohol, advising travelers to drink in moderation and to stop and seek medical attention if needed, after “allegations that consumption of tainted or substandard alcohol has resulted in illness or blacking out.”
“Following these reports and in consultation with our Embassy and Consulates in Mexico, on July 26, 2017, we updated our Country Specific Information for Mexico to provide information regarding unregulated alcohol concerns,” the statement said. “Any U.S. citizen who falls ill should seek immediate medical attention. We also encourage U.S. citizens to contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Mexico.”