• As per November 25 reports, a Norwegian tourist was killed by two assailants aboard a motorcycle in the Jardin Balbuena neighborhood in Mexico City (CDMX) on November 23.  
• The foreign traveler was shot at by the armed suspects while traveling from the Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de Mexico (MEX) to the Central de Autobuses del Sur in a taxi.  
• The assailants stole two suitcases and fled after shooting the victim. 

1. While no such incidents targeting foreign nationals in the vicinity of the MEX airport have been recorded in 2024, foreign travelers had been known to be occasionally targeted in the vicinity of the airport in 2023 with at least five such incidents noted last year. The previous incidents had all followed the modus operandi of the victims being targeted after withdrawing cash from currency exchange offices at MEX by armed assailants after leaving the airport. These incidents were attributed to approximately 10 such gangs including the “Los Picadores”, which reportedly accessed security cameras of currency exchange offices to identify victims based on the amount of money withdrawn, subsequently targeting them through armed men aboard motorcycles.  
2. That said, the modus operandi of the latest incident suggests that the victim was likely followed from the airport and targeted for their perceived affluence with both items of baggage of the victim stolen. This demonstrates a more targeted approach and away from the vicinity of the airport. The robbery occurred in Jardin Balbuena, located 3.5 km from the MEX airport, supports this assessment. This could be due to increased security measures in and around the airport. This is buttressed by the fact that said crimes appear to have reduced especially after Secretaria de Marina (SEMAR, Mexican Navy) assumed control of MEX’s administrative responsibilities since October 2023 alongside the increase in airport surveillance, with over 150 security cameras installed at the airport, which proved successful in capturing perpetrators. Thus, while the latest incident alludes to a similar modus operandi by criminal groups, the absence of notable incidents in 2024 can likely be attributed to the efficacy of security measures. Given this, the incident does not indicate a wider threat of armed robberies or other violent incidents targeting foreign travelers leaving or arriving at MEX, highlighting a notable decline in said crimes targeting foreigners.  
3. FORECAST: Hence, the overall risk to foreign travelers arriving at or departing MEX airport is expected to remain low over the near to medium term amid effective monitoring and detection systems in place. That said, amid increased security at the airport, criminals nevertheless have the latent potential to target victims slightly farther away from the airport, especially on ring roads and highways such as Circuito Interior or Circuto Economia among others. Meanwhile, criminals are also likely to adapt to the increasing security measures and attempt to illegally access security cameras at MEX to choose victims and subsequently intercept on the highways with additional such incidents potentially taking place in a sporadic manner. 

Those intending to travel via the Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de Mexico (MEX), particularly foreign travelers, are advised to maintain heightened vigilance due to the latent threat of armed robberies.