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Level 4 travel warning

by ZihuaRob ⌂ @, Zihuatanejo, México, Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 13:09 (152 days ago) @ Ironwood

As best as I can recall, we've had a "Level 4 - Do Not Travel" designation since the days of Bush, Jr. I can only recall two violent deaths in recent years involving U.S. citizens, one who ran a checkpoint in Petatlán at some ungodly hour of the night, and the other a drunk/drugged tourist who spent the evening in a titty bar insulting its owner, who later shot him in a parking lot in Ixtapa. There've been a few car thefts...


We're forgetting the 2014 murder (or murder-by-hire) in Zihua of US citizen Al Rak, by Canadian Frank Sheppard, Sheppard's subsequent disappearance, and the shocking release of the men who'd been convicted of the actual killing.

I wonder if karma, or the Grim Reaper, ever caught up with Sheppard. One can hope. And this reminds me that it must be the only time in history that a criminal fled to Canada from Mexico, and not the reverse.

Oh, and I was one of those car theft victims, way back in early 2007.

Good memory. I tried to keep up the pressure on Frank, but Al's wife eventually asked me to stop.

Sorry about your car. The road through La Unión continues being a favorite spot for carjackers. They don't appear to care about anyone's nationality.


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