U.S. warns tourists to ‘reconsider travel’ to this island nation after 65 murders in 1 month

The U.S. State Department has issued a security warning, urging people to “reconsider travel” to Jamaica after 65 people were murdered in one month.

According to the State Department, the most recent “reconsider travel” warning comes due to high crime and lack of medical services.

The crimes have become so prevalent that even people staying at all-inclusive resorts are not safe.

“Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts,” the warning from the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica stated.

“Local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. When arrests are made, cases are infrequently prosecuted to a conclusive sentence,” the embassy’s warning continued.

The amount of murders in Jamaica has caused the island nation to have one of the highest homicide rates in the Western Hemisphere.

According to the Jamaica Constabulary Force, at least 65 people were killed from Jan. 1-27, 2024.

Jamaica is not the only island nation U.S. officials have issued warnings to tourists about the lack of safety in the region.

The U.S. State Department issued a warning to tourists traveling to The Bahamas, advising them to “exercise increased caution” due to crime.

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.