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Is Ensenada Safe? Ensenada and Rosarito Travel Advisory, Cruise Stops and Cartel News (2026)

Boats in the harbor at Ensenada, Baja California — Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Is Ensenada and Rosarito safe to visit? Here is the current U.S. State Department advisory for the state it’s in, official safety guidance, which criminal groups are reported in the area, and our latest coverage. Conditions change; check the full advisory before you travel.

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Top photo: Boats in the harbor at Ensenada, Baja California. Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 (license), via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

U.S. advisory for Baja California: Level 3: Reconsider travel (issued 2026-05-29)
Groups reported in Baja California: 5; strongest: Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Sinaloa Cartel
Incidents on record since 2024: 17 (latest 2026-09-23)

How to read this page

Official: the advisory level, quote and guidance come from the U.S. State Department and other government sources, with dates.
Reported: cartel presence is what research groups and news reports say about the whole state. It is not a statement about tourist zones, hotels or specific neighborhoods.
Our coverage: the latest-stories list is The Narco Blog’s own reporting, linked to its sources.
What it doesn’t tell you: real-time conditions. Check the full advisory, U.S. consulate alerts and local authorities before you go. We are a news site, not a travel authority.

U.S. travel advisory for Baja California

Level 3: Reconsider travel (Mexico advisory issued 2026-05-29).

There are no additional travel restrictions for U.S. government employees in Baja California state, including in Tijuana, Ensenada, and Rosarito.

Read the full advisory at travel.state.gov

Official safety guidance

U.S. Mission to Mexico issued an August 25, 2026 security alert for Mexicali (Baja California), suspending consular activities over a potential threat (suspension later lifted); Baja California remains Level 3. [Associated Press (via SRN News), 2026-08-25]

Criminal groups reported in Baja California

Sinaloa Cartel: reported presence, contested (as of 2026) [InSight Crime]
Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG): reported presence, contested (as of 2026) [InSight Crime]
Tijuana Cartel (Arellano Félix): reported presence (as of 2025) [InSight Crime]
Tren de Aragua: reported presence (as of 2025) [Latin Times]
MS-13: reported presence (as of 2024) [InSight Crime]

Reported presence is state-wide and as stated by each source; it doesn’t describe any specific neighborhood or tourist zone.

Recent incidents

Notable security incidents reported in or near Ensenada and Rosarito since 2024, newest first. An incident list is not a measure of risk to visitors.

2026-09-23: A man was executed in an armed attack on the afternoon of September 23, 2026 on bulevar Hisense at bulevar Benito Juarez, colonia Lucio Blanco, Rosarito; the attack briefly closed the boulevard and no arrests were reported. (1 killed) [Baja California Decide, 2026-09-24]
2026-09-19: A 59-year-old rancher was killed and a 60-year-old wounded on September 19, 2026 in an attack at an alfalfa-sales property on calle Alta Tension, colonia 17 de Agosto, Rosarito; investigators recovered 20 shell casings, 10 from a long gun and 10 from a handgun, and the hooded attackers fled. (1 killed) [Baja California Decide, 2026-09-19]
2026-09-18: Two homicides were recorded in less than 24 hours on September 18, 2026 in the Ensenada area: a man died after an armed attack in fraccionamiento Puerto Azul, and one person was killed and another wounded in a confrontation in Punta Prieta involving SEDENA personnel. (2 killed) [Zona Norte, 2026-09-18]
2026-09-08: Five bodies plus additional remains were found around September 8, 2026 in a clandestine grave at Rancho Santa Anita in El Sauzal, Ensenada. (5 killed) [Lado.mx, 2026-09-08]
2026-09-07: The trial began September 7, 2026 in Ensenada of the men charged with killing two Australian surfers and their American friend near Punta San Jose in April 2024. [SRN News (Associated Press), 2026-09-08]
2026-09-04: Two men were killed in an armed attack on September 4, 2026 on calle Real del Sol in colonia Morelos, Rosarito; one body was found in the driver's seat of a bullet-riddled vehicle and a second inside the home. (2 killed) [Veraz Informa, 2026-09-04]
2026-09-02: Four men were executed in an armed attack on the night of September 2, 2026 near a ranch in colonia Rosas Magallon, Ensenada; the state security secretary attributed the killings to a confrontation involving organized crime. (4 killed) [El Automata, 2026-09-29]
2026-09: Four men were killed in colonia Rosas Magallón, bringing Ensenada's 2026 homicide count to 76, according to Radio Fórmula correspondent Rocío Galván. (76 killed) [Grupo Fórmula (Radio Fórmula), 2026-09-03]
2026-06-08: Two people were killed and two women wounded, including two minors, in an armed attack in the early hours of June 8, 2026 on a home in colonia Plan Libertador, Playas de Rosarito. (2 killed) [Codigo Libre, 2026-06-08]
2026-03-18: Four people were executed by gunfire on March 18, 2026 on a rustic plot in Maneadero, in the municipality of Ensenada, near two elementary schools; investigation files noted a possible legal dispute over ownership of the land as a motive. (4 killed) [El Dragonario (Substack), 2026-09]
2026-01-12: Ministerial agents killed a 21-year-old during an operation on the night of January 12, 2026 in Terrazas El Gallo, Ensenada, while trying to capture his father, a former municipal officer with an arrest warrant; the family alleged a prop gun was planted and demanded justice. (1 killed) [Lado.mx, 2026-01-13]
2025-12-01: Six alleged Sinaloa Cartel members were arrested and one was killed in a confrontation with Rosarito municipal police at Rancho Alamo on December 1, 2025, after officers responded to a report of armed men near the restaurant Eden. (1 killed, 6 arrested) [Lado.mx, 2025-12-01]
2024-07-20: A man was killed on July 20, 2024 inside the bar La Escondida in Rosarito; municipal police were later investigated over an alleged cover-up of the killing. (1 killed) [El Imparcial, 2024-08-15]
2024-06-26: Human remains were recovered from clandestine graves found on June 26, 2024 in Villa Colonial, Ensenada. [El Imparcial, 2024-06-26]
2024-05-30: Two men were shot and killed on May 30, 2024 on the rampa de la colonia Aztlan in Rosarito while traveling in a vehicle; the attackers fled in a white sedan and no arrests were reported. (2 killed) [El Imparcial, 2024-05-30]

Showing 15 of 17 incidents on record.

Practical safety tips

The U.S. State Department rates Baja California Level 3 and advises travelers to reconsider travel due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping; the advisory covers the whole state including Ensenada and Rosarito. [U.S. Department of State]
The State Department advises travelers in Baja California, including those visiting Ensenada and Rosarito, to remain on main highways and avoid remote locations. [U.S. Department of State]
In March 2025 the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City issued a Mexico-wide spring-break security alert advising Americans to travel smart, stay informed, and recognize that violent crime can occur anywhere in the country, including Baja California's coastal resort areas. [SanDiegoRed, 2025-03-07]
U.S. citizens in Ensenada and Rosarito are served by the U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana, located at Paseo de las Culturas s/n, Mesa de Otay, Delegacion Centenario, 22425 Tijuana, Baja California; reachable at 664 977 2000 from Mexico or 011 52 664 977 2000 from the United States. [U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico]
U.S. citizens in Mexico who need emergency assistance outside business hours can call 55-2579-2000 from Mexico, or 011-52-55-2579-2000 or +1-301-985-8843 from the United States. [U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico]
Mexico's single national emergency number is 911: the U.S. Embassy advises travelers to call 911 to report crimes in progress or to request police, ambulance, or fire services anywhere in Mexico, including Ensenada and Rosarito. [U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico]
Mexico's Angeles Verdes highway patrol offers free roadside assistance and tourist support on major highways, including the Tijuana-Ensenada corridor; travelers can reach it by dialing 078. [Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE), 2023-05]

Groups reported around Ensenada and Rosarito

Six alleged Sinaloa Cartel members were arrested after a December 1, 2025 shootout with Rosarito municipal police at Rancho Alamo, indicating Sinaloa-linked armed cells operating in the Rosarito area. [Lado.mx, 2025-12-01]
Baja California's attorney general said the April 2026 assassination of a state agent in Ensenada was likely revenge for the high-impact investigations he led; several detainees included out-of-state operatives from Durango and Chiapas described as highly dangerous and trained in mountain zones, and a possible link to other violent events in the municipality was under investigation. [Infobaja, 2026-04]

Latest coverage

Read our latest stories about Ensenada →

Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Territory, leadership and advisories change; tell us about errors via our corrections page.