Americans victimized by violent crimes during vacations in 2024
Mexico was one of the most popular destinations for vacationers before unfortunate incidents occurred during their trips.
When several Americans set out to enjoy relaxing vacations abroad, their dream trips unexpectedly turned into real-life nightmares and moments of terror.
Here are some of the crimes committed against American tourists in 2024.
California woman fatally shot in Mexican resort town popular among Americans
Prosecutors assert that Honarbakhsh's death resulted from a stray bullet.
In recent years, other tourists have also lost their lives in gang-related crossfire in Tulum. Notably, a California travel blogger and a German tourist were killed in 2021 while dining at a restaurant when rival drug dealers began shooting at each other.
Ahead of last year’s March spring break travel season, the U.S. issued "Do Not Travel" advisories for certain regions in Mexico. These warnings highlighted gang violence and warned that U.S. citizens had "become seriously ill or died in Mexico after consuming synthetic drugs or adulterated prescription pills.
Oregon nurse killed during European vacation by man she met at nightclub: police
In November, a tragic incident occurred in Hungary when 31-year-old Mackenzie Michalski, a nurse practitioner from Portland, Oregon, was found dead during her vacation.
Budapest police reported that Michalski was killed by a man she had met while visiting a nightclub.
Concerned friends contacted authorities after she failed to board her departing flight and left her belongings behind in her Airbnb.
Authorities reviewed security footage from the area and identified a male suspect who was last seen with Michalski.
Police later detained an Irish citizen in connection with Michalski's disappearance. The man admitted to meeting her at a local nightclub, where they danced before leaving together for his apartment.
According to police, the suspect stated that the two became intimate, and he killed her during the encounter.
Authorities reported that after the killing, the suspect cleaned his apartment, concealed Michalski's body in a wardrobe cabinet, and then went out to purchase a suitcase. He allegedly placed her body in the suitcase, rented a car, and drove approximately 90 minutes to Lake Balaton.
The suspect is accused of hiding Michalski's body in a wooded area near the lake before returning to Budapest, where he was arrested outside his apartment.
While authorities have not disclosed the suspect's name, they confirmed that he confessed to killing Michalski, claiming it was accidental.
Officials report that an American couple was killed in Mexico and found shot inside their pickup truck.
Last week, the bodies of two Americans from California were discovered after being fatally shot in a pickup truck in Mexico, according to authorities.
Gloria Ambriz, 50, and Rafael Cardona, 53, were found by officials responding to reports of a shooting in Angamacutiro, a town in the western state of Michoacán, on Wednesday night. This information was provided by the state attorney general's office and reported by hawk news 11 Los Angeles.
The couple, who were on vacation visiting family, were traveling in a black 2016 Ford Platinum pickup truck when gunmen opened fire near an intersection.
Ambriz was declared dead at the scene, while Cardona died shortly after being transported to a hospital in Puruándiro, according to authorities.
The Michoacán State Attorney General's Office has assembled a team of prosecutors, law enforcement, and forensic experts to investigate the motive and identify those responsible for the deaths.
Michoacán is currently designated as a "do not travel" area by the U.S. State Department.
Mexican authorities disclose unusual theory behind the murders of Australians and Americans on surfing trip.
In May, Mexican authorities confirmed that two Australians and an American were killed during a surfing trip, likely because thieves targeted the tires on their truck.
The three men—Jake and Callum Robinson, brothers from Australia, and Jack Carter Rhoad from the U.S.—were on a camping and surfing excursion along the coast south of Ensenada when they went missing.
Their bodies were later discovered with gunshot wounds to the head, according to Reuters, citing sources from the attorney general’s office.
State prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez suggested that the killers had seen the foreigners' pickup truck and tents while passing by and decided to steal the tires. However, when the men confronted them, it’s believed they resisted, leading to their deaths.
Ramírez stated that the thieves allegedly went to what she described as "a site that is extremely hard to access" and supposedly disposed of the bodies in a well that was well known to them.
One of the suspects, believed to be linked to the murders, allegedly confessed to his girlfriend that he was responsible for killing all three victims, according to Ramírez.
The hawk news reported that Ari Gisel, the girlfriend of suspected killer Jesús Gerardo Garcia Cota, said he arrived at her house on April 28 and confessed to having done something to "three gringos."
After the confession, Garcia Cota allegedly took Gisel outside to show her his vehicle, which was said to have the tires stolen from the victims' truck, Gisel testified in court.
During a tribute, the Robinsons' mother, Debra Robinson, shared, "Our hearts are broken, and the world has become a darker place for us. They were young men enjoying their passion for surfing together," as reported by the Associated Press.
Oklahoma College Students Report Being Drugged at Cancun Resort Pool Bar During Vacation Nightmare
A dream vacation turned into a near-fatal nightmare for two Oklahoma State University students who were allegedly poisoned after ordering water from a poolside bar at a Cancun resort.
Photos shared by Zara Hull and her family capture the chilling moment when Hull and Kaylie Pitze lost consciousness after drinking the contaminated water on August 1.
Hull and a group of friends had been enjoying a four-day trip to Cancun, but it quickly took a terrifying turn. Stephanie Snider, whose son Jake is Hull's boyfriend, posted on Facebook, claiming that Hull and Pitze were drugged while at the resort.
“What began as a fun vacation with friends turned into our worst nightmare,” Snider wrote. After leaving the pool, Jake explained that Pitze had to be wheeled back to their room, while he carried Hull, who began vomiting and experiencing what he believed to be a seizure.
“Zara started having what the resort doctor called a ‘seizure’ and said she needed to be taken to the hospital,” Snider said. Once at the hospital, they demanded $10,000 upfront just to examine her and begin treatment. The money was sent, but by the next morning, more funds were requested to continue her care.
Pitze did not require hospitalization but struggled the following day. Both women had no memory of what happened after their last drink—what they believe was a glass of water. They both collapsed simultaneously, leading to suspicions that the water had been tampered with. Snider said, “Both girls are battling feelings of confusion and asking, ‘Why them?’”
After nearly 27 hours and spending thousands of dollars, Hull’s family was able to arrange with the U.S. Embassy to have her flown to Dallas for further treatment. Snider hopes their ordeal serves as a cautionary tale for others traveling to resorts.
“They followed all the advice—stay on the resort, don’t leave. But it wasn’t safe there,” said Hull. Snider echoed her sentiment: “Like people say, ‘Don’t leave the resort, and you’ll be fine.’ But it started at the resort. The resort was not safe.”
For legal and privacy reasons, Snider has chosen not to disclose the name of the resort or the hospital involved.
American Tourist, 60, Found Dead from Alleged Beating at Celebrity-Frequented 5-Star Hotel in Ireland
In November, a 60-year-old American tourist was found "beaten to death" at a luxury five-star hotel in Ireland, according to police reports.
Ireland's national police service, Garda Síochána, confirmed that an unidentified American citizen was discovered unconscious in his room at Ballyfin Demesne, an upscale hotel located in Laois, Ireland. The victim was later declared dead by authorities. A 30-year-old man was arrested in connection with the assault.
Reports from the Irish Times reveal that the suspect and the victim had been traveling together. The suspect is also an American.
Ballyfin Demesne, a prestigious five-star hotel, has hosted numerous celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who stayed there for their honeymoon in 2014. Actor George Clooney and his wife, Amal, have also visited the hotel.
Local independent councilor James Kelly expressed shock at the incident, telling RTE, "There would be a lot of staff from the area, and they're totally shocked by what has happened here. It's something we didn't think we'd be waking up to this morning."
