There have been many comments / stories on recent travel to Mexico. This post is dedicated to Travel to Mexico. Some Mexico specific comments have been moved here for further discussion.
Also see:
Living with 290 – Traveling to Cabo San Lucas
Sharing More Information Will Enable Federal Agencies to Improve Notifications of Sex Offenders’ International Travel – United States Government Accountability Office, February 2013 (Highlights)
International Tracking of Sex Offenders Working Group – An interim report of the collaborative effort to develop a system for tracking registered sex offenders as they depart and enter the United States, as required by 42 U.S.C. 16928 (White Paper) – developed by representatives of the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and Department of Defense offenders as they depart and enter the United States, as required by 42 U.S.C. §16928, December 2010
Current Situation Results in Thousands of Passports Issued to Registered Sex Offenders – United States Government Accountability Office, June 2010 (Highlights)
Correct me if I am mistaken, but the Government Accountability Office recommended using background checks to list those for flagging not on a registry but have been convicted of a sex crime. Again correct me anyone, but sounds like some government agency or combination is creating its own travel registry, like the no fly list, and is doing it administratively, not through legislation, but under the auspices of laws like SORNA, and international anti trafficking efforts. I think they will just keep doing the notifications until someone tells them to stop, like a judge or the American People, but the American people haven’t even stopped their own government from spying on everyone.
Source: http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/652194.pdf
So mostly if you are an RSO, you are trapped in the United States it seems.
It is perhaps not surprising that Mexico and, I believe, Canada are willing to do the bidding of their powerful neighbor in this regard. What about other countries? Can anybody say that they have been turned back at a European airport? Or any country other than Mexico or Canada?
Sex offenders
INTERPOL’s main tool for dealing with travelling sex offenders is the Green Notice.
A Green Notice is issued to provide warnings and criminal intelligence about persons who have committed criminal offences and are likely to repeat these crimes in other countries. It is an effective way to share key police intelligence on a global scale and to prevent offenders from crossing borders.
Types of Notice
Red Notice
To seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradition or similar lawful action.
Yellow Notice
To help locate missing persons, often minors, or to help identify persons who are unable to identify themselves.
Blue Notice
To collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.
Black Notice
To seek information on unidentified bodies.
Green Notice
To provide warnings and intelligence about persons who have committed criminal offences and are likely to repeat these crimes in other countries.
Orange Notice
To warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety.
INTERPOL–United Nations Security Council Special Notice
Issued for groups and individuals who are the targets of UN Security Council Sanctions Committees.
Purple Notice
To seek or provide information on modi operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals.
I just hope someone can help us with this travel problem. Most of us have very little money. And the government knows this. We are easy targets.
As the tracking of tens of thousands clearly attest, most people learn from their mistakes,and sex offenders are no exception. Just getting caught changes the behavior of most individuals.
Don’t paint all sex offenders with the same brush.
Being listed on the sex offender registry shouldn’t mean a death sentence, but that is tragically what it is.
The research and facts are on our side. What has been missing is our place at the table. So we plan to show up at CAL RSOL meetings and have our voices heard.
Interpol & sex offenders: http://www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Crimes-against-children/Sex-offenders.
Travelling sex offenders: also known as “sex tourism”, this type of crime involves the abuse of children in developing countries by people who travel there. The relative wealth of the offender coupled with lack of understanding or effective legislation means that the abuse of children is easier in these countries. This type of crime is linked to child trafficking, organized crime and murder.
These types of crimes represent a huge challenge for police worldwide and require specialized skills and increased resources. At INTERPOL, we encourage investigators around the world to make maximum use of our tools and services.
Sex tourism, that crap. I would say 99percent of people traveling to Mexico is for vacation with there family, Not sex with minors. Just my thoughts .
We hear from many of those affected by these laws. Most of them complain about how it has devastated them and their families, but very few of these actually take action or donate to the cause.
This is a real bummer to read all of this. I was planning on trying to get back in next week.
I have been a RSO for 17 years with no problems again in that time, no legal issues at all.
I entered Mexico 3 times last year to visit my husband, a Mexican citizen, while we wait for his green card to be approved. In October I was stopped for the first time in Vallarta and interviewed by INM but they eventually let me in after realizing my relationship to a Mexican citizen. In January I had a connecting flight through Mexico D.F. and they did not let me in, put me in a holding area overnight and sent me back to the U.S. They did not let me make phone calls or translate any documents they made me sign AND when I asked to contact the US Embassy they told me NO!!
So, my husband went to the Immigration office in Vallarta and explained the situation and they said, “tell him to come down and try again.” “Try”?? What does that mean?
My question is this…does anyone know if the rules are different if you have familial ties to a Mexican citizen that can’t visit the U.S.
Thanks for any help…and to all that have posted useful information here.
Update from my Mexican immigration law attorney:
I have collected enough legal information to draft at least the first part of the legal enviornment here. However, there is a key part that is still missing. That is the part regarding the relationship between Mexico and other countries, mainly the US.
What I plan to do now is submit a series of Freedom of Information requests to see if I can’t pry more data out of the government.
I do not have a sex case, was actually convicted of aggravated Robbery in 1996, upon release was told there was a new law that required me to register as a predatory offender which to the outside eye still sounds like a sex offense. I’ve traveled to Mexico and other countries many times but was recently turned away like a few previous people have stated. I plan to fight this registry system to the end because i feel it sets you up to fell.
I think one thing to keep in mind here that these new results with people trying to travel to Mexico seem to have little to do with your registration on the list. Rather this is the result of the US sharing criminal records of all kinds with other countries. And what has most likely changed is how those countries are responding. Canada has blocked anybody with a felony or DUI from entering their country for many years. Also Australia and many others are very particular about who can enter etc. Dog the Bounty Hunter was denied a visa by the United Kingdom a few years ago. This was based on his 1976 conviction. Which admittedly was for murder so it was a pretty serious charge. And if I remember correctly it was for a work visa. Had he just been visiting they might not have cared or even noticed. For those of you convicted of violations that would allow you to petition to be off the registry in other states after the timeframe has been passed, I would say you would have to seriously consider moving. It might require leaving family etc. and have it’s own difficulties but being removed from that burden might well be worth it. And once off the list, A) you shouldn’t have to inform anyone if you wish to travel out of the country B) from what I have read many countries such as the UK probably won’t care if you want to either travel there or possibly live there…..again once you are off the list.
Unfortunately, I had already bought a vacation package to a resort there (flying into Cancun) for my wife and I to celebrate our 15 year anniversary. I lived in CA for awhile, got involved with a 17-year-old female when I was 26, and am now a lifetime registrant. I have since moved to the midwest and am following all the registration laws. Of course, my wife was crushed now that I shared this with her, and that I would most likely be turned away. An attorney told me to contact the Mexican Consulate and ICE and gather as much paperwork as I could before traveling, but after all the stories here, it all sounds like a lost cause and I’m out $2k. (Sorry, I have nothing of value to add to this forum, but I’m just incredibly depressed – more so for my wife than myself.)
I was wondering if anyone has tried traveling recently to anyplace tropical such as Jamaica or the Dominican Republic? If this isn’t the correct site/thread topmost this on, please let me know where I can find the answer. I’d like to find someplace tropical I would be able I take my wife without a bunch of hassle. (Obviously, there’s Hawaii here in the states, or Florida, or even St. Thomas.)
It is pretty obvious, this is an all around lawsuit both USA and petitions in treaties and international law in other countries. HUMAN RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED. One trick is to gather all your paper work about harassment, vigilantly violence keep that paper trail. IF NO OTHER OFFENCES especially has NOTHING WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING WHAT SO EVER. Make a petition that USA governments punish and don’t care if people are abused. In a lot ways we have the burden to make the case that USA is another Nazi uprising and has no validity to HUMAN RIGHTS and is constantly against international HUMAN RIGHTS. Dancing around the money hole we go but yes we have to file a very very large class action lawsuit of unprecedented magnitude. This obviously concerns people also not on the registry lets see if we can get a million man, women and child class action lawsuit going. I am in for one in. I think media is a great way. Need more and more videos of people being forced to be homeless make these videos available to other countries. Need translators. For one thing most countries dont’t believe in a public registry anyways. Lets see if that can be a starting platform for INTERNATIONAL reform. We have to stand together with this one. NO ONE MAN BATTLES. Well maybe just for research but we need more than just one man battles.
If I read this correctly, any country will be alerted moving forward; therefore, RSO will not be limited to Mexico only
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The Supplemental Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification require sex offenders to report their international travel 21 days prior to departing the United States. The U.S. Marshals Service’s National Sex Offender Targeting Center (NSOTC), with the assistance of the SMART Office and INTERPOL, created the Notification of International Travel of Sex Offender form. This fillable PDF enables a seamless transfer of information from a jurisdiction’s registry to the respective destination country.
An “email” button on the form makes it easy for users to submit the form directly to NSOTC. The email subject line should read “Sex Offender Travel Notification” to speed up processing. NSOTC will process the information and submit it to INTERPOL.
Upon receipt of the form, INTERPOL will notify the destination country. Unlike other notices, this is for informational purposes only and does not require action on behalf of the receiving country.
It appears, it is not a single agency doing the dirty work:
http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/652195.pdf
“Three federal agencies—U.S. Marshals, International Criminal Police
Organization (INTERPOL) Washington – U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB),
and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—use information from
state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions, as well as passenger data from the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to identify registered sex offenders
traveling outside of the United States”
This really sucks… My partner and I want to travel to Southeast Asia to experience some of the Asian carriers such as Cathay or Malaysia airlines, but given the recent issues we encountered in Mexico, I am hesitant to spend thousands of dollars on airfare to travel across the globe to find out I won’t be let in.
It seems people have lost interest in this topic. It’s very sad because it will impact many of us.
For those who followed my case, I am officially OFF the Florida SRO list with the TX court order!
I have contacted the Mexican Consulate, and they are trying to help me. They will contact the Mexican authorities & immigration to find out if the alert the US sent for me is still valid. If it’s still out there, I have some challenges I need to address in the US.
To let you know I did post earlier on February 26th.
I did in fact move to Puerto Rico.
I can tell it is a world of difference in how you are treated and the whole issue is not a national obsession here as it is in many places in the states, which is fed by the local media, newspapers, television and radio that appear to have a vested interest promoting and sensationalizing stories about rso’s.
I am scheduled to fly into Mexico shortly. I am working for an American company and will be there less than two weeks. I was taken off the registration list about 5 yrs. ago and no longer have any restrictions. May I ask readers to share their thoughts on whether I should go or cancel trip. I will loose thousands of dollars of income, but if I know I going to cause an incredible financial loss to the company, I rather not risk it. They have coordinated others from around the U.S. to meet there as well. Thanks everyone for your previous comments.
John P Humphrey, a Canadian, was one of the drafters of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 13:(2) “Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.” This article was approved unanimously by the United Nations members at the time, just after WWII. They were intent on preventing the kinds of travel bans the Nazi’s had imposed on marginalized groups and wished to prevent it from happening again. Apparently Canada, the US and the other countries who turn away registrants and those once convicted of crimes have made an exception for those who have already been punished but now have to wear a vitual “sex offender” tag where ever they go.
@ Bill;
Not sure of your location now, but if you’re apprehensive, you might check into going to Tijuana and flying into Mexico from there. Fly to San Diego, taxi to TJ and fly out of that airport. Anybody have other suggestions that could help?
To be clear, I am no longer required to register does anyone know if I could still be denied entry into Mexico?