Imagine lounging on a beach in Cancún, drink in hand, sun on your face—and a soldier in full combat gear patrolling 20 feet away. That’s not the scene from a war zone; that’s your summer vacation in 2025. Mexico has just launched “Operation Summer Vacation 2025,” deploying over 7,000 military and law enforcement personnel to tourist hotspots like Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Cozumel. This isn’t a show of strength—it’s a flashing red warning light. When soldiers are walking the beaches, it’s not because the area is safe. It’s because it isn’t.
Let’s be clear: this militarization isn’t new. Since 2021, Mexico has leaned heavily on armed forces to patrol resorts and beaches, hoping to staunch the bleeding caused by cartel violence and rising crime. But this year’s deployment is the biggest yet. Why? Because the threat is growing—not shrinking. Organized crime in Mexico adapts quickly. As former DEA Senior Special Agent Michael Brown put it, “The fluidity of Mexican organized crime, gang activity, is constantly moving… these high-end tourist areas represent an easy opportunity for organized crime to come, steal, assault, and rob.”
This is what happens when a country loses control of its sovereignty. The Mexican government isn’t projecting power—it’s reacting to chaos. And while liberal pundits like to pretend cartel violence is overblown or “localized,” the reality is that tourists have been assaulted, extorted, and even killed in these “safe” vacation zones. The U.S. State Department has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Quintana Roo, warning Americans to “exercise increased caution.” That’s diplomatic language for: “We can’t guarantee your safety.”
Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa insists that her government is committed to cracking down on abuse and crime, and she encouraged tourism providers to act ethically. That’s a nice sentiment, but it won’t stop a cartel member from robbing a tourist at knifepoint—or worse. The truth is, you don’t deploy thousands of National Guard troops, naval units, and federal police to protect tourists unless you’ve lost control to violent actors.
Now, here’s the kicker: this isn’t just a Mexican problem. It’s an American problem. Because every time the Mexican government fails to contain its criminal networks, those same networks creep closer to our doorstep. They don’t stop at the border—they bring drugs, violence, and human trafficking into our communities. President Trump has been right all along: until we secure our border, until we stop treating the cartels like a foreign inconvenience instead of a national threat, we’re just inviting the chaos in.
Meanwhile, the Biden-era policies that empowered these cartels by gutting border enforcement and flooding our communities with fentanyl are still being cleaned up. Under President Trump, the wall is being finished, and border security is finally a top priority again. But the ripple effects of weak leadership don’t disappear overnight.
If you’re planning a trip to Mexico this summer, you’d better be prepared. Travel with a plan. Don’t wander around after dark. Don’t accept drinks from strangers. Don’t flash cash or wear expensive jewelry. And always know how to get out, fast. That’s not travel advice—it’s survival strategy.
And let’s not kid ourselves: the idea that a visible military presence makes tourists feel safer is nonsense. As Brown said, “You’re sitting on a beach looking at soldiers… that really works against the concept of a vacation.” He’s right. A vacation should be about peace, not paranoia. You shouldn’t need GPS trackers, check-in protocols, and military escorts just to enjoy a beachside cocktail.
This is what happens when you allow lawlessness to fester. It doesn’t stay in the shadows—it spills out into the open. Mexico’s beaches are now patrolled by soldiers, not because the country is strong, but because the cartels are stronger. Until that changes, Americans should think twice before handing their passports to a country that needs armed troops to babysit its tourists.
National security doesn’t stop at the border—it starts there. And as Mexico struggles to maintain control, we ought to be more concerned than ever about what’s coming next.