Arizona man shot in Mexico while trying to cross into US. What to know
An Arizona man was shot Christmas Eve when he was caught in the crossfire of rival smuggling gangs in northwestern Sonora as he drove north to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
Craig Ricketts was shot twice, once in his arm and once in his left leg, near Oquitoa, Sonora, a town just outside of Altar, Sonora, according to reporting from Arizona’s Family, the outlet that first reported the shooting in the Phoenix market.
Ricketts’ car was shot at least 16 times as he attempted to bypass the Lukeville-Sonoyta Port of Entry closure and cross the border through Nogales. Instead of crossing through Nogales, Ricketts’ GPS led him on a route through Altar to cross through the Sasabe Port of Entry, an area that has been the epicenter of an ongoing turf war between rival cartel gangs.
Sasabe, Sonora, is only about 66 miles north of Oquitoa, resulting in an hour-and-a-half drive.
Northern portions of Sonora have become entrenched in intense violence stemming from rival gangs battling for prized migrant smuggling routes near the southern border. Sasabe, Sonora, has been largely abandoned by residents as cartel fighting has spilled into the streets.
Travel advisory: US citizens urged not to travel to Rocky Point until Lukeville border crossing reopens
The entire state of Sonora is classified under a level 3 travel advisory, which means citizens should reconsider travel because of crime and kidnapping.
Ricketts has been working in Puerto Libertad, Sonora, to build a real estate development for the past seven years and has worked in Mexico for over 20 years, he told Arizona’s Family. Ricketts was traveling to Tempe to visit his son for the holidays.
At the time of publication, Google Maps still guides travelers from Puerto Libertad to drive through Sasabe on their way to Tempe.
Ricketts’ was shot just over a week after one U.S. resident was killed and two others were injured in a shooting on Federal Highway 2 in Sonora. The shooting happened on Dec. 16 at about 2 a.m. as the group drove in a truck with Oregon plates between Altar and Santa Ana.
The group, which came from Utah, was heading to Michoacán, Mexico, on the highway that also serves as an alternate route to reach Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, known as Rocky Point, from Nogales.
The U.S. Consulate General strongly advised U.S. citizens against traveling to Rocky Point and warned about using alternate routes to reach the tourist destination as the Lukeville Port of Entry remains closed. The guidance was issued on Dec. 20, advising people not to travel to Rocky Point until the Lukeville port reopens.
The Lukeville port has been shuttered for nearly a month after U.S. Customs and Border Protection resigned officers to help Border Patrol with asylum seeker processing on Dec. 4.
Have a news tip or story idea about the border and its communities? Contact the reporter at josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com or connect with him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @joseicastaneda.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona man shot in Sonora while trying to cross into US
