US citizens urged not to travel to Rocky Point until Lukeville border crossing reopens

José Ignacio Castañeda Perez, Arizona Republic
Updated ·2 min read
20

The U.S. Consulate General strongly advised U.S. citizens against traveling to Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, known as Rocky Point, and warned about using alternate routes to reach the beach town as the Lukeville Port of Entry remains shuttered.

Officials issued the warning Wednesday, advising citizens not to travel to Rocky Point until the port of entry reopens. Citizens traveling to or from Rocky Point are advised to only travel during daylight hours, maintain a high level of vigilance and keep a low profile.

“Due to the continued closure of the Lukeville-Sonoyta U.S. Port of Entry, the U.S. Consulate General reminds U.S. citizens that U.S. government employees may not travel to Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) using any other route until the Lukeville Port of Entry reopens,” the written advisory reads.

Travelers are advised to monitor local media for updates, follow directions from local officials and call 911 in case of emergency. The guidance reminds citizens that U.S. government employees cannot travel to Rocky Point using any alternate routes until the port 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.

When will Lukeville port reopen?: Here's what we know

Northern swaths of Sonora recently have become embroiled in a wave of violence as criminal groups have been warring over control of migrant smuggling routes in the region. Cartel violence in Sasabe and Sonoyta, the town across the border from Lukeville, has incited many of the towns’ residents to flee and seek asylum in the U.S.

Migrants and asylum seekers wait to be picked up and processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument along the U.S.-Mexico border about a mile west of Lukeville, Ariz., on Dec. 4, 2023. The Lukeville Port of Entry was closed indefinitely by officials on Dec. 4.
Migrants and asylum seekers wait to be picked up and processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument along the U.S.-Mexico border about a mile west of Lukeville, Ariz., on Dec. 4, 2023. The Lukeville Port of Entry was closed indefinitely by officials on Dec. 4.

On Dec. 16, three U.S. residents were shot at and one was killed while driving east on Federal Highway 2 in Sonora. The shooting happened at about 2 a.m. as the group drove in a truck with Oregon plates between Altar and Santa Ana.

The group came from Utah, according to reporting from the Mexican news outlet, El Universal. The shooting was first reported by the Arizona Daily Star.

Sonora violence: Families flee Sasabe as ongoing cartel violence grips border town

The group was heading to Michoacán, Mexico, on the highway that also serves as an alternate route to reach Rocky Point from Nogales. When the Lukeville closure was announced, U.S. Customs and Border Protection advised travelers to cross through Nogales or San Luis in order to reach Rocky Point.

Both routes take at least six hours with Federal Highway 2 serving as a necessary path to reach Rocky Point from Nogales. CBP has said that there is no timeline yet for when the Lukeville-Sonoyta Port of Entry will reopen.

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.

Mexican mayors Luis Enrique Valdez Reyes of Sonoyta, left, Abraham David Mier Nogales of Caborca, center, and Jorge Pivac of Puerto Peñasco are interviewed through the U.S.-Mexico border during a visit to see the situation of migrants and asylum seekers waiting to be picked up and processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument along the U.S.-Mexico border about a mile west of Lukeville, Ariz., on Dec. 4, 2023. The Lukeville Port of Entry was closed indefinitely by officials Dec. 4.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Lukeville border crossing closure: US warns not to go to Rocky Point