Top 10 places Americans get arrested overseas in 2006
Tijuana, Mexico: Before Vegas was Vegas, Tijuana was the glitziest place to go. Pre-1933, the year Prohibition was repealed, Californians would cross the border to get a drink and taste other forbidden fruits. Its rowdy rep continues. Last year, 520 U.S. citizens were arrested there, many on firearms, drug and alcohol charges. (Chris Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Guadalajara, Mexico: The capital of Jalisco state sits at 5,100 feet, and it’s a good place to chill out. But Americans still manage to get into hot water: 416 U.S. citizens were arrested there in 2006. (Guillermo Arias / Associated Press)
Nuevo Laredo, Mexico: Cars line up in the Mexican city, which lies just across the border from Laredo, Texas. Visitors come to Nuevo Laredo to shop at El Mercado for Mexican handicrafts. But it can be a rough-and-tumble town. The State Department (www.travel.state.gov), in its consular information sheets, says it can be violent. Last year, 359 U.S. citizens were arrested there. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
London: Sure, you think of Tower Bridge, at left, and the Tower of London when you visit Britain’s capital, but you don’t think you’ll end up one of its inmates. According to the State Department, travelers seem to have a propensity for getting arrested in the city on the Thames. In 2006, 274 U.S. citizens were arrested in London; the State Department declined to comment on why. (Sang Tan / Associated Press)
Toronto: This genteel Canadian city, viewed from the northern shore of Lake Ontario where the skyline is dominated by the CN Tower, hardly seems a magnet for trouble. Yet in 2006, 183 U.S. citizens ran afoul of the law and were arrested. (Kevin Frayer / Associated Press)
Nassau, Bahamas: Nassau has a wonderful, natural port and attracts lots of cruise ships, which disgorge their passengers into this city of about 200,000. These and other visitors often find trouble in paradise, however: In 2006, 108 U.S. citizens were arrested there. (Tim Ayle / Associated Press)
Nogales, Mexico: Just across the border from Arizona, Nogales attracts U.S. visitors for shopping and dining. But the fun went sour for 96 U.S. citizens who were arrested there in 2006. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Hong Kong: This high-energy special administrative region of China can be chaotic, attesting to its importance as a financial and trade center. It was definitely not the center of calm for the 90 U.S. citizens arrested there in 2006. (Rosemary McClure / Los Angeles Times)
