USA recommends that Americans do not visit cities in the Federal District

The US Embassy (USA) in Brazil updated, on Friday (30), the travel alert to Brazil for US tourists: one of the recommendations is not to visit Ceilândia, Santa Maria, São Sebastião and Paranoá, in the Federal District.

The justification is that there is an increased risk of kidnapping in the country and that the embassy had to update security recommendations for US citizens.

“Updated to inform the risk indicator of kidnapping. Exercises greater caution in Brazil due to crime and kidnapping. Some areas have a higher risk,” says the document.

The four regions of the DF have been on the list since 2018. The Plano Piloto bus station, which was mentioned earlier, does not appear this time.

The embassy was asked about maintaining locations in the 2025 notice, but diplomatic representation said that it does not comment on matters related to safety. The text, published in Portuguese and called “Warning of Travel”, is attributed to the US State Department, an organ equivalent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.

Also according to a document published on the official website of the embassy, US government officials who work in Brazil must obtain special authorization to go to the four regions between 18h e 6H.

Embassy Recommendations on Brazil

In addition to the Federal District, among other points, the American Embassy:

• states that gang and organized crime activities are “widespread” in the country and often linked to drug trafficking
• recommends to Americans that they do not go to slums, even on guided tours;
• It recommends to Americans not to move to the administrative regions of the Federal District, in the vicinity of Brasilia (employees will only be able to go with permission).

In the stretch where the embassy makes a “summary of the country”Brazil is described as a place with violent crimes – murder, armed theft and car theft – which can occur in urban areas, day and night. Then, the embassy states that physical aggressions, using sedatives and drugs placed in beverages, are “common” in Brazil.

“Criminals aim for foreigners through dating or bars before drugs and steal their victims. US government officials are advised not to use municipal buses in Brazil due to the serious risk of theft and aggression, especially at night,” says the embassy.

In this context, the embassy makes a number of recommendations to US citizens traveling to Brazil, including:

• prepare a plan for emergency situations
• Do not display valuable objects such as expensive watches or jewelry
• develop a communication plan with the family

What the Public Security Secretariat says

“The Federal District Government (GDF) reaffirms its commitment to Public Security and points out that by 2024 the DF reached the best indicators of violence reduction in the last 48 years. The homicide rate recorded was 6.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, the lowest rate since 1977-level compatible with that of US states.

This result is the result of continuous and integrated work of the security forces and the implementation of the Integral Security Program, the Federal District Public Security Secretariat (SSP/DF). With coordinated prevention and repression actions, the program has been expanding the presence of the state in all administrative regions, with special focus on more vulnerable areas ”