All U.S. direct-hire personnel and their families assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Caracas are subject to an embassy movement policy that limits their travel within Caracas and many parts of the country.  Inter-city travel by car during hours of darkness (6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) is strongly discouraged and in some cases may be prohibited.  U.S. government personnel must also request approval for travel outside of Caracas.  These security measures may limit the U.S. Embassy’s ability to provide services.  This replaces the Travel Warning issued December 15, 2016.

The political and security situation in Venezuela is unpredictable and can change quickly.  Since April 2017, political rallies and demonstrations occur daily throughout the country, often with little notice.  Disruptions to traffic and public transportation are common.  Demonstrations typically elicit a strong police and security force response that includes the use of tear gas, pepper spray, water cannons and rubber bullets against participants, and occasionally devolve into looting and vandalism. Armed motorcycle gangs associated with the government frequently use violence to intimidate demonstrators.  Clashes between these groups have resulted in serious injuries and over 70 deaths.  U.S. citizens have reported being arrested, detained, and robbed while in close proximity to protests.

Security forces have arrested individuals, including U.S. citizens, and detained them for long periods with little or no evidence of a crime.  The U.S. Embassy may not be notified of the detention of a U.S. citizen and consular access to detainees may be denied or severely delayed.  The detained citizen may be denied access to proper medical care, clean water, and food.

Violence and criminal activity – including homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking – pose significant and continuing security concerns.  Indiscriminate violent crime is endemic throughout the country and can occur anywhere at any time.  There are reports of authorities (e.g., police, airport, immigration) and criminals posing as authorities participating in robbery and extortion.  Drug traffickers and illegal armed groups are active in the Colombian border states of Zulia, Tachira, and Apure.

The Simón Bolívar International Airport, in Maiquetía, is located in an extremely high-risk area for armed robbery and kidnappings.  Do not take unregulated taxis from this airport and avoid ATMs in this area.  Travel between the Simón Bolívar International Airport and Caracas only during daylight hours, as armed bandits frequently target night-time motorists along this route.

Due to shortages of medicine and medical supplies, U.S. citizens should be prepared to cover their own needs for over-the-counter and prescription medicines while in country.  You should have medical evacuation plans in place that do not rely solely on U.S. government assistance.  Comprehensive medical evacuation insurance is strongly advised for all travelers.

U.S. citizens may also be detained and/or deported by Venezuelan immigration officials for not complying with visa or immigration regulations.  U.S. citizens traveling to Venezuela must have a valid visa that is appropriate for their specific type of travel (journalism, employment, study, etc.) or risk being detained or deported.  Journalists must possess the appropriate accreditation and work visa from the Venezuelan authorities before arriving. International journalists are closely scrutinized and have been expelled and/or detained for lacking appropriate permissions to work in Venezuela or for participation in what could be seen as anti-government activity, including observing and reporting on public health facilities.

For further information:

• See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Venezuela Specific Information.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Contact the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, located at Calle F con Calle Suapure, Lomas de Valle Arriba, Caracas at +[58] 212-975-6411, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The after-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +[58] 0212-907-8400 or, or 0212-907-8400 from within Venezuela.
• To reach the Department of State’s Overseas Citizen Services, call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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U.S., Western, and official Jordanian interests remain priority targets for ISIS and other violent extremist organizations. Within the last year, Jordanian authorities have notified the U.S. Embassy of several disrupted terrorist plots targeting U.S. citizens and Westerners in Jordan. In addition, on December 18, 2016, terrorists killed 10 people, including a Canadian citizen and seven Jordanian security and police officers, at or near a tourist site in Karak, 130 km south of Amman. Two days later, in the same area, a shootout between a different terrorist group and Jordanian security forces occurred. Terrorist entities continue to express interest in attacking other “soft” targets, such as high-profile public events, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, schools, and malls.

Travelers to Jordan should avoid the country’s border with Syria and Iraq given the continued threat of cross-­border attacks. All U.S. government personnel on official travel must receive prior permission to visit any area within 10 km from the Jordan-­Syria border, which includes the town of Ramtha. The 10 km area does not include the tourist site of Umm Qais or the city of Irbid. U.S. government personnel must also have permission for official travel on Highway 10 east of the town of Ruwayshid toward the Iraq border. U.S. government employees on personal travel are not permitted to visit the border areas or refugee camps, and the Embassy advises U.S. citizens to avoid both locations. On occasion, the U.S. Embassy temporarily makes other areas within Jordan off limits to its staff based on the security situation.

For more information:

• See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Jordan.

• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) Please provide your own current contact information and that for your emergency contact/next-of-kin.

• Contact the U.S. Embassy in Amman. The U.S. Embassy is located on Al-Umayyaween Street, Abdoun neighborhood, Amman 11118. You can contact the Embassy by telephone at +(962) (6) 590-6000. The emergency after-hours number is +(962)(6) 590-6500.  U.S. citizens in Jordan may also contact the consular section by email at Amman-ACS@state.gov. U.S. citizens seeking routine services must make appointments in advance.

• Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries.

• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook

In July 2016, violent clashes between government and opposition forces broke out in Juba, resulting in the expulsion of opposition forces from the capital.  Since then, armed conflict has expanded throughout the country, leading to continued instability that is exacerbated by intercommunal violence, cattle raiding, economic collapse, and an increase in violent crime. Aid workers, including U.S. citizens, have been the targets of shootings, ambushes, violent assaults, harassment, and robberies. All U.S. citizens in South Sudan should have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance, and should carry medical evacuation insurance.

The risk of violent crime is critical throughout South Sudan, including in Juba.  Due to the risk of carjacking, crime, and unpredictable armed violence, travel outside of Juba should be undertaken with a minimum of two vehicles and appropriate recovery and medical equipment in case of mechanical failure or other emergency.

Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of South Sudan, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). For further background information regarding FAA flight advisories and prohibitions for U.S. civil aviation, U.S. citizens should consult Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices.

For further information:

• See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for South Sudan.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). U.S. citizens who travel to or remain in South Sudan despite this Travel Warning should provide their current contact information and next-of-kin information in STEP.
• Contact the U.S. Embassy in Juba located on Kololo Road in Tongping next to the European Union compound, at +(211) 912-105-188 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(211) 912-105-107.
• Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Terrorist attacks can occur anywhere in the country, including major metropolitan areas. In early May, ISIS media threatened that places associated with Westerners, Christians, the Egyptian military or police, and Egyptian government facilities could be struck at any time. The northeastern Sinai Peninsula remains a particularly dangerous area, with frequent attacks on security forces and civilians. There are also reports of attacks on security forces in Egypt’s Western Desert, the large, mostly uninhabited area west of the Nile Valley, and in Egypt’s border areas. The Egyptian Military frequently conducts counterterrorism operations in these areas.

For security reasons, U.S. Mission personnel are prohibited from traveling to the Western Desert and the Sinai Peninsula. Overland travel is not allowed anywhere in the Sinai Peninsula, but U.S. Mission personnel are permitted to travel to and from Sharm El-Sheikh by air. Mission personnel are prohibited from visiting religious sites outside greater Cairo.

The Egyptian Government maintains a heavy security presence at major tourist sites in and around greater Cairo and Alexandria; at Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and other beach resorts on the Red Sea and the Mediterranean coast; and at many of the major temples and archaeological sites located in and around the Nile Valley cities of Luxor and Aswan, including Abu Simbel.

Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of Egypt, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR). For further background information regarding FAA flight advisories and prohibitions for U.S. civil aviation, U.S. citizens should consult Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices.

For further detailed information and assistance:

• See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Egypt.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Contact the U.S. Embassy in Egypt. For non-emergency inquiries, U.S. citizens may send an email to the American Citizens Services Unit at consularcairoacs@state.gov. For emergencies during and after business hours and on weekends and holidays, U.S. citizens can contact the Embassy Duty Officer via the Embassy switchboard at +20-2-2797-3300. The Embassy is located at 5 Tawfik Diab Street (formerly known as Latin America Street), Garden City, Cairo.
• Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

There is a threat of kidnappings-for-ransom of foreigners, including U.S. citizens, from terrorist and insurgent groups based in the Sulu Archipelago and in the southern Sulu Sea area. This area stretches from the southern tip of Palawan, along the coast of eastern Sabah, Malaysia and the islands of the Sulu Archipelago, up to Zamboanga City, Mindanao. The U.S. Embassy requires U.S. government personnel to obtain special authorization before traveling to Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.

Separatist and terrorist groups continue to attack and kidnap civilians, foreigners, political leaders, and Philippine security forces in Mindanao. On May 23, 2017, the Philippine government declared martial law throughout the Mindanao region.  Review the following information:

• In September 2016, a terrorist group detonated a bomb in Davao City, killing 14 and wounding at least 70 people. Following the attack, the Philippine government declared a “State of National Emergency on Account of Lawless Violence in Mindanao.”
• In May 2017, an ongoing conflict erupted between terrorist groups and Philippine security forces in Marawi City, Mindanao, resulting in multiple dead and injured.
• In central Mindanao, extremist groups aligned with the Islamic State, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and other armed groups have carried out attacks on local government institutions, civilians, and security forces in the Cotabato City area, and in the Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat provinces, where the government maintains a state of emergency and a greater police presence.
• In Mindanao, terrorists, insurgents, and criminal gangs regularly conduct kidnappings for ransom. Since January 2017, at least six separate kidnappings have been reported.
• In western Mindanao, terrorists, insurgents, and criminal gangs regularly conduct kidnappings for ransom.
• The U.S. Embassy has restricted U.S. government personnel travel to Mindanao.
• There have been no reports of U.S. citizens in Mindanao targeted specifically for their nationality; however, general threats to U.S. citizens and other foreigners throughout Mindanao remain a concern.

Recent terrorist threats, kidnappings, and bombings have occurred throughout the Philippines. U.S. Embassy Manila received credible information that terrorists planned to conduct kidnappings in Palawan, Cebu, and Bohol provinces in 2017. In November 2016, a terrorist group planted an Improvised Explosive Device near the U.S. Embassy in Metro Manila. In April and May 2017, bombings in Quiapo, Manila killed two and injured twenty.

For further information:

• See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Philippines Country Specific Information.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Contact the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines, located at 1201 Roxas Boulevard, at +(63) (2) 301-2000, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(63) (2) 301-2000.
• Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

The potential for terrorist attacks in Bamako is high. Locations frequented by Westerners and other expatriates, including but not limited to night clubs, hotels, restaurants, places of worship, and Western diplomatic missions are targets for attacks. On June 18, 2017 terrorists attacked a hotel/resort complex 24 km east of Bamako city center, a site frequented primarily by Westerners and other expatriates. This was the fourth attack on such a site in the Bamako region since 2015.

On April 28, 2017 the Government of Mali extended the State of Emergency by six months. Roadblocks and random police checkpoints, especially between sundown and sun-up, are common in Bamako and throughout the country.

Northern and Central Mali are high risk areas for terrorist attacks, armed conflict, and armed robbery. U.S. government personnel in Mali are restricted from these regions except for travel deemed to be mission critical.

Violent extremist groups targeting foreigners have claimed responsibility for multiple terrorist attacks throughout Mali over the past 12 months. In March 2017, four Al-Qa’ida-linked groups merged under the name of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM or “Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims”).  Terrorist groups are likely to continue, if not escalate, attacks on United Nations and Western targets throughout the Sahel.

Westerners have been kidnapped for profit and/or ideological motives. Several Western hostages are believed to be captive in Mali, including a U.S. citizen who was kidnapped in Niger in October, 2016.

Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of Mali, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR). For further background information regarding FAA flight advisories and prohibitions for U.S. civil aviation, U.S. citizens should consult FAA’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices.

For further information:

• See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Mali.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• The U.S. Embassy in Bamako  is located at ACI 2000, Rue 243 Porte 297 and can be reached at +223 20 70 23 00. The Consular Section can be contacted at +223 20 70 25 05, or via email at acsbamako@state.gov and consularbamako@state.gov. For after-hours emergencies, please contact the Embassy Duty Officer at +223 66 75 28 60.
• Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
•  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.