I have been there, in Puerto Escondido several times. We even had a wedding there a few years ago. But yes, 2 years ago was the last time I took a trip from Col

I have been there, in Puerto Escondido several times. We even had a wedding there a few years ago. But yes, 2 years ago was the last time I took a trip from Colorado all the way to Puerto Escondido and back (staying there with wife and dogs for about 2 months). Oaxaca never been an issue (other than dengue), but the states we had to drive through. Cartel activities were brutal that year. Even if you were precocious and staying on major highways - not safe anymore. During that travel the worst thing have happened to us were cops stopping us for no reason (US Plates + Big Motorhome), but the the most scary thing that happened to us was to know that 50 kilometers down the road of where we stopped for a night there were cartel activities on the highway, stopping foreigners and taking them out of the cars (machine guns, etc). We were lucky. As far as traveling by air to the known locations. Keep in mind, that a LOT of tourist just don't take it seriously, the simple rules "don't buy drugs offered on street", "don't follow people into weird dark alleys", "don't be alone", "don't get drunk and wonder in the streets at night". Those will get you in trouble here in US, in any other country, and Mexico is not going to be an exception. Even two years ago we have heard some stories about being robbed on the street, and the question was "how did it happen?" - looking for drugs in the middle of the night, already being drunk. Sure, those cases might be different.