In an increasingly interconnected and globalized world, the idea of traveling or working abroad used to evoke images of cultural exchange, adventure, and opportunity. But the reality today is much darker: Americans are less safe around the world than ever before. From kidnappings, unlawful detentions to killings, the headlines reveal a disturbing trend of heightened risks for U.S. citizens overseas. This is all a result of American lack of assertiveness in dealing with those who harm Americans abroad.
In recent years, we’ve witnessed a multitude of high-profile incidents of Americans being targeted abroad. From U.S. citizens executed by Hamas to Americans being held hostage by state actors, and just this month, we saw U.S. servicemembers assaulted in a NATO nation.
The United States Department of State has issued 214 active travel advisories for various countries around the world, ranging from “Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions” to “Level 4: Do Not Travel”. Level 4 warnings have been issued for places like Israel and Gaza, Russia, Iran, Lebanon, Haiti, and Venezuela due to heightened crime, conflict, terrorism, or civil unrest.
Americans are not just at risk in active war zones. The danger has spread to regions previously seen as safe for tourists, businesspeople, and aid workers. Even in countries with established ties to the United States, anti-American sentiment is on the rise and Americans have become attractive targets for political, ideological, and financial exploitation.
It’s no wonder as to why. On October 7, 2023, the U.S. officials found that at least 43 Americans were killed by Hamas in Israel. Just last week, American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin was brutally executed by Hamas after being held captive, and inhumanly tortured, and even amputated in Gaza for 11 months.
Similarly, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine continues to pose significant risks to American citizens. In 2024, several Americans were detained or disappeared in Russian-controlled territories under suspicions of espionage, or simply because they were viewed as political pawns. The cases of detained Americans like journalist Evan Gershkovich remain stark reminders of the precarious situation U.S. citizens face in countries with hostile relations to the United States.
These attacks on American citizens cannot go unanswered.
The sad reality is that many Americans believe that carrying a U.S. passport will protect them from danger abroad. The truth is far more complicated. While the U.S. government works tirelessly to protect its citizens, there are limits to its ability to intervene swiftly in emergency situations. Bureaucratic delays, diplomatic hurdles, and the sheer complexity of international law mean that American lives are at risk even before you step off the plane to a new country.
Whether through kidnapping, extortion, or outright violence, U.S. citizens are no longer afforded the protection they once believed came with their citizenship.
The simple reason for this is that the United States has stopped exacting a price for killing or injuring our citizens.
At the height of the Roman Empire, a Roman citizen could travel anywhere in the known world armed only with the phrase "civis Romanus sum," or "I am a Roman citizen." Today, as a citizen of the most powerful country in the world, any American should be able to travel the entire globe armed only with the phrase "I am an American citizen," and know they will be safe, but that simply isn't the case.
For too long, our nation's leaders have chosen to pay ransoms to get our citizens back from hostile nations, which simply serves to set a price on every Americans' head. When Americans are killed by hostile nations, or their proxies, we choose not to make our enemies pay an equal or greater price. These decisions have led to a world where Americans feel less safe and those who would do harm to Americans feel safer.
I have seen firsthand the escalating threats facing our fellow Americans in foreign lands. I have been on the ground to save them when our government couldn’t or wouldn't. That is why, now more than ever, American citizens need to prioritize safety and security when they leave American soil.
Mario Duarte is the CEO of Project DYNAMO, an organization dedicated to rescuing Americans in crisis situations abroad.
