When a U.S. citizen is out of the country, he or she should follow the laws of that country, or better said, just go with the most popular way "when in Rome, do as the romans do".
But what should a U.S. citizen do in case of an emergency?
The U.S. consulate advises all citizens to take all precautionary measures before traveling abroad, in which here are just a few things you might want to take in consideration before traveling next time.
In case of a medical emergency, the consulate already has a list of competent doctors and hospitals you can go to, but to be on the safe side you can also purchase medical insurance that can cover you while you're in another country.
If you get arrested you should inform the authorities of your citizenship, in which then they should put you in contact with the consulate, that does not mean that consulate officials can go and get you out of jail, but what they can do is make sure that your rights are protected, and be able to notify a relative or friend of your legal situation.
If a U.S. citizen passes away abroad, a consulate official will notify the deceased person's family members and explain their options and the costs for the transfer of the body.
The costs regarding the transfer of the body from one country to another is covered by the family, but there are some cases in which the U.S. consulate covers the fees.
A consulate official also takes a report to obtain the death certificate, just in case that any family member would need to use it for legal matters.
In case of a natural disaster or emergency evacuation out of the country, first and foremost you must contact a family member, or if your unable to then a consulate official can assist you, however people who are injured or in immediate danger have priority. Just remember that in a natural disaster, consulate offices suffer the same type of damages like every other building as well like no electricity, non-working phone lines and airports might close out as well.
The most common emergency though is the loss of passports, which the consulate on a daily basis has to deal with.
Below is the U.S consulate info that is located in Tijuana, which you might find useful for one reason or another:
Phone (from Tijuana):
664 977 2000
Adress:Paseo de las Culturas s/n, Mesa de Otay, Centenario, 22425 Tijuana, Baja California
Joy.Ruvalcaba@sandiegored.com
Translation : Omar.Martinez@sandiegored.com
