The U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning to Americans visiting the Bahamas that armed robbery, burglary and rape are common, even in broad daylight, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Anyone traveling to the islands should "exercise extreme caution," according to the warning.
The Bahamas is considered a "Level 2" warning, along with Belize, which has similar crime warnings, and European countries such as Germany, Spain and France which face terrorism threats.
"Jet ski operators have been known to commit sexual assaults against tourists," according to the warning, which noted that many such operators are not regulated.
Tourists also may encounter drug or human smugglers who threaten them "in an attempt to coerce them into smuggling on their behalf," the warning said. They also might encounter credit card fraud, real estate scams or timeshare scams.