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A small queue of cars waiting to cross the Cordova Bridge in the Americas on the US-Mexico border in 2020
Paul Ratje/ Agence France-Presse/AFP via Get
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Paul Ratje/ Agence France-Presse/AFP via Get
A small queue of cars waiting to cross the Cordova Bridge in the Americas on the US-Mexico border in 2020
Paul Ratje/ Agence France-Presse/AFP via Get
The Texas Department of Public Safety has urged residents to avoid traveling to Mexico for spring break, warning that drug cartel violence and other crimes pose a serious safety threat.
“We have a duty to inform the public about safety, travel risks and threats,” DPS director Stephen McCraw said in a statement Friday. is urging individuals to avoid traveling to Mexico.”
U.S. citizens who decide to travel to Mexico are encouraged to register with an embassy or consulate before going, the Texas agency said.
The advisory follows the kidnapping of four Americans in the Mexican city of Matamoros earlier this month. The American was reportedly visiting for medical tourism when he was caught in a shootout between rival cartel groups and kidnapped, two of whom he returned to the United States. Two were found dead. A Mexican bystander also died.
One of the Matamoros cartel groups apologized for the killing and handed over to the police a man they say was responsible.
The state of Tamaulipas, home to Matamoros, is considered one of the most violent places in Mexico.
Effective October 2022, the latest State Department travel advisories list Tamaulipas as one of six Mexican states under a “Level 4: No Travel” advisory on crime and kidnapping. Level 3: Rethinking Travel has seven additional items.
Over 500 Americans and tens of thousands of Mexicans remain missing in Mexico.
However, popular tourist destinations such as Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, and Mexico City have much lower “Level 2: Be more cautious” recommendations. For comparison, the State Department has issued its advisory levels to much of Western Europe, including France and the United Kingdom.
“While DPS understands that many people are traveling to Mexico without incident, the significant risks cannot be ignored,” the Texas DPS statement said. The ministry urged travelers to “research planned trips carefully” and consider postponing or canceling future trips to Mexico.
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