The Department of Public Safety is advising Texans on spring break to avoid Mexican border cities because of drug cartel violence.
DPS Director Steven McCraw on Thursday, in a statement, cited an increase in Mexican drug cartel-related violence in northern border cities. McCraw said "parents should not allow their children to visit these Mexican cities because their safety cannot be guaranteed."
The U.S.State Department agrees and listed the following warning on it's Web site:
The situation in northern Mexico remains fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements cannot be predicted. Recently, the cities of Durango and Gomez Palacio in the state of Durango, and the area known as “La Laguna” in the state of Coahuila, which includes the city of Torreon, experienced sharp increases in violence. In late 2009 and early 2010, four visiting U.S. citizens were murdered in Gomez Palacio, Durango. These are among several unsolved murders in the state of Durango that have been cause for particular concern.
Large firefights have taken place in towns and cities across Mexico, but occur mostly in northern Mexico, including Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Chihuahua City, Nogales, Matamoros, Reynosa and Monterrey. During some of these incidents, U.S. citizens have been trapped and temporarily prevented from leaving the area.
So far, warnings have not been issued for popular vacation spots along the Riviera Maya or Pacific Coast. Though tourists are urged to always use common-sense precautions such as "visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable."
