Amid the rising deadly drug cartel violence on Texas-Mexico border, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) issued an urgent warning for spring breakers to avoid going to Mexico.
The warning adds the travel warning should extend indefinitely beyond college students to all Americans beyond, too.
"Drug cartel violence and other criminal activity represent a significant safety threat to anyone who crosses into Mexico right now," Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw wrote in a statement Friday. "We have a duty to inform the public about safety, travel risks, and threats.
"Based on the volatile nature of cartel activity and the violence we are seeing there, we are urging individuals to avoid travel to Mexico at this time."
The warning echoes a U.S. government warning on Mexico travel.
"Violent crime — such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery — is widespread and common in Mexico," the U.S. warning last October read. "The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted. In many states, local emergency services are limited outside the state capital or major cities.
"U.S. citizens are advised to adhere to restrictions on U.S. government employee travel."
U.S. citizens who do decide to travel to Mexico are urged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate prior to their departure, Texas DPS's warning added.
"DPS understands many people do travel to Mexico without incident, but the serious risks cannot be ignored," it concluded. "All travelers are encouraged to carefully research any planned trips and, again, consider postponing or canceling travel to Mexico at this time."
"One thing that we want to make very clear, stress to those travelers and spring breakers that are traveling to Texas, is to avoid Mexico at all costs," Texas DPS Lt. Christopher Olivarez told Newsmax's "Saturday Report." "Avoid traveling into Mexico right now because of increased violence and kidnappings that are taking place.
"That's one thing that I cannot stress enough. It's to those that are thinking about traveling to Mexico, upcoming spring breakers must avoid those areas as much as possible."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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