Texans Urged To ‘Avoid’ Visiting Violence-Plagued Mexico

The Texas Department of Public Safety has advised Texas residents to avoid visiting Mexico over spring break and in the foreseeable future, citing concerns over violence.

Mexico has long been known for being a violent country, especially because of the prevalence of drug cartels and human trafficking cartels. There have been several high-profile cases recently that affirm the dangerousness of Mexico, including three Texas women who traveled to Mexico at the end of February and haven’t been heard from since.

In a press release on Friday, the Texas Department of Public Safety urged Texas residents to “avoid traveling to Mexico during spring break, and beyond, due to the ongoing violence throughout that country.”

The warning comes just one day after the Mexican Gulf Cartel Grupo Escorpiones issued an apology for their members who kidnapped four Americans, two of whom were killed. The cartel also claimed to have handed over its members who were responsible for the crime to law enforcement.

The Americans who survived the kidnapping have returned to the U.S., and the bodies of those killed by the cartel have also been returned.

Texas Public Safety Director Steven McCraw recently explained his concerns about the potential dangers of Americans crossing the southern border into Mexico.

“Drug cartel violence and other criminal activity represent a significant safety threat to anyone who crosses into Mexico right now,” McCraw stated. “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 U.S. State Department has also issued a warning for Americans who plan to travel to Mexico, although it did not go as far as Texas did. In a travel advisory, the State Department recommended that travelers exercise elevated levels of precaution while visiting 30 out of Mexico’s 32 states, while also urging Americans not to travel to six Mexican states.

Many Americans have pushed the Biden administration to “wage war” on the cartels, especially because of their continued trafficking of fentanyl into the U.S. that has killed roughly 100,000 Americans every year.