State Department Issues Updated Travel Alert - February 20, 2009

Mexico City, February 20, 2009 - While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year, drug cartel-related violence in the country has increased recently.  To reflect this, the State Department Travel Alert for Mexico has been updated with more specific information on concerns in the border area.  It is imperative that travelers understand how best to avoid dangerous situations and whom to contact if one becomes a crime victim.  Our aim is to provide U.S. travelers with information to help them make informed plans.

The Travel Alert for Mexico issued today is updated to reflect evolving conditions in Mexico; in particular, increasing levels of violence along the U.S.-Mexico border.  These conditions are widely known and reported on in Mexico, as well as in the U.S. border region, but many tourists and business people are less aware.  U.S. citizens are urged to be alert to safety and security concerns, especially in the border region, where some recent confrontations between Mexican authorities and drug cartels have seen the cartels employ automatic weapons and grenades.  Homicide, petty theft, and carjackings have all increased over the last year.  We urge travelers to use common sense precautions, such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where crime is likely to occur.  To read this updated Travel Alert, see: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html

The State Department publishes three kinds of travel information: country-specific information, travel alerts, and travel warnings.  Country-specific information is available for every country in the world and includes such data as the location of the U.S. embassy and/or consulate(s), immigration practices, health conditions, and crime and security information.  Travel alerts disseminate information about short-term or changing conditions within a particular country that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens.  They are generally updated or revised every six months.  Travel warnings describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable.  For more information, see: http://travel.state.gov.