If you're planning big travel plans for spring break, then you may want to look out. The U.S. just issued a travel warning about a popular destination in Mexico.
At the end of January, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City issued a warning against traveling to he Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Valle Hermoso and San Fernando towns. They border Texas in The Tamaulipas region. According to the Embassy, the threat level was upgraded to "Level 4 — Do Not Travel Due to Crime and Kidnapping." That's the highest of the four-category ranking system.
It wrote, "The U.S. Consulate is aware of increasingly frequent gun battles occurring in and around Reynosa in the late night and early morning hours. Separately, the state of Tamaulipas has issued a warning to avoid moving or touching improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which have been found in and around the area of Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Valle Hermoso, and San Fernando along dirt and secondary roads. IEDs are being increasingly manufactured and used by criminal organizations in this region. An IED destroyed a Government of Mexico (Conagua) official vehicle in Rio Bravo and injured its occupant on January 23. As a precaution, U.S. government employees have been ordered to avoid all travel in and around Reynosa and Rio Bravo outside of daylight hours and to avoid dirt roads throughout Tamaulipas. The State Department's Travel Advisory for Tamaulipas is Level 4 - Do Not Travel Due to Crime and Kidnapping."
Caution over Popular Destination
Meanwhile, travel for Mexico has remained as a whole at "Level 2 —Exercise Increased Caution." Despite being a popular destination, especially during spring break, it has remained that way for several years. It's unlikely to change anytime soon. The U.S. has some notes of caution if you're planning to visit the affected regions.
- Avoid dirt roads. Stay on paved roads.
- Do not touch unknown objects in or near roads.
- Plan travel during daylight hours
- Monitor local media for updates.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Notify friends and family of your safety.
The U.S. updated the alert on the popular destination due to "increasingly frequent gun battles" in the areas. There's also been an increase in improvised explosive devices as well. You should only travel during the daylight hours. With increased friction against U.S. and Mexico, the latter still remains a popular destination for Americans during the summer. This is especially true of its beaches.
