Texas officials warn against spring break travel to Mexico

Texas officers are warning residents in opposition to touring throughout the state’s southern border to Mexico over spring break following the kidnapping of 4 American vacationers final week, two of whom later died.

A Friday launch from the Texas Division of Public Security (DPS) mentioned that Texans ought to postpone or cancel present journey plans and usually keep away from journey to Mexico “throughout spring break, and past, because of the ongoing violence all through that nation.” 

“Drug cartel violence and different felony exercise characterize a big security risk to anybody who crosses into Mexico proper now,” Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw mentioned in a press release. 

“Based mostly on the risky nature of cartel exercise and the violence we’re seeing there, we’re urging people to keep away from journey to Mexico presently,” McCraw mentioned. 

The Texas DPS mentioned it “understands many individuals do journey to Mexico with out incident” however careworn that “the intense dangers can’t be ignored.”

The 4 American victims of the latest kidnapping had been reportedly visiting Mexico for a medical process. 

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) on Friday despatched a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to sound alarms about experiences of “Mexican pharmacies in common vacationer locations promoting counterfeit prescription drugs” laced with the harmful and illicit medication fentanyl and methamphetamine.

“These adulterated medication place unsuspecting U.S. vacationer prospects — a few of whom are in search of to keep away from excessive pharmaceutical drug pricing in the US — susceptible to overdose and loss of life,” Markey mentioned.

He urged the State Division to take motion and difficulty a journey advisory to “warn People touring to Mexico of the hazard they face when buying drugs from Mexican pharmacies.”

The State Division has journey advisories up with warnings for various areas within the nation attributable to crime and kidnapping, suggesting People train elevated warning or rethink journey to 2 dozen Mexican states, and urging them to not go to a number of others. 

“Violent crime — reminiscent of murder, kidnapping, carjacking, and theft — is widespread and customary in Mexico. The U.S. authorities has restricted means to supply emergency companies to U.S. residents in lots of areas of Mexico, as journey by U.S. authorities workers to sure areas is prohibited or restricted,” the division’s abstract reads.