Mexico Tourism Board representatives can never be pleased by a travel warning issued to its country, but the latest warning updated by the U.S. State Department on Wednesday at least breaks down the very specific areas of the destination that are deemed unsafe.
And that was something Mexico officials have been pleading with the State to do for years as opposed to lumping all the destinations together.
According to the latest warning, which supersedes the State’s warning issued back in April, “U.S. travelers should be aware that the Mexican government has been engaged in an extensive effort to counter Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), which engage in narcotics trafficking and other unlawful activities throughout Mexico. The TCOs themselves are engaged in a violent struggle to control drug trafficking routes and other criminal activity. As a result, crime and violence are serious problems throughout the country and can occur anywhere. U.S. citizens have fallen victim to TCO activity, including homicide, gun battles, kidnapping, carjacking and highway robbery."
Some of the more notable Mexico getaways that were deemed unsafe, or at least worthy of caution, were Mazatlan, Monterrey and Baja California, while no advisories were in effect for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City, Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
For the full warning with a complete region-by-region breakdown, click here.