Thread: TEXAS DPS: Spring breakers advised to skip Mexico

Spring breakers advised to skip Mexico
Associated Press
March 1, 2011, 9:50AM


AUSTIN - The Texas Department of Public Safety is advising students on spring break to avoid drug violence-plagued Mexico.

A DPS statement Tuesday cited the continued violence and also urged boaters to stay on the U.S. side of Falcon Lake.

A U.S. drug agent was shot and killed Feb. 15 in Mexico. The victim was Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime Zapata.

A missionary, Nancy Davis, was fatally shot on Jan. 26 in Mexico.

David Hartley was fatally shot on Sept. 30 while sightseeing on Falcon Lake.

DPS Director Steven McCraw says while drug cartel violence is most severe in northern Mexico, it's prominent in other parts of the country, including resort areas such as Cancun and Acapulco.



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/7451112.html

Texas DPS urges spring breakers to avoid Mexico because of drug cartel violence
By Jason Trahan/Reporter

jtrahan@dallasnews.com

9:20 AM on Tue., Mar. 1, 2011

DALLAS - In light of the continued drug cartel violence raging in Mexico , particularly the border areas, the Texas Department of Public Safety has put out an advisory urging folks to think twice before heading across the Rio Grande to whoop it up on Spring Break.

They're particularly urging caution to those thinking of hitting Falcon Lake, which straddles the Texas-Mexico border, where David Hartley was killed last fall. Authorities are still trying to identify his killers.

Two weeks ago, the American embassy in Mexico put out a similar alert after the cartel murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata.

Of course, as in past years, some revelers won't heed the warnings.

Click below to read today's travel advisory from the DPS.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is urging Spring Breakers to avoid traveling to Mexico because of continued violence--and reminding boaters to stay on the U.S. side of Falcon Lake.

Falcon Lake has been the scene of several robberies and a U.S. citizen's murder, and DPS is again warning boaters to steer clear of the Mexican side of the lake. Cartel activity remains high in that area.

"While drug cartel violence is most severe in northern Mexico, it is prominent in other parts of the country as well," said DPS Director Steven C. McCraw. "Various crime problems also exist in many popular resort areas, such as Acapulco and Cancun, and crimes against U.S citizens often go unpunished."

So far this year, an ICE agent was killed and another injured in a suspected ambush near San Luis Potosi February 15. Two El Paso teens were gunned down February 5 in Ciudad Juarez. In January, a Texas missionary was shot in the head when she and her husband ran an illegal road block in Nuevo Leon.

In addition to U.S citizens killed so far this year, preliminary figures show as many as 65 Americans were killed in Mexico in 2010. Kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery and carjacking also are threats in parts of Mexico. Suspects have not been prosecuted in many of the cases. Meanwhile, more than 30,000 Mexican citizens have died in drug-related violence since 2006, and the violence shows no signs of abating

"Drug violence has not discriminated--innocent bystanders and people who may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time are among the casualties. Underestimating the violence in Mexico would be a mistake for parents and students," said McCraw. "Our safety message is simple: avoid traveling to Mexico during Spring Break and stay alive."

DPS acknowledges that many travel to Mexico without incident, but the risks cannot be ignored. Travelers are encouraged to carefully research any planned trips.

Travelers should always check the U.S. State Department website for the most up-to-date information related to security issues in Mexico.

U.S. citizens living or traveling in Mexico are urged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through their website.

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archive ... ers-a.html

You would hope college students would be smart enough to figure this out. They may want to visit a Third World Country to see what the United States will soon become with the continuing flow of Third World ILLEGALS scurrying across our undefended National Borders.

There is a pretty good site with videos warning tourists and spring breakers about what can happen there... http://www.mexicovacationawareness.com
Watch the video

Originally Posted by lccat

You would hope college students would be smart enough to figure this out. They may want to visit a Third World Country to see what the United States will soon become with the continuing flow of Third World ILLEGALS scurrying across our undefended National Borders.

I was watching ABC 7 News (Chicago) this morning and they were discussing Spring break and specifically brought up
Cancun and other spots that Americans normally go to in Mexico. I could not believe that they lied continually claiming that it was still safe for the kids to go there for their Spring Break. I plan to send them an email with this story attached.

I can't help but wonder who told them to feed the public that line of bull

Mexico-bound spring breakers warned
Officials telling travelers to avoid it altogether

Updated: Tuesday, 01 Mar 2011, 11:26 AM CST
Published : Tuesday, 01 Mar 2011, 11:14 AM CST

AUSTIN (KXAN) - With spring break just a little more than a week away, state officials have already begun warning travelers to avoid Mexico because of the ongoing violence.

Texas Department of Public Safety officials are reminding boaters to stay on the United States side of Falcon Lake, which has been the scene of several robberies and an American's murder.

DPS officials said cartel activity remains high in that area.

"While drug cartel violence is most severe in northern Mexico, it is prominent in other parts of the country as well," said DPS Director Steven C. McCraw. "Various crime problems also exist in many popular resort areas, such as Acapulco and Cancun, and crime against U.S. citizens often go unpunished."

American deaths tied to the violence in Mexico this year

* January: Texas missionary shot in the head when she and her husband ran an illegal road block in Nuevo Leon
* Feb. 5: Two El Paso teens were gunned down in Ciudad Juarez
* Feb. 15: ICE agent was killed and another was injured in a suspected ambush near San Luis Potosi

In addition to these deaths, preliminary figures show as many as 65 Americans were killed in Mexico in 2010.

DPS officials said kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery and carjacking also are threats in parts of Mexico, where the suspects have not been prosecuted in many of the cases.

Meanwhile, more than 30,000 Mexican citizens have died in drug-related violence since 2006. And the violence shows no signs of letting up.

"Drug violence has not discriminated; innocent bystanders and people who may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time are among the casualties," said McCraw. "Underestimating the violence in Mexico would be a mistake for parents and students. Our safety message is simple: Avoid traveling to Mexico during spring break and stay alive."

DPS officials said they know many travel to Mexico without any issues but said that the risks can't be ignored.

Travelers are encouraged to carefully research any planned trips and can always check the U.S. State Department website for the most up-to-date information related to security issues in Mexico.

Meanwhile, U.S. citizens living or traveling in Mexico are urged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through a website.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/mexi ... ers-warned

Originally Posted by WhatMattersMost

Originally Posted by lccat

You would hope college students would be smart enough to figure this out. They may want to visit a Third World Country to see what the United States will soon become with the continuing flow of Third World ILLEGALS scurrying across our undefended National Borders.

I was watching ABC 7 News (Chicago) this morning and they were discussing Spring break and specifically brought up
Cancun and other spots that Americans normally go to in Mexico. I could not believe that they lied continually claiming that it was still safe for the kids to go there for their Spring Break. I plan to send them an email with this story attached.

I can't help but wonder who told them to feed the public that line of bull

During the past Christmas Holidays my 2 oldest sons were planning two separate trips to mexico for family vacations, one son to Cancun and the other to some resort on the west coast of mexico and when I mentioned the dangers they explained that they were "informed" that the resorts were safe, both live in the north 2000 or so, miles from the southern borders with mexico and don't seem to pay much attention; busy raising their families. I started emailing links talking about the dangers in mexico and our border states, now they are concerned about us living in Texas, a complete turn around for them and they even started noticing the increasing number of ILLEGALS stealing resources from their states. Anyway now one's vacation will be to Orlando and Disney World for a week and a stop at the South Carolina Beaches on the way home, I will tell him after his vacation about SC increase in ILLEGALS, progress one step at a Time. My other son will travel to Mauli for their family vacation.

Texas Officials Warn Students Not to Travel to Mexico for Spring Break

Published March 02, 2011
| FoxNews.com
Print Email Share Comments (55) Text Size The Texas Department of Public Safety has issued a travel warning to college students on spring break, urging them not to travel to Mexico, MyFoxAustin.com reports.

Authorities are pointing to several recent incidents of drug-related violence in the country, including the murders of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and two El Paso boys last month.

DPS Assistant Chief Tom Vinger said many American students feel invincible while vacationing in popular spring break destinations, like Cancun or Acapulco.

"This age group does not think about this,â€

DPS Urges Students on Spring Break to Avoid Mexico
A travel warning for spring breakers, don't go to Mexico.

The Texas Dept of Public Safety has issued a travel warning to spring breakers: don’t go to Mexico.

Authorities point to three incidents as to why it is too dangerous to go to the country. The recent murders of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Jaime Zapata on Feb 15th are only the most recent incident. In February two El Paso teens were gunned down. In January a Texas missionary was shot in the head.

Authorities say the murders are a result of drug cartel violence.

None of that phases UT Senior, Jen Fomby, who has to work during spring break but wouldn't let the violence deter her from going to Mexico.

"The scary part is what’s cool about it," Fomby said.

"This age group does not think about this,â€