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Texas urges holiday travelers to avoid Mexico
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dec. 16, 2010, 7:05PM


AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Public Safety is warning Texans to avoid traveling to Mexico during the holidays.

DPS Director Steven C. McCraw says Mexican drug cartel-related violence continues in northern Mexico border cities as well as in popular tourist towns, such as Acapulco and Monterrey.

McCraw says the safety of holiday travelers "cannot be guaranteed if they venture into Mexico."

Authorities say kidnappings, cartel turf wars and battles between cartels and law enforcement have escalated in recent years.

Although McCraw said his agency knows that people safely travel and vacation in Mexico each day, the increasing risk of violence cannot be denied. He said innocent bystanders aren't always spared.

DPS is advising travelers to check the U.S. State Department website for up-to-date information about security concerns in Mexico.

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