The Texas Dept. of Public Safety encourages spring breakers to avoid travel to Mexico in light of continued violence.
This year, an ICE agent was killed and another injured as a result of a suspected ambush. Two El Paso teens were shot, and a missionary was shot in the head.
The department also reminds citizens to stay on the U.S. side of Falcon Lake, which has been the scene of several robberies and one U.S. citizen's murder.
Although many cartel problems concentrate in northern Mexico, DPS Director Steven C. McCraw warns travelers that more popular areas can be dangerous as well.
"Various crime problems also exist in many popular resort areas, such as Acapulco and Cancun, and crimes against U.S. citizens often go unpunished," he said.
An estimated 65 Americans were killed in Mexico last year. And many suspects are not prosecuted for kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery and carjackings. More than 30,000 Mexicans have died in cartel-related violence since 2006.
"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."
