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TribBlog: DPS: No, Really, Don't Go to Mexico

In case you were planning any trips to violence-ridden Mexico, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety says don't — again.

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Thousands of motorists wait in line on the southernmost stretch of IH-35 in Laredo, Texas. Despite a global recession and escalating violence in Mexico thousands of "paisanos" still made the trek south for Christmas. As the hours passed, however, their concerns about traveling Mexico's highways at night grew. A recent prison break in Nuevo Laredo didn't help soothe their fears about bandits lurking on the roadways. "We might have to get a hotel here," said one traveler.
Credit: Julian Aguilar

In case you were planning any trips to violence-ridden Mexico, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety says don't — again.

Today, DPS Director Steve McCraw issued a warning against traveling south of the border for the fourth time in the last year. DPS cited the recent killing of a missionary, along with several other killings and kidnappings involving U.S. citizens who ventured into Mexico.

"We know that many of our Winter Texans enjoy traveling to Mexico, but they should understand that we cannot guarantee their safety after they cross the border,” McCraw said in the release. “If violence does occur, we cannot guarantee that anyone will be brought to justice for those acts.”

If you choose not to heed DPS's advice (or just plain common sense) and go to Mexico anyway, the agency encourages you to register with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate through its website: https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/.

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