The State Department is urging U.S. citizens to avoid travel to parts of Mexico over fears of kidnappings and other crime across multiple states, renewing warnings as tourists make travel plans for spring break season.
The department's Bureau of Consular Affairs has issued multiple advisories in the last several weeks over the ongoing violence in Mexico. Cartel violence erupted in Culiacan in early January after authorities arrested Ovidio Guzmán, a leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel and son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
A State Department spokesperson said the safety and security of U.S. citizens is the department's highest priority, adding that officials are aiming to provide relevant information for people to make travel plans. Rather than issue a nationwide risk assessment for Mexico, the department provides a state-by-state summary.
