New travel alert for Mexico

(AP Photo/Guillermo Arias)

A serious travel alert has been issued for Americans going to certain parts of Mexico, effective August 20, 2009.

Due to violence perpetrated by drug cartels and other criminal elements, all U.S. citizens are warned to take extra caution while traveling in the following areas:

• Northern Mexico, including Tijuana, Northern Baja California, Monterrey, Ciudad Juarez, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, and Matamoros
• Guadalupe Bravo area southeast of Ciudad Juarez and to the northwest quarter of the state of Chihuahua including the city of Nuevo Casas Grandes and surrounding communities.
• Within the state of Durango, the northwest quadrant of Chihuahua and an area southeast of Ciudad Juarez, and all parts of the state of Coahuila south of Mexican Highways 25 and 22 and the Alamos River for US Government employees assigned to Mexico.

While millions of U.S. citizens enjoy travel each year to Mexico with no incident, the State Dept. advises the following taking the following steps to ensure safety:

• Stay in well-known tourist areas
•  Leave your itinerary with a friend of family member
• Avoid traveling alone
• Do not wear expensive clothing or jewelry
• Travel on main roads during daylight hours, particularly the toll ("cuota") roads
• Stay alert!

Before you go:

• Read:  travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html
• Register with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the State Department's website:  travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/
• Keep U.S. Embassy information on you while traveling. It is located at Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City.  Tel. from the US: 011-52-55-5080-2000; Tel. within Mexico City: 5080-2000; Tel. long distance within Mexico 01-55-5080-2000; Email ACSMexicoCity@state.gov. Their internet address is http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/.

  For more info:  U.S. State Dept. Travel website

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