The United States Department of State issued an updated travel advisory for Mexico ahead of the busy winter holiday period.
The State Department’s updated travel advisory remained at Level 2 overall, but it was elevated in certain regions as a result of an increase in violent crimes, including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking and robbery.
Americans traveling to Mexico are being asked to exercise increased caution due to crime in top tourism hotspots, such as Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Chichen Itza, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Mexico City, Playa del Carmen, Tijuana, Tulum and the Riviera Maya.
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There are also regions of Mexico that are currently under a Level 3 advisory, which means Americans should reconsider travel due to crime. Some of the states to avoid include Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sonora and more.
The State Department’s updated advisory also showed officials are concerned about crime in specific regions after issuing a Level 4 warning to avoid all travel to states such as Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas.
The ban on travel to Guerrero includes popular destinations like Acapulco, Ixtapa and Taxco.
In addition to the warnings for travelers, the State Department has placed new restrictions on government employees working in Mexico. Americans south of the border are being instructed to not travel between cities after dark and only use dispatched vehicles, such as Uber and regulated taxi stands.