IEDs Were Found - US Issues 'Do Not Travel' Warning For Several US–Mexico Border Areas

Epoch Times ^ | 01/28/2025 | Jack Phillips

[SeekAndFind]

The U.S. State Department has issued the highest-level travel warning for some Mexican towns next to the U.S.–Mexico border due to elevated risks over kidnappings, gun battles, and improvised explosives devices (IEDs).

A bulletin released by the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico said a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory has been issued for parts of Tamaulipas state. It cites Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Valle Hermoso, and San Fernando, where IEDs have been found. The area borders the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

The warning also confirmed that officials are “aware of increasingly frequent gun battles occurring in and around Reynosa in the late night and early morning hours.”

“An IED destroyed a Government of Mexico (Conagua) official vehicle in Rio Bravo and injured its occupant on January 23,” the statement said. As a result, U.S. government officials were ordered to avoid travel near Rio Bravo and Reynosa outside of daytime and to stay away from dirt roads across Tamaulipas state, which shares a lengthy border with southern Texas.

The entirety of Tamaulipas is under a “Level 4” travel warning due to kidnappings and crime, said the bulletin, which was released on Monday evening.

“Organized crime activity—including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault—is common along the northern border and in Ciudad Victoria,” the bulletin said.

Americans traveling in the state are advised to avoid dirt roads and stay on paved roads. They should not touch unknown objects near roads, plan their travel during daytime hours, and check local media for updates. They’re also advised to be aware of their surroundings and to inform friends or family of their safety.

The State Department notice did not elaborate on whether the gun battles were occurring between Mexican criminal organizations or those groups and the Mexican government.

While the State Department has not issued a Level 4 travel advisory for all of Mexico, several states and regions are under that designation, according to a map provided by the agency.

These include the states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, and Zacatecas. The Level 4 advisories cite crime or both crime and kidnappings.

Several other states such as Baja California, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos, and Sonora state are under “Level 3 - Reconsider Travel” designations, while the majority of other states in Mexico are under “Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution.”

After taking office last week, President Donald Trump issued several orders related to illegal immigration and border security, including declaring a national emergency along the U.S.–Mexico border and deploying more troops.

The president also issued an order that seeks to designate drug cartels and the MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.

The designation in Tamaulipas comes as the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed on Monday that Texas authorities aided U.S. Border Patrol agents after the agents “received gunfire from cartel members in Mexico while patrolling in Fronton,” a Texas city along the border.

Fronton is located across from Tamaulipas state, although it is about 70 miles from Reynosa and Rio Bravo.

“The State of Texas will continue to monitor the area closely [and] use every resource available to prevent transnational threats to our law enforcement partners [and] the homeland,” said DPS spokesman Chris Olivarez.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Time to stop playing with the Mexican cartel pricks with kid gloves. Lock and load and get it on.

[BipolarBob]

I must go to Tijuana
I eat the roasted iguana
smoke a little marijuana
I like the senoritas
and we drink the margueritas
I really really wanna
go to Tijuana

[dfwgator]

Why go to Mexico, period?

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Why go to Mexico, period?

There are actually certain places that are peaceful and worth visiting ( far away from the border with the USA, which is dangerous ). It’s a big country.

[freepersup]

Sicario
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
Sicario 3: Capos’

Coming to a narco terrorist state near you.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Absolutely. General Pershing went after Poncho Villa in 1917 inside Mexico.

The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition,[6] but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican revolutionary Francisco "Pancho" Villa from March 14, 1916, to February 7, 1917, during the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920.

The expedition was launched in retaliation for Villa's attack on the town of Columbus, New Mexico, an incident of the larger Mexican Border War. The declared objective of the expedition by the administration of US President Woodrow Wilson was the capture of Villa. Despite locating and defeating the main body of Villa's command who were responsible for the Columbus raid, U.S. forces were unable to achieve Wilson's stated main objective of preventing Villa's escape.

Look at what Uncle Sam is saying...

[madison10]

Given the state of things I can think of no logical reason to travel to Mexico. Americans will become targets. (More than they are currently)

This includes mission trips.

[AZJeep]

I just returned from trip which included Michoacan and Jalisco, and, surprisingly, I felt very safe?!
There were lots of police on the streets and nobody from our group got any safety problems. The people over there even seem quite honest!
I got back all sick, Montezuma revenge was the least of it. I did not like it there a bit, food was lousy (secret - Mexican food in Mexico just vaguely resembles the US-Mex one), the place was dirty dump, but, for some reason (I was always scared to go there), a felt 100% safe?!?

[metmom]

I’m thinking that perhaps the cartels are going after those who are self-deporting.

It seems unlikely that many Americans would be going to places that close to the border that are known to be under cartel control.

[Jeff Chandler]

I used to spend a lot of time in Mexico starting when I was real young. It was a nice country.

Now I’m afraid to go there.

[DesertRhino]

The part nobody remembers about the Villa incursion into Columbus NM. Pancho Villa had the Carranza Government forces backed into a small 180 degree perimeter with their backs to the US Border.
Woodrow Wilson allowed the Mexican Army to march into the US at the Eagle Pass crossing, board a train and cross US territory all the way to Douglas Az. They marched down main street of Douglas, crossed into Agua Prieta, and into the Mexican Army perimeter with ammo, machine guns, reinforcements, etc.
Villa suffered huge casualties trying to assault it and had to withdraw.

Villa reasonably concluded that if the Mexican Army could operate north of the border, he could too. So he raided Columbus NM.

Interesting story, and those places are not so different today than they were then.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Thanks for a bit more background to the story.

[wildcard_redneck]

It is the 200 mile wide strip along the US border that is dangerous. Get past that and things get much safer. I like Mexico and Mexicans as a people but I do not want to import their culture here. The reason Mexico is poor is it because it’s full of Mexicans, a mix of ruling Spanish Hidalgo reptiles, resentful peons and angry mestizos.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

I say mine the border with Land mines. Seal it air tight. Machine gun towers, killer drones with grenades, signs in Spanish-English—Arabic and Chinese saying “Death Zone—Mines! Go back!”

[DesertRhino]

And the US Army Cavalry at Columbus was around 350 men. They woke up to around 500 Mexicans attacking the town in the middle of the night. They jumped out of their beds and gave a good account of themselves.
They went through 5000 rounds of machine gun ammo in 4 guns. Broke up the attack after a couple of hours, and pursued them for 2 or 3 miles to the border, killing around 100.

Our men did good that night.

[DesertRhino]

Correction... 5000 rounds per gun! Our buys poured out some fire that night. Some of them barefoot and freshly rolled out of bed.

[FlingWingFlyer]

IEDs placed to kill Americans by Selena Gomez’s “people.” Screw her.

[luvie]

It’s not just border towns that are affected. There are gangs and violent incidents happening all over the state of Texas. No doubt in Arizona and California as well as other states.

Round ‘em up....send ‘em home!

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Selena Gomez was born in Texas, to a US citizen mother. Do not know the father’s status at the time of her birth, but she clearly is a US Citizen of Mexican heritage. A talented entertainer and actress. But like the paradox that is Sean Penn, not a real bright person. She gives no thought to the meaning or purpose of sovereignty, and seems to be unable to view the contrasts on either side of the border as stemming from cultural and legal differences. Profound differences. One disadvantage to our culture is the cult of celebrity. We know what Selena Gomez thinks because she has become a celebrity, and because we have a massive celebrity marketing system in the US. People Magazine, The View, I could go on. Stupid people whose views are disseminated widely while folks with expertise and insight struggle to gain a market.