Posted on 01/28/2025 7:49:09 PM PST by 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.
Cartels don’t want their pipeline interrupted
🎵
Wish I was in Tijuana,
Eating barbecued iguana.
They take requests on the telephone,
I’m on a wavelength far from home...
🎵
CC
Yes, I would agree with you.
I had a Border Patrol officer as neighbor and he suggested just that! He said “Do not drive to Mexico, fly!”
My previous short trips to Nogales were kind of scary.
But this map, it seems to suggest that Michoacan (far away from the border and pretty close to Mexico city) is one of the worst places, lot worse than the border zone.
Actually, Morelia (Michoacan capital) is very pretty, old style Spanish city.
Kind of makes me think about the map authors?!
We know what Selena Gomez thinks because she has a real good agent who does the thinking
and the left wants to make the US into Mexico
a lot of Americans go into the border towns to purchase medicine
it is dirt cheap and you do not need a perscription
I wonder if this has been going on for quite a time, it is just that the media has an agenda now..................
Distant cousins of mine, LDS (Mormons), settled in Mexico.
That IS a good reason.
I didn’t realize that was happening.
Arrested terrorists can be detained in Guantanamo
bkmk
Bomb their fentanyl and meth factories.
Guess this is the end of geocaching, too.
I keep proposing wildly conservative, aggressive solutions, and within days, Trump does them!
Not suggesting anyone in the White House is monitoring FR or me, we’re just on the same wavelength.
WOW!
But that’s how Selena Gomez’, the Italian/Mexican billionaire’s “people’ make their “better life”. Selling drugs and trafficking in human beings and of course, slaughtering other Mexican families so the survivors have to run away and sneak into the evil and racist America and apply for asylum from whitey.
Chicago is more dangerous.
Two family members drove Laredo -> Torreon -> Mazatlan for the winter. Three checkpoints on the way down. For Gringos, more concerned with driver’s licenses & duty paid at Laredo. Insurance & Mexican registration they didn’t care about.
Honestly, when I saw that video I tried to imagine myself in a time of emotional crisis and then pulling out my phone to record it.
I spent a few minutes really thinking about that.
I could not conceive of a single situation where I would do that. I cannot imagine anyone I know doing that.
What is wrong in these minds where they feel like this is even possible? It’s a little scary.
I hate the term “Homeland” Trump should abolish it. This is the united states of America.
I've vacationed in Honduras many times since my brother-in-law was from there.
On each trip, my BIL (a doctor) always brought a supply of an antibiotic pill that knocked out the symptoms (started with stomach discomfort) just as soon as we started experiencing them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.