Spring Break Warning: Steer clear of Mexican border towns

As colleges and universities nationwide prepare for Spring Break, the Texas Department of Public Safety is warning students to avoid travelling to Mexican border cities.

For years students have flocked to the region, seeking a good time at Texas beaches and at Mexican bars where the legal drinking age is 18; however, recent gun battles between drug cartels prompted state law enforcement officials to issue the warning.

"There is an increase in Mexican drug cartel related violence in the northern Mexican border cities," said DPS Director Steven C. McCraw. "Parents should not allow their children to visit these Mexican cities because their safety cannot be guaranteed."

The warning comes in the wake of a violent power struggle between members of the Zeta’s criminal organization and the Gulf Cartel, who have recently engaged each other and the Mexican military in various border cities.

Representatives of the Mexican consulate in Brownsville didn’t return calls for comment.

However, Roberto Salaz, president of Matamoros Chamber of Commerce, said the DPS warning is excessive.

"I believe this situation is being overblown," he said. "This is an isolated matter that is not permanent and will pass. This is a struggle between groups and is not aimed at the public."

Matamoros continues to operate, businesses are open, students go to schools, employees go to work and the public continues their regular lives, Salas said.

"We have always welcomed the Spring Break visitors," he said. "Recently some have moved to other vacation hotspots like Cancun or Puerto Vallarta. However, we are welcoming those who want to come and are prepared to give them a great experience. We are still working our promotional campaigns and our security efforts to ensure their safety."

Michael Barkin, the U.S. consul general in Matamoros, said the U.S. Department of State has issued a travel advisory, dated Feb. 22 to Aug. 20, warning American citizens of certain risks in Mexico.

"We are not telling them not to go," Barkin said. "We are telling them to be alert."

In reference to the DPS warning, Barkin said that it is a point of view and that the agency has the right to express the point of view and to act accordingly.

"We have issued a warning," Barkin said. "We are not telling them not to go. You can visit Mexico, but you need to take into account the current risks. I can’t guarantee my own safety if I go to New York or any other city and I’m not alert."

Recently, the U.S consulate closed its Reynosa satellite office because of several gun battles that took place in that city.

"We continue to monitor the situation in order to provide a proper response," Barkin said. "Our Matamoros consulate remains open and we continue to provide our regular services."

Barkin and the majority of his staff live in Matamoros and go about their regular lives; however, he said, the potential for a violent situation is there and travelers need to be aware of the risks. The consul general said his office gives American citizens necessary information and lets them make their own decisions.

"Right now if you go outside the streets are quiet, but violence can suddenly happen," he said. "We tell them to be alert."

The consul general warns American travelers that if they find themselves near violent situations, they should move away from them and follow any commands given by authorities or the military.

Providing students with relevant information and letting them decide is a measure also undertaken by some universities.

At the University of Texas at Austin, officials published the DPS warning in their daily police blotter as a way to reach students, said Ronda Weldon, a spokeswoman for UT Operations.

In a similar approach, officials with Texas A&M University in College Station publish any government warnings in the school paper and are ready to speak with students or parents about any concerns they may have, said Carol Bincer, director of student life.

"I often get asked about safety issues, but I don’t control student plans," Bincer said. "We make sure they are as informed as possible. We share with them necessary information; we share with their parents the same information and tell them where to go for more information. ... People like to believe that colleges control our students, but we don’t. We give them the information and let them make their own choices."