By THE PULSE NEWS MEXICO STAFF

The U.S. State Department issued a new maximum level travel advisory for Mexico on Thursday, Aug. 6.

The new Level 4 advisory (the highest in the State Department’s warning scale), states clearly that U.S. citizens should not travel to Mexico due to high levels of covid-19 infections and growing security issues.

“Exercise increased caution in Mexico due to crime and kidnapping, Some areas have increased risk,” the advisory states.

It also notes that the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Mexico due to rampant covid-19 infections.

Additionally, it says that “travelers to Mexico may experience border closures, airport closures, travel prohibitions, stay at home orders, business closures and other emergency conditions within Mexico due to covid-19.”

Specifically, the advisory warns against any travel to the states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas due to surging crime. In the case of Tamaulipas, it also includes warnings against kidnappings.

By the same token, the State Department advisory suggested “reconsidering” travel to Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, the State of Mexico (Edoméx), Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora and Zacatecas because of the high incidence of crime in those regions.

“Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread,” the statement reads.

“Armed criminal groups have been known to target and rob commercial vessels, oil platforms and offshore supply vessels in the Bay of Campeche.”

It also says that the U.S. government has limited capabilities of providing emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or significantly restricted.

…Aug. 6, 2020