DOS Issues Travel Warning for Mexico

The Department of State issued a travel warning on September 10, 2010, to inform U.S. citizens traveling to and living in Mexico about the security situation there. Among other things, the status of authorized departure of family members of U.S. government personnel from U.S. Consulates in the northern Mexico border cities of Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey, and Matamoros ended on September 10 following the expiration of the maximum 180-day period. Based on a security review in Monterrey following an August shooting in front of the American Foundation School in Monterrey and the high incidence of kidnappings in the Monterrey area, U.S. government personnel from the Consulate General have been advised that the immediate, practical, and reliable way to reduce the security risks for all children is to remove them from Monterrey. As of September 10, 2010, the Consulate General in Monterrey is a partially unaccompanied post, meaning no minor dependents of U.S. government employees are permitted to remain in the city. This travel warning supersedes the warning for Mexico dated August 27, 2010, to note the lifting of Authorized Departure status for U.S. Consulates along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The warning, which discusses many other details about the security situation in Mexico and along the border, is available online.