Issue date: 3/18/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Megan Harris Twenty nine countries are on a warning list. Once a travel warning is issued by the State Department, the university can no longer send students to that country. [Click to enlarge]

Students planning to spend their spring break in Mexico may be reconsidering their travel plans. The university has sent out an e-mail advising students to avoid travel to the popular location because of an increase in drug-related violence.

"We've been monitoring the situation," said Jack Godwin, chief international officer for the Office of Global Education. "It came to the point where we felt it was time to issue an alert to the students."

Godwin said the U.S. State Department's current status of "travel alert" is one step below a "travel warning," which would mean that all study programs in Mexico would be shut down.

The Office of Global Education currently offers three study abroad opportunities in Mexico in the cities of Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City.

The recent drug violence has been concentrated in the border town of Juarez, which is located across the border from El Paso, Texas.

A CNN report about the war between the drug cartels and the Mexican government has plagued Juarez, and is leading to extreme violence. The city's chief of police had to quit after organized crime threatened to kill a policeman every day that he remained on the job.

The U.S. Consulate in Juarez has since specifically warned Americans to avoid the city. Recent news reports have focused on the violence in border-towns like Juarez and Tijuana.

Once a travel warning is issued by the State Department, the university can no longer send students to that country. There are currently 29 countries on the travel warning list.

Travel warnings are issued when long-term extended conditions make a country dangerous or unstable. These warnings reflect the U.S. government's decreased ability to assist Americans living or traveling in these areas.

Warnings can be issued for dangerous weather conditions, as well as an increase in violence and conflict within the country.

Despite the recent alert, a local church group has no plans to end its mission-trips to Mexico.

Fremont Presbyterian Church in Sacramento has scheduled several 10-day mission-trips in Mexico for this summer.

"There are a lot of people with mixed feelings about the warning," said Lysle Spangler, director of high school ministry at the church. "I have seen the same alert posted for the last three years."

Spangler said the missionaries who are in Mexico have not observed an increase in violence.

"If the missionaries said it would be a danger, then we would definitely rethink going to Mexico," Spangler said.

Jody Worthy, Mexico travel specialist at the Travelstore in Sacramento, has not noticed a decrease in travel bookings to the spring break hot spot.

"Travel to Mexico has not really been affected," Worthy said. "We deal with commercial locations and cruises that only hit the tourist areas."

Worthy said Mexico's number one source of revenue is still tourism.

"Most of the violence is happening in the border towns," Worthy said. "Try to avoid these areas and stick to the places that are meant for travelers."

The State Department encourages U.S. travelers to visit only legitimate businesses and tourist areas. The best time to do outdoor activities is during daylight hours.

The department urges travelers to use common sense. Avoid areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur. It is also recommended to phone home often while on vacation.

Crystal Kirk can be reached at ckirk@statehornet.com.

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