Travel alert to Mexico extended until October

The State Department has reissued a travel for Mexico until Oct. 15.

The travel alert was set to expire on today, but was extended Monday afternoon due to security "situations" in Mexico.

"The Travel Alert for Mexico issued today (Monday) reflects the current reality in Mexico, including the increased violence on the U.S. Mexico border," said, Tony Garza, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, in a prepared statement.

"The Travel Alert does not advise Americans to avoid travel to any region or city...However, it is also important for people to be aware of the risks they may face so they can plan accordingly and remain attentive to their surroundings," Garza states.

Although Mexican citizens are the victims of armed robberies and carjackings in Mexico, the "uncertainty of the situation" poses a risk to U.S. citizens as well, the alert states.

The alert also states criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles in Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo and Tijuana, "there is no evidence, however, U.S. citizens are targeted because of their nationality."

Garza had indicated earlier this month that the travel alert would be reissued.

The travel alert initially issued in October by the State Department warned U.S. citizens to be cautious when going to Mexico. The alert was issued because of ongoing drug violence along the Mexico border.

The reissued alert will not be welcomed by Matamoros Mayor Erik Silva who last week voiced his concerns about the travel alert to Cameron County Judge Carlos H. Cascos.

The two had lunch in which they discussed how to better promote tourism in the sister cities. During the discussion, Silva told Cascos of his concerns that the travel alert was impacting his city.

"He believes it (Matamoros) is a good place," Cascos said. "He has concerns."

In recent years, Mexico has suffered a wave of organized crime and drug-related violence that killed more than 2,500 people last year alone, the Associated Press reported.

The previous travel alert played a role in the decrease of college students visiting Matamoros during this year's Spring Break. Some Spring Breakers said they weren't willing to take the risk of going to Mexico because of the reported violence in that country.

Earlier this year, the Mexican government ordered the deployment of military police to Matamoros, Reynosa and Nuevo Progreso to look for local connections to the Notorious Drug Cartel.

The raids came after weeks of violence as the county's military and federal police battled powerful drug cartels in the cities along Mexico's northern border.

The Mexican military's presence is still visible right off the Gateway International Bridge linking Brownsville to Mexico.