Dallas—Public safety concerns have spiked around travel to Mexico, with the kidnapping of four U.S. citizens in the northern Mexico border city of Matamoros. The visitors had just crossed the border through Brownsville, Texas.
The FBI San Antonio Division office said in a statement Sunday that the vehicle came under fire shortly after it entered Mexico. “All four Americans were placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men,” the office said. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for the return of the victims and the arrest of the culprits.
The State Department has a security alert for each of Mexico’s 32 states, and in the case of Tamaulipas, where the kidnapping occurred, U.S. authorities recommend against travel. The state of Tamaulipas borders Texas from Laredo to Brownsville.
Spring break is just a few days away and the most popular destination for U.S. travelers is Mexico—a country with stunning sandy beaches in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.
In 2022, 13 million U.S. tourists visited this country. The top destination was Cancún and the Mayan Riviera, which received 2.4 million people, according to Mexico’s tourism office.
Others travel to inland colonial destinations or big cities like Guadalajara, Monterrey and the nation’s capital, Mexico City.
American Airlines flies to dozens of destinations from DFW International Airport. Southwest Airlines also offers connecting flights to several resort destinations. Many more enter Mexico by land.
Here are five things to know about visiting Mexico during Spring Break.
Where to Visit
Mexico is known for many things, but its beaches are a magnet for millions of tourists.
Beach resorts include Acapulco, Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Los Cabos, the Riviera Maya, and the Riviera Nayarit, according to Mexico’s tourism agency.
As for colonial destinations, some of the most popular are San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Taxco, Guerrero and Puebla.
Other popular destinations are Campeche, Morelia, Zacatecas, Puebla, Oaxaca and Querétaro.
In addition, Mexico has a network of 132 Pueblos Mágicos, small culture-rich towns. Here’s a complete list of pueblos mágicos.
