US issues Mexico travel warning
The U.S. embassy in Mexico has warned people to avoid traveling to certain parts of the U.S.-Mexico border because of "increasingly frequent gun battles" and the discovery of "improvised explosive devices (IEDs)."
The warning was issued on Monday, covering Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Valle Hermoso, and San Fernando and Tamaulipas.
What To Know
Gun battles have been reported in and around Reynosa in the late night and early mornings while the state of Tamaulipas has issued a warning to avoid moving or touching IEDs, which have been found in and around the area of Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Valle Hermoso, and San Fernando along dirt and secondary roads.
"IEDs are being increasingly manufactured and used by criminal organizations in this region," the U.S. Mission to Mexico said, citing an incident on January 23 when an IED destroyed an official government vehicle in Rio Bravo and injured someone inside.
"As a precaution, U.S. government employees have been ordered to avoid all travel in and around Reynosa and Rio Bravo outside of daylight hours and to avoid dirt roads throughout Tamaulipas," the warning states.
The American embassy said government workers should stay on paved roads, not touch unknown objects, travel during the day, monitor local media outlets, be aware of their surroundings, and notify friends and family about their safety.
'Do Not Travel' Issued for Tamaulipas
The U.S. Department of State's travel advisory for Tamaulipas is currently a Level 4 – Do Not Travel, because of "organized crime activity," including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping forced disappearances, extortion and sexual assault in the state close to the Texan border.
"Criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments," the warning said.
It said: "Heavily armed members of criminal groups often patrol areas of the state and operate with impunity particularly along the border region from Reynosa to Nuevo Laredo. In these areas, local law enforcement has limited capacity to respond to incidents of crime.
"Law enforcement capacity is greater in the tri-city area of Tampico, Ciudad Madero, and Altamira, which has a lower rate of violent criminal activity compared to the rest of the state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping."
US Border Patrol Agents Exchange Gunfire With Mexico Drug Cartel: Reports
It comes as U.S. Border Patrol agents near Fronton, Texas, reportedly exchanged gunfire at the southern border with suspected drug cartel gunmen from Mexico.
There were no injuries in the incident near Fronton Island, an uninhabited island in the Rio Grande in Starr County, Texas, according to reports. The island is a disputed territory on which Texas and Mexico have made conflicting ownership claims.
"On January 27, 2025, at approximately 1:29 p.m., BPAs reported shots fired in Fronton, Texas," a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told Newsweek in a Monday statement. "The scene remains active; no injuries have been reported. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, Texas Department of Public Safety, DHS Office of Inspector General and FBI are at the scene."
