A previous high-ranking FBI official has cautioned young Americans against traveling to Mexico due to the perilous routes leading to their destination. Two U.S. citizens lost their lives due to gang violence this week. Tom Fuentes, former FBI Assistant Director, stated that the predicament stems from having to pass through hazardous regions in Mexico to reach the intended vacation spots, which should be avoided. Fuentes explained that not only do resorts have their own security measures in place, but one must also consider the journey from the transportation hub to the resort, where protection is available. He further added that once past the border, the individual is alone, and the danger persists. Fuentes criticized the Biden administration for lacking a clear strategy to tackle cartel smuggling and violence or failing to express it in a comprehensive manner. He stressed that closing the border is the primary step towards resolving the issue, and without it, the government cannot be serious about the matter.
On Friday, four American citizens entered Mexico on a white minivan with North Carolina license plates, two of whom were found dead after being assaulted by armed men soon after entering Matamoros, which is across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in Tamaulipas. The other two were alive and were recently handed over to the border with Texas and have returned to the United States.
Tamaulipas is one of six states in Mexico that is unsafe due to organized crime, with the State Department warning Americans not to travel there, including cases of kidnapping for ransom. Five individuals have been arrested in connection to the kidnapping of the Americans.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador rebuked US lawmakers’ calls for military action against the drug cartels in Mexico, calling it a threat to Mexican sovereignty. He emphasized that no foreign government could intervene in their country, especially involving their military. The recent deaths and criticism may hinder the efforts to collaborate with the United States on sensitive issues like drugs and immigration, particularly fentanyl trafficking. President Lopez Obrador also plans to launch a public awareness campaign to discourage Mexicans and other Hispanics living in the United States from voting for the Republican-led proposal, which he regards as inhumane and interventionist.