In the news:
Originally published February 15, 2012 at 10:27 AM | Page modified February 15, 2012 at 12:40 PM
Mexican official says U.S. travel warning 'ridiculous'
The U.S. recently issued a new and more specific warning for American travelers to Mexico that's drawing criticism from the Mexican government.
MEXICO CITY — Mexico's top domestic security official says a U.S. State Department travel warning on almost half of Mexico's states is "ridiculous" and "out of proportion."
Interior Department Alejandro Poire says million of tourists visit Mexico without incident.
Poire told a news conference Tuesday that he believes "these alerts overstate or misstate the standards and security situation that exists in our country."
The State Department issued an updated travel warning Feb. 8 urging travelers to "defer nonessential travel" to 14 of Mexico's 31 states due to drug-related violence that has cost more than 47,500 lives since 2006.
The warning notes "millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year" and resort areas are generally safer.
See the full text of the warning at www.travel.state.gov
