“They are at risk of being kidnapped”: the US recommended that its citizens not travel to Tamaulipas

Faced with the wave of violence and disappearances in Tamaulipas, the United States Department of State (DoS) issued a travel alert to its citizens on Wednesday to prevent them from going to that border destination; in addition, it authorized the departure of its consulate staff other than emergency.

In a statement, the agency indicated that due to crime and kidnapping the consulate in the city of Nuevo Laredo has not been able to offer its services.

For this reason, they requested that American workers and family members who require support to leave the city monitor local news and announcements. They also recommend that any transfer be done during the day.

The State Department noted that criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private cars traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments.

He noted that there “the local police have limited capacity to respond to criminal incidents. Law enforcement capacity is higher in the area of the three cities of Tampico, Ciudad Madero and Altamira, which has a lower rate of violent criminal activity compared to the rest of the state.”

The leader of a powerful criminal organization operating in northern Mexico was deported to his country, the United States, officials said on Tuesday, after his arrest would cause a series of armed clashes in which several shots struck a consulate of the neighboring nation.

Juan Treviño, alias “El Huevo”, captured in the northern state of Tamaulipas, which borders the United States, is claimed in Texas for conspiracy to possess weapons, drug distribution, money laundering and using minors to traffic narcotics, among other crimes.

This is a definite blow to one of the most important criminal organizations in the northeastern part of the country, with influence in at least five states and with operations in the United States,” Rosa Rodríguez, Secretary of Security of Mexico, told a press conference.

The deported comes from a family with a long criminal history mainly in Tamaulipas, founder of the bloody Los Zetas cartel, whose leader, Heriberto Lazcano “El Lazca” -a former military man- was killed by Mexican soldiers in October 2012.

More information in development.