Consulate issues alert on cartel violence

The U.S. Consulate in Tijuana is advising travelers to be especially careful if they’re planning to visit Mexicali, Mexicali Valley and the western part of Sonora.

In a statement issued Friday the consulate warned of heightened violence between rival cartel factions. The advisory specifically warned members of the embassy community “to avoid the Mexicali area until further notice.

The region is the focus of a territorial dispute between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

The news website mexiconewsdaily.com reported recently on a video circulated on social media April 1. It showed more than a dozen hooded individuals with various large-caliber weapons and bulletproof vests bearing the CJNG initials.

“This announcement is to inform the general population of Baja California that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is present in their state and to let them know that the deaths that have been occurring are due to internal corruption within the police forces at every level of the government,” the website quoted a speaker in the video.

The site added that the same CJNG spokesman went on to name the federal, state and municipal police forces as well as various security and investigative units of government.

The next day, CJNG reportedly burned an official’s vehicle from the state Attorney General’s Office in Tecate, in reprisal for a police operation that led to various arrests. Mexiconewsdaily.com also reported that on April 8 in Tijuana, the cartel burned two vehicles belonging to the federal Attorney General’s Office.

The U.S. Consulate recommended that travelers exercise several precautions when visiting the Mexicali region:

• Review Mexico Country Information and Travel Advisory.

• Remain vigilant during the daylight hours and avoid travel at night.

• Monitor the local news for updates, follow directions from local officials, and in case of emergency call 911.

• Keep friends and loved ones up to date on your whereabouts – via phone, text, and social media – and let them know you are safe, when possible.

• If you are a U.S. citizen traveling to, or residing in Mexico, enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive safety messages and other travel information.

For emergency assistance for U.S. citizens in Mexico, call (55) 8526 2561 from Mexico or (844) 528-6611 from the United States.