A US tourist was reportedly shot dead while vacationing in a popular Spring Break area in Mexico, where the State Department has warned Americans to “exercise heightened caution due to crime and kidnapping.”
The tourist, who has not been publicly identified, was shot in the leg by unknown assailants in the town of Puerto Morelos, outside of Cancun, The Associated Press reports, citing prosecutors in Quintana Roo state.
According to the AP, the man was approached by several suspects around midnight Monday before he was shot.
The motive for the shooting is unclear, while the victim was taken to a Cancun hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening injury.
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A pier in Puerto Morelos in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for further comment.
The State Department said in a travel advisory that American visitors to Mexico’s coastal state of Quintana Roo should “exercise heightened caution due to crime and kidnapping” because “criminal activity and violence can occur anywhere at any time, including popular tourist destinations.”
“While not targeting tourists, shootings between rival gangs have injured innocent bystanders,” the report said. “Additionally, US citizens have been victims of both non-violent and violent crimes in tourist and non-tourist areas.”
It also urged travelers to “exercise heightened situational awareness and stay in well-lit pedestrian and tourist areas after dark in downtown Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen.”
Despite the warnings, the State Department said thousands of American citizens visit Mexico annually for spring break getaways, with the “vast majority” traveling safely.
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A street in Playa Del Carmen in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The US State Department is advising travelers to be vigilant in the region. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In another part of Mexico, two Americans in a group who came to Matamoros from Texas were kidnapped and killed by a suspected drug cartel in early March.
The Gulf Cartel later claimed it had dealt with the members “involved and responsible” in the incident and handed them over to authorities for detention.
The Americans were reportedly traveling for cheap medical procedures in this incident.
“Attacks on US citizens are unacceptable no matter where or under any circumstances,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at the time.
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Cancun, Mexico, seen here in 2021, is one of the most popular spring break destinations. Puerto Morelos, where the American was shot, is south of Cancun. (Photo by Medios and Media/Getty Images)
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador later said at a press conference, “Mexico is safer than the United States.
“There is no problem traveling safely through Mexico,” he added.
Fox News’ Peter Aitken, Chris Pandolfo and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Source : www.foxnews.com