Travel Guides

Celebrate Las Vegas Weddings by Renting a Classic Car Rental - Best Syndication

admin — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:04:59 +0000

Nothing completes a perfect wedding than the befitting spectacle of the bride and groom taking off into the sunset. But a wedding set in Las Vegas takes more than the antediluvian riding off on a horse exit. In this city of glitz, taking leave on classic car rental more than suffices.
Weddings, like every other special occasion, entail a sense of reverie. And a Las Vegas wedding is a great opportunity to go all out and make that dream wedding a reality. For in Las Vegas, everything and anything is possible. A classic car rental can add that extra flair and glamor to your wedding. Being a dramatic departure from the ordinary, a classic ride can accentuate that fantasy feel that you and your guests will surely have a hard time forgetting. And what a comforting fact it is to know that Las Vegas has one of the biggest classic car rental industries in the country.
Now, imagine the sight of you, on your wedding day, descending from a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III. This is no everyday ride, mind you, for the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud was, for a time, the Hollywood emblem of the stars and the affluent lot. The name Rolls Royce itself, already conjures up images of class and elegance, which then may have seemed out of your league. But in Las Vegas, a classic car rental of the same model can be had from select rental companies in the city. Now, you get to ride with the stars and not to mention, make a perfect grand entrance.
But if you are one to lean more on the wilder side of life, and is looking for a way to loudly express your style, don't worry. Las Vegas classic car rental companies have a wide array of vintage car models to suit many preferences. A re-engineered 1958 top-down Corvette perfectly compliments the energetic and modish side of you.
Why rent a limo and be just like everyone else? Las Vegas is a city for new experiences; and while you're having your wedding here, why not try out an exotic car rental as you and your hubby's official ride. Exotic cars may be too loud for a wedding, but if your tastes fall under fun and memorable, go at it with a Lamborghini Gallardo or on an all-American Corvette Convertible.
It is a pleasure to note that Las Vegas exotic car rental and classic car rental companies come with special occasion packages. They can take care of chauffeur service and leave you hassle free from having to recruit a designated driver. But do remember to book a reservation. Being the Marriage Capital of the World, Las Vegas car rentals may just have a busy schedule. Thus, it is smart to play it sure and safe and to let your exotic car rental provider know ahead of time.
It is every bride's dream to have a wedding that is different and memorable to her and her husband to be. And why not? A wedding is a special occasion that is meant to be remembered for more than a lifetime. Luckily, Las Vegas is a city grasps that understanding of the importance of making one couple's fantasy wedding a reality. And it is good to know that classic and exotic car rental companies are there to drive you to a dream come true.
: From 1928 to 2008 we have the LARGEST selection of Exotic,
on the Strip! From Auburns to Packards,
has the largest selection of classics available for rent anywhere in Las Vegas.

For US Men, London's Calling - Washington Post

admin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:51:02 +0000

But if the United States is able to defeat Argentina on Friday and eventually claim a gold medal two days later, this might not be a one-time wonder. It won't have to be a magical moment in history that needs to be wrapped up and stored in a time capsule or immortalized with a commemorative stamp.
It could possibly be duplicated. With the exception of
,
, the core players on the 2008 Olympic team are all younger than 25 and could all be in London in 2012. Wade might be back, too, if he decides to give it another run at age 30.
"That's scary," Bosh said with a smile. "That'd be dangerous."
established the current national team program in 2005, he was focused on winning a gold medal this summer. But he also had the future of USA Basketball in mind, selecting young stars for continuity and creating a select team of less established players to practice with them during training camps and serve as a farm system, of sorts.
Colangelo had no idea that this summer would work out as well as it has. The United States is back to its Dream Team domination days -- winning the first six games by an average of 32 points -- and leaving vanquished opponents wondering just how much the gap has closed when America sends its most talented and committed representatives to international competitions.
He also has a group of players that enjoys being around each other on and off the floor, and has responded well to Coach
. Most want to come back for more.
"Why not? I want to play in as many Olympics as I can," said Howard, 22, the youngest player on the roster. "Not too many people get this opportunity. I want to take advantage of it. It's fun, to get a chance to be around everybody, get a chance to travel around the world and do stuff not many people get the chance to do."
Anthony, Bosh, Paul and Williams also said they would come back, if asked. "I'd love to get two gold medals," Williams said. "As long as I get next summer off, I'm cool. I'm back."
Howard, Anthony and James were the only three members of the team to participate in each of the past three competitions -- the world championships,
tournament and Olympics. Anthony and James have each had just one summer off since they entered the
, having also played in the 2004 Olympics. Anthony said he would like to be back in four years, but couldn't guarantee that he could give another three-year commitment.
"We shall see," Anthony said recently. "I can't look that far down the line. I haven't had no time off from the basketball court in four years, which is a good thing, but it could be a bad thing. I think the motivation I'm going to get from winning this gold medal, it should carry over."
James, who would be just 27 in 2012, said he was definitely "open" to being back. "If I'm comfortable and I'm feeling right and my family wants me to do that, I'll be there. You won't know what can happen four years from now."

Passport cards recommended for US travelers who drive to Canada … - The Eureka Reporter

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:25:25 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department’s new passport cards, which are wallet-sized identification cards designed to speed border crossings by U.S. citizens to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, are proving popular already.
More than 350,000 Americans have pre-ordered the passport cards, according to the State Department.
The card is not valid for any type of air travel. It can only be used for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean.
Beginning in June 2009, travelers will be required to present documents proving both citizenship and identity when entering the U.S. through a land or sea border.
For Americans who drive to Canada or Mexico or cruise regularly to the Caribbean, but who do not expect to fly abroad, the passport card is a cheaper, smaller, more portable alternative to a conventional passport book.
It is the size of a credit card or driver’s license, and has a photo and identification information printed on it, like a driver’s license. It also contains a chip with a random number that allows border officials to instantly retrieve your data.
“When you come to the border, hold your card up to your window, and on the border patrol screen, up will pop your name, your picture, the fact that you are a U.S. citizen, and the number of your card. They’ll peek in to see if you’re the same person, and speed you on your way,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services Brenda Sprague in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
“If you live in a border community and you regularly go back and forth across the border, whether it’s many times a week or many times a month or several times a year, the passport card makes sense,” she added.
Passport cards are good for 10 years and cost $45 ($35 for children under 16). Applications can be made at any passport-processing site. If you already have a passport but want the card anyway because of the convenient size or quick scanning, it’s only $20 and can be ordered by mail.
For details on how and where to get a passport card, visit
.
More than 7,600 cards have already been mailed out to customers who pre-ordered the cards. All existing orders are expected to be filled by Sept. 30. New applications will take about four weeks to process.

Name change: Carlson Wagonlit Travel now Travel Leaders - Bizjournals.com

admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:37:40 +0000

as of today.
There are more than 500 Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates franchises in the U.S., including agencies in Clifton Park and Schenectady.
The process for creating a brand name started earlier this year when Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates, a division of Minnesota-based
, became independent from Carlson, an international hotel, marketing, restaurant and travel company, and from Carlson Wagonlit Travel, which specializes in business travel management.
In addition to the new name, Travel Leaders has a new Web site,
. It is also offering private shore excursions for its premium cruise customers, a certified travel specialist program to ensure staff professionalism and a personalized travel planner to provide customized information for cruise customers.
This is the latest name change for the company, which began in 1888 as Ask Mr. Foster, the first travel agency in North America.
In 1991, Ask Mr. Foster changed its name to
. Six years later, following its merger with Wagonlit Travel, the franchised agencies were named Carlson Wagonlit Travel. The same year,
locations in the U.S. were merged into Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates.

Jenny needs new digs in a jiffy - Dallas Morning News

admin — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:15:56 +0000

06:08 PM CDT on Friday, August 22, 2008
Re: "Jenny to stay put after all – Elephant not going to Mexico or Tennessee; protesters not happy," Thursday news story.
I respect all animal rights deeply. That is why I absolutely love the idea of Jenny staying put in the Dallas Zoo. I thoroughly believe that it is the right thing to do for her. The decision respects the relationship Jenny has with her longtime handlers. It respects the fact that travel is very stressful for an animal. I completely trust the highly educated zoo director, Gregg Hudson.
However, can we please get started sooner on the new habitat with an earlier finish date? Council members Angela Hunt and Mitchell Rasansky should organize a "Concerned Citizens for Jenny" building group to help with the new habitat to speed things along. I would be the first to sign up, because it would be good for Jenny, and that's all I care about.
Martha Luke, Dallas

A Happy Air Travel Tale (For Real) - TIME

admin — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:53:23 +0000

Every great while there comes a tale that completely defies belief, like
the frozen remains of Bigfoot packed in a cooler in Georgia. This is one
such story (except this one is true). It's about one man's happy experience while
.
Wait, whoa, hang on. This is no hoax. It happened to me. See, I had a flight with a connection in Dallas–Ft. Worth (DFW) and ... no, no, really, don't click the back
button!
Let's start at the beginning. My colleague, Karen Tumulty, and I were
informed last weekend by Barack Obama's camp that they had approved our
request to
for TIME. We were to meet him in
Albuquerque, N.M., on Monday afternoon. My flight from Kansas City, via DFW,
landed on time Monday morning after three hours of the usual misery. Nothing
major: my seat, inches from the fuselage-mounted engine, knocked a couple
hundred hertz off my hearing range, and the guy in front of me had reclined
his seat so far back I could count his follicles. But I look at it this way:
it beats waking up on a Greyhound bus to discover that your seatmate is
hacking you to death.
After the interview, I called a cab to run us back to the airport. "Five
or ten minutes," the dispatcher promised, by which she apparently meant, "53
minutes." When the cab finally dropped me outside the American Airlines
terminal, it was 5:06 p.m. My flight was at 5:20.
So I barreled through security and jogged to Gate B1, where I arrived
just as the agent was closing the door. "Please?" I begged. "This flight's
closed!" she barked.
Now, you're probably thinking that this experience doesn't sound "happy"
at all. But this is where it starts getting good. Instead of sending me back
to the ticket counter where I would have inevitably been told that every
other flight was overbooked, and that maybe they could get me home by Labor
Day, the agent said gruffly, "There's another flight leaving from A1, also
going to Dallas. But you have to run."
I dashed from Concourse B to Concourse A, which in Albuquerque is about
11 yards. There, I found the usual mass of irritated, exhausted travelers
preparing, after a three-hour delay, to board. They must have wondered why I
was smiling. We filed onto the plane — about 120 grumpy people, plus me.
I even got an aisle seat, and not next to the bathroom, either.
As day turned to dusk, we soared over the strange flatlands of Eastern
New Mexico and West Texas, then landed with a big bump and pulled into our
gate at DFW about 8 p.m. Now I steeled myself for a two-hour layover, hoped
I'd at least make it home by midnight. As we filed out of the jetway, I
glanced at a departures monitor and was shocked to find not one but two
American flights to Kansas City — and the first one was preparing to
board.
I took off jogging again. I skimmed up an escalator, onto a tram, back
down and around and finally into a dim waiting room in the remotest frontier
of the airport where another crowd of about 120 grumpy people was preparing
to board another long-delayed flight. The blank, defeated expression on
their faces was all too familiar. It was the resigned look of the villager
whose home is being sacked by Visigoths, the hopeless face of a pioneer
woman watching her family's crop laid waste by locusts. The face of the
American traveler, year 2008. A face I have worn many times.
Not this day, though. Not after I elbowed my way to the podium, asked for
a standby seat, and received a boarding pass on the aisle near the front
door. I was going to get home early!
Inside the plane, as I secured my seatbelt low and tight, I pondered my
good fortune. Should I be taking pleasure in surfing the wave of all these
travelers' disappointment? How many missed connections, botched dinner plans
and inconvenienced loved ones was it taking to get me home on time?
Then I realized that this extraordinary thing that was happening to me,
this improbable tale, would surely be balanced out — and soon — by
some awful karmic payback. I pictured myself stuck on a runway in a commuter
turboprop for a couple of hours, with the A/C malfunctioning, next to a fat
guy with body odor.
But I decided since fate was smiling on me for now, I'd smile back.
I pulled into my driveway at 10 p.m. — two hours ahead of
schedule.
Honest.

North Las Vegas Family Recalls Harrowing 2006 Crash - KLAS-TV

admin — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:03:58 +0000

Friday's plane crash is a frightening reminder for another North Las Vegas family who narrowly escaped the same fate two years ago. And the young children who witnessed that crash say they'll never forget what they saw.
Most of us go our whole lives without ever having to see something as awful as a plane crash. But it was right there on Jones near Rancho that one North Las Vegas family with five children saw a small plane crash and explode into a ball of flames.
"We heard the metal grinding down Jones before the plane exploded," said Tina Montesano.
It was November of 2006.
"The noise was horrendous, the explosion was so loud it shook everything in the house," said Tina.
The vivid memories of that day haunt this North Las Vegas mother of five -- who says her young children were jumping on their trampoline in the backyard when suddenly....
"It went down, [spun] around and hit the wall and hit a gate and hit a pole, spun around -- then people came running out and it exploded," said Steven Montesano.
The six-seater plane came to a crashing halt on Jones -- just three houses away from the Montesanos' home -- strewing twisted metal, burning jet fuel and live ammunition that had been on board the plane all over the street.
The loud screeching noise that preceding the explosion prompted the whole neighborhood to run outside and see what happened -- including little Ann Marie, who was only 3 at the time. "It was horrible!" she said.
And though nearly two years have passed, Ann Marie says she still dreams about plane crashes. Fortunately, no one died in this crash but the traumatic event left its mark on this family in other ways.
"Every time I see a plane go over my house, I worry that it's gonna fall on my home," said Tina.
The sights and sounds of small aircraft are non-stop in this neighborhood just west of the North Las Vegas airport. In fact, while interviewing the family's oldest son, two planes could be seen in the background passing overhead in close proximity of each other.
"I never thought I was in the danger zone until one Sunday afternoon when a plane fell right out of the sky and blew up on my street," said Tina.
The Montesanos say they were aware of the fact that they were buying a house near an airport -- they say they just didn't know it was one of the most dangerous airports in the nation.

Virgin Vacations Offers United Kingdom and Europe Winter Travel Deals - PR Web (press release)

admin — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:34:14 +0000

Virgin Vacations offers extensive winter vacation deals to the UK and Europe with 6 Night London packages from $749 per person.
Norwalk, CT (
) August 21, 2008 -- Now is the time to keep an eye out for "shoulder season" and off-season travel steals. To that end, Virgin Vacations is offering amazing
to the UK, France, Czech Republic, Italy and many cities in Europe. As fuel costs continue to skyrocket these international six-night vacations are definite bargains.
starting at just $749 with departures from New York City and departures from Los Angles (LAX) from just $919. Paris at Its Best is just $799 out of New York City and $859 out of Chicago.
Other deals include Rome at Its Best from $899 and Prague at Its Best from just $749 with New York City departures. Virgin Vacations is also offering last minute summer and fall deals. To take advantage of these generous markdowns from summer highs, you must act soon! These rates are only available until August 31, 2008.
"We are exited to offer such low rates out of major US Gateways to popular European destinations," comments Nigel Osborne, President of Virgin Vacations.
All packages feature round trip economy airfare (from NY or other gateways), 6 night accommodation in Tourist Class hotel (or selected property), daily breakfast and all hotel taxes and service fees. Mandated fuel surcharges, taxes and security fees of $140-$185 per person extra. Travel by December 11, 2008 or between January 8 and March 25, 2009. Packages must be booked by August 31, 2008.
and beyond with Virgin Atlantic and our International Airline Partners. Today, we've expanded our reach, as well as our product. We now offer an expanded travel menu that includes more of Europe and new Virgin Atlantic destinations such as Dubai, India, and Hong Kong. More recently, Virgin Vacations added Africa to the list, even the option to visit Sir Richard's private game reserve Ulusaba. For more information or to book travel please call 888-937-8474 or visit
.
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/Q3Jhcy1aZXRhLUVtcHQtU3VtbS1Db3VwLVNpbmctWmVybw==

Hawaii Vacation: So Much To See, So Much To Do Hawaii Vacation: So … - Corsavoo.com

admin — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:51:54 +0000

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All aboard for Argosy cruises - HeraldNet

admin — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:11:22 +0000

Published: Saturday, August 23, 2008
Who dunnit?: You will find yourself in the middle of a mystery at sea on Argosy's "Murder and Mayhem" cruises this fall.
Track the clues with the help of a detective during a three-course dinner to figure out what happened.
The three-hour "Murder and Mayhem" cruises will be offered Sunday and Aug. 29, Sept. 19, Oct. 31, Nov. 29 and Dec. 27, all departing from Seattle's waterfront.
Most cruises begin boarding at 6 p.m. and take off at 7, but times vary with cruises.
Tickets are $75 plus tax for adults, $30 for children ages 5 to 12, free for kids under age 4.
If mayhem doesn't suit your purposes, you can schedule a holiday cruise aboard the Spirit of Seattle, the Christmas ship decorated with thousands of lights
The cruise generally includes a flotilla of other Argosy ships as well as private boats that follow the ship to various spots on the water.
A choir performance aboard the Spirit of Seattle is broadcast to all the boats and the people gathered on the waterfront around a bonfire.
The cost for tickets aboard the lead ship, the Spirit of Seattle, are $35 for adults, $19 for kids 5 to 12 and free for kids 4 and under. There is an additional fuel surcharge and tax. Tickets for the special finale night, Dec. 23, are $58 for adults and $38 for kids 5 to 12.
Less expensive tickets are offered on "value nights," the two preview nights, Nov. 29 and 30; and Dec. 2 and 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 and 22.
Admission on value nights is $25 for adults, $12 for kids 5 to 12.
For details on the murder mystery cruises and the Christmas ship cruises, including performers and a schedule of departure times and locations, check the Web site at argosycruises.com or call 206-623-1445 or 800-642-7816.

Tour operators tie up with Mexico - Business Standard

admin — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:02:48 +0000

Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), the apex body of tour operators in India, has planned to enter into a tie-up with the tour operators association of Mexico with a view to promote tourism in both countries.
According to the proposed agreement, the tour association of India as well as Mexico will strengthen cooperation so as to promote the development of international tourism and specifically develop tourism traffic from and to their respective countries.
Both the associations will also exchange tourism promotion materials and other tourism information, including policies related to tourism development and investment opportunities in tourism in each other country.
“A delegation of the Mexican tour operators association is likely to visit India next week and we are going to negotiate with them for a possible collaboration. The delegation is also keen on exploring opportunities for investing in India’s tourism sector”, Vijay Thakur, the president of IATO told Business Standard.
IATO is constantly increasing its international networking with professional bodies in the tourism and travel sectors with a view to boost international tourist arrivals in India.
At present, IATO has collaborations with the Associations of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agents (ASITA), Nepal Association of Tour Operators and United States Tour Operators Association.
IATO has also inked MoUs with other international tourism organisations like South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE), Uganda Investment Authority and Foundation for Aviation and Sustainable Tourism (FAST)

The Attitude Hotels Brand Moves Out Into the World! - Boarding.no

admin — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:24:09 +0000

Now Attitude Hotels has taken it to the next level, moving beyond Europe to add properties farther afield, starting with six new establishments in the United States, Costa Rica, and Thailand. And the website is now available in German as well.
Here is a rundown of the newest stars in the Attitude heavens.
Tortuga del Sol, Palm Springs (from 179 USD nightly). South of Los Angeles in Southern California's gay-popular desert playground, you'll love the vibe of this queer-owned, mostly male resort.
Chelsea Pines Inn, Manhattan, New York City (from 150 USD). A charming townhouse inn that's been recently renovated, it's right in the homo heart of the Big Apple, the always exciting "capital of the world."
Colours Oasis Resort, San José (from 59 USD). In a city that's the gateway to spectacular ecotourism and beaches but also offers plenty of Gay and Lesbian nightlife, dining, and other fun in its own right, this co-ed gay resort is stylish, intimate, and well located.
Las Aguas Jungle Lodge (from 57 USD). Not far from the beach on the unspoiled southern Pacific coast, this is one mountain jungle lodge that doesn't stint on the amenities.
Hotel Cuna Del Ángel, Dominical (from 80 USD) For a small, luxe and elegant boutique resort in the jungle, mixed but very gay- friendly, "the angel's cradle" is atmospheric, romantic, and includes lots of great amenities, such as a picture-perfect spa.
Karmakamet Aromatic Hotel, Koh Samui island (from 160 EUR) Opening in mid-August, this serene, Zenlike hideaway on one of Thailand's most exclusive vacation isles is indeed aromatic – you get to choose a different scent every day for your room. Smells like heaven.
Sist oppdatert: 22.08.08 13:28

Fitch: Las Vegas Monorail (Nevada) 1st Tier Project Revs Remain at … - MarketWatch

admin — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:31:01 +0000

With higher than expected sensitivity to the fare increase and an
overall lower base of ridership, fare revenues continue to be
insufficient to meet the monorail's debt service obligations. After
the recent July 2008 debt service payment, debt service reserve fund
amounts are $35.1 million and $8.5 million for the first and second
tiers, respectively. Beginning in January 2008 and continuing in July
2008 there have been draws from the first and second tier debt service
reserve funds. Internal liquidity consisting of the first-tier bonds
debt service reserve fund and the second-tier bonds debt service
reserve fund only provides a near-term cushion to lower than expected
fare revenues and are available to pay debt service. Additionally,
excess proceeds in the construction fund and indemnification account
total approximately $2.3 million and can also be used to pay debt
service. However, due to continued declines in ridership and revenues,
Fitch estimates that fare revenues combined with internal liquidity
will likely not be adequate to meet first-tier bonds debt service
obligations beyond 2010, while the second-tier bonds would encounter
payment problems earlier. Based on this analysis, resources would not
be sufficient to make third-tier bonds debt service payments, which
begin in 2012. Debt service payment problems may only be marginally
deferred with better than expected ridership levels.

Grand Princess cruises in for fourth visit - Liverpool Echo

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:00:52 +0000

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UTEP Juarez travel advisory - El Paso Times

admin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:28:55 +0000

The University of Texas at El Paso has enjoyed a long and multi-faceted set of relationships with institutions and individuals in Mexico, particularly in Ciudad JuГЎrez and the State of Chihuahua. It has been enormously satisfying to see these relationships grow successfully in both breadth and depth during the past several years, as they have involved an increasing number of UTEP students, faculty and staff in a widening range of collaborative activities and programs. Such collaborations are consistent with UTEP's mission and with the opportunities presented to us by our unique U.S.-Mexico border location, and we are confident that they will continue to grow and prosper in the years ahead.
Despite all of this good news, however, we must also recognize that current conditions in Mexico, and particularly in Ciudad JuГЎrez, require us to take special precautions to ensure the safety and well being of UTEP students, faculty and staff members who participate in UTEP programs and activities in Mexico. As context, I attach for your information an advisory issued by the U.S. State Department and transmitted to us by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Antonio Garza.
To assure that appropriate precautions are being taken, we request that prior to any University-related student travel to Mexico-including brief trips to Ciudad JuГЎrez-as part of a study abroad program, clinical, field, training or research experience, or any other UTEP-related student travel, faculty and staff members responsible for initiating or coordinating such travel consult with the Office of International Programs (Catie McCorry-Andalis at cmandalis@utep.edu or 747-5648) and the Office of Legal Affairs (Lee Ann Koehler at koehler@utep.edu or 747-5056) for review of required documentation and protocols for such travel. Faculty and staff members whose professional activities involve travel to JuГЎrez or other locations in Mexico are advised to consult in advance with their Deans.
Thank you for your cooperation.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
This information is current as of today,
April 14, 2008
This Travel Alert updates information for U.S. citizens on security situations in Mexico that may affect their activities while in that country. This supersedes the Travel Alert for Mexico dated October 24, 2007, and expires on October 15, 2008.
Violence Along The U.S.-Mexico Border
Violent criminal activity fueled by a war between criminal organizations struggling for control of the lucrative narcotics trade continues along the U.S.-Mexico border. Attacks are aimed primarily at members of drug trafficking organizations, Mexican police forces, criminal justice officials, and journalists. However, foreign visitors and residents, including Americans, have been among the victims of homicides and kidnappings in the border region. In its effort to combat violence, the government of Mexico has deployed military troops in various parts of the country. U.S. citizens are urged to cooperate with official checkpoints when traveling on Mexican highways.
Recent Mexican army and police force conflicts with heavily-armed narcotics cartels have escalated to levels equivalent to military small-unit combat and have included use of machine guns and fragmentation grenades. Confrontations have taken place in numerous towns and cities in northern Mexico, including Tijuana in the Mexican state of Baja California, and Chihuahua City and Ciudad JuГЎrez in the state of Chihuahua. The situation in northern Mexico remains very fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements there cannot be predicted.
Armed robberies and carjackings, apparently unconnected to the narcotics-related violence, have increased in Tijuana and Ciudad JuГЎrez. Dozens of U.S. citizens were kidnapped and/or murdered in Tijuana in 2007. Public shootouts have occurred during daylight hours near shopping areas.
Criminals are armed with a wide array of sophisticated weapons. In some cases, assailants have worn full or partial police or military uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles.
U.S. citizens are urged to be especially alert to safety and security concerns when visiting the border region. While Mexican citizens overwhelmingly are the victims of these crimes, this uncertain security situation poses risks for U.S. citizens as well. Thousands of U.S. citizens cross the border safely each day, exercising common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas of border towns during daylight hours. It is strongly recommended that travelers avoid areas where prostitution and drug dealing occur.
Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles, particularly in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Tijuana. There is no evidence, however, that U.S. citizens are targeted because of their nationality.
U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are urged to contact the consular section of the nearest U.S. consulate or Embassy for advice and assistance.