November 30, 2010 By J. Harvey Goodall RIO GRANDE VALLEY -- Every year readers write, call and e-mail wanting to know if it is safe to cross the Texas-Mexico border, and every year we do our best to keep our ears and eyes open to the latest news and developing issues in an effort to provide the best information and most honest answer to that question. In truth, it is a difficult question to answer. For one, the publishers and editors of wintertexansonline.com have close ties and great affection for Mexico and its people. In addition to having a number of friends and business associates located within the country, Mexico has long been one of our favorite places to visit. The cultural heritage and rich history of the region has long made it an attractive destination, a wonderful place to adventure and to shop and a great place to spend time discovering the many amenities it has to offer. Our parent organization, Lost Planet Media, also publishes a travel guide to Mexico - mexicolesstraveled.com - that highlights a number of amazing points of interest and wonderful destinations and attractions that offer unique travel experiences all across the country. It is with great sadness and a great deal of reluctance that we must admit the current and rampant outbreaks of violence in large areas of the country have tarnished our enthusiasm and forces us to admit that current developments have made Mexico a less attractive place to visit because of the dangers it poses to U.S. citizens traveling and living there. Yet despite the bad press Mexico has received in recent months and the exceptionally large number of violent crimes that are taking place there, we do offer some insight that lovers of Mexico and fans of traveling there will be interested in hearing. Like most things in this world, there is bad news and there is some good news to report. But because of the dangers associated with unbridled travel there, we are obligated to offer the following advice first. After reading the "bad news" we have we are obligated to report, we encourage you to continue through this article and  view our "take on the issue" that follows. It's no secret that narco-related violence has increased all across Mexico in recent years, especially in Northern Mexico across from the Texas border. Over the last three years nearly 30,000 deaths have been recorded in Mexico directly linked to drug violence. The Lion's share of those murders have taken place in Mexico's States of Tamaulipas (Reynosa, Matamoros) and Neuvo Leon (Monterrey). Kidnappings, extortion, executions and assassinations, car thefts and other violent crimes are all on the rise and a number of high profile murder cases have made the headlines around the world, forcing the international community to label Mexico as the most violent country on Earth. This year alone (2010), the U.S. State Department has issued multiple travel warnings, the most recent in November advising American tourists to avoid driving on the highways of Tamaulipas and neighboring Nuevo Leon. Based upon a security review in Monterrey following the shooting on August 20, 2010, in front of the American Foundation School in Monterrey and the high incidence of kidnappings in the Monterrey area, U.S. government personnel from the Consulate General have been advised that the immediate, practical and reliable way to reduce the security risks for all children of U.S. citizens is to remove them from Monterrey.  As of September 10, 2010, the Consulate General in Monterrey is a partially unaccompanied post, meaning no minor dependents of U.S. government employees are permitted to remain in the city. Of the 30,000 murders in recent years, 200 American citizens have lost their lives on Mexican soil, all related to violent crime. The majority of these were "incidental deaths", meaning they were, by and large, innocent bystanders. A new and developing danger, especially in Juarez and across the border from the Rio Grande Valley, is the large number of kidnappings that have been taking place there. In a few instances, American citizens were kidnapped on U.S. soil and taken across the border where they were held for ransom. Most of these incidents involve U.S. citizens who own or conduct business in Mexico and not average U.S. travelers. But U.S. citizens have been targeted in the past, including this year, when they were assailed in Mexican border cities and held until the captives could produce cash payment for their release. Until recently, such crimes against U.S. citizens were random and rare. But as of late, the number of incidents have been on the rise, and there is concern that such practice will continue as law and order continues to deteriorate across much of Mexico. There has been a great deal of discussion and a few reports in recent months that indicate Mexico is, by and large, a "failed state". While the publishers of wintertexansonline.com disagree with this assessment in general, we are obligated to point out that within the state's of Tamulipas and Nuevo Leon, there appears to be little if any governmental control over the growing crime-related problems there. Violent drug-gangs and organized crime syndicates, known as cartels, are involved in a violent war against rival crime organizations. Along the Texas border alone there are a number of cartel groups, the notorious Gulf cartel, the Sinoloa cartel, and the Zetas, once the enforcement arm of the Gulf cartel and now independent and operating for their own purposes. These three factions are involved in a deadly turf war in an effort to control drug operations and drug routes into the United States. The fighting between the groups has been relentless and deadly. Add to that the stepped-up presence of the Mexican military who is fighting what appears to be a hopeless war against all three factions. Until recently most of the violence has been largely limited to fighting between operatives of these three large factions. But as the war between the rivals spirals out of control, violence has been spreading across neighborhoods and the business community and spilling over into the streets of cities like Reynosa and Matamoros. Innocent Mexican citizens are falling prey to the war and many business owners are being targeted for extortion and kidnappings. Social enforcement, including local and state police, have become ineffective and in many instances corrupt as crime lords offer attractive rewards for those willing to "cross over". In a country where gainful employment is difficult to find and where hunger and poverty runs rampant, it's unreasonable to assume such illegal and unlawful incentives aren't an attractive "dangling carrot before the horse", an offer that often can't be refused by those struggling to feed their hungry children. Of more concern are the recruitment efforts of organized crime to enlist the services of Mexican youth. Young men and women are lured into crime service in exchane for the promise of money, power and influence, and in many instances the "opportunity" is the only hope of escaping an existence of poverty and homelessness. Indeed, many of the street crimes being committed on both sides of the border are being carried out by these young soldiers of crime. THE BOTTOM LINE Conditions in Mexico, especially in Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, is such that conditions will worsen before they get any better. Over the last year alone the problems have multiplied  exponentially and there seems to be little hope that law and order will be returned anytime in the near future. OUR TAKE ON THE ISSUE While we are obligated to warn of the serious threat and dangers of traveling across the border, we also beleive there are considerations that must be weighed when considering crossing over the border or not. There are many U.S. citizens that insist the dangers are not as great as one might be led to believe by news reports. These adventurous individuals would be quick to point out that they brave the border frequently and have not encountered serious trouble in their travels. This is especially true when traveling to popular destinations like Cancun or Cozumel in the Yucatan. Tourism is such an important commodity to this particular region that the Mexican government has expended a great deal of energy and resources limiting the amount of crime there. Having said that, instances of narco-violence does exist in every area of Mexico, including the Yucatan and other popular resort destinations like Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta. But for our purposes here, we limit our opinion to the immediate border areas of Mexico adjacent to the Texas state line (international border). A few Winter Texans might argue that a day trip across the International Bridge at Nuevo Progreso is a relatively safe excursion, especially if it is short in duration and involves a simple visit to a dentist or pharmacy- the most popular reasons for traveling to this border city. In spite of the violence and in spite of the warnings, many winter visitors will continue to cross here - a place considered to be the most safe along the border region adjacent to the Rio Grande Valley. Most of these visitors travel across the border into Nuevo Progreso in larger groups and limit their movement to only those areas that offer the services they seek. We would agree that if you choose to travel across the border for these purposes, Nuevo Progreso is by far the best place to do it. Remember to keep to areas heavily traveled by other visitors and be mindful of all safety rules and regulations associated with safe travel. While we must stop short of recommending it, we will agree this is the best plan available for crossing the border within the Rio Grande Valley region. But duty and true concern for your safety obligates us to warn that even travel here can turn bad at any given moment. Our advise is to travel wisely and take every possible precaution to ensure your personal safety. Chance are good you will not encounter trouble if you follow these guidelines, but be warned that narco-violence has a bad habit of developing spontaneously and often without warning. Travel at your own risk. TIPS FOR CROSSING INTO NUEVO PROGRESO Cross the border in numbers Stay in well lighted and high traffic areas Stay in tourist sectors, don't venture into other areas Don't carry large sums of cash, and distribute it well on your person Consider leaving the credit/ATM card at home Don't drive in border towns, take public taxis Visit by day, avoid after dark COMMON SENSE The bottom line to personal safety when traveling is using good judgment and common sense. Anticipate the dangers and keep yourself off of dark, deserted streets; stay away from high crime areas; be aware of the various types of crime that are the current fad; hang with large crowds, especially fellow visitors; and most of all, if you fall victim to a scam or a crime, remain level headed and remember the objective is to escape without personal injury. You should, of course, report all incidents to local authorities as well as to U.S. authorities upon your return.