The U.S. Department of State is asking tourists to exercise caution while traveling to Mexico in response to ongoing violence. The warning comes one day after cartel gunmen dumped eight bodies in the streets of Cancun.

In an update to the Mexico Travel Advisory, the Department of State warns tourists about widespread violent crime including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery. Consular officials are warning tourists that they have a limited ability to provide emergency services since they are also prohibited from traveling to many areas in Mexico.

The updated warning comes one day after authorities confirmed the discovery of eight bodies in Cancun, Quintana Roo. The region continues to see an escalation of violence despite many assurances made by the Mexican government. The tourist hotspot of Acapulco, as well as the whole state of Guerrero, are listed as areas where U.S. government employees are prohibited. In their warning, consular officials claim armed groups operate independently of the government in many areas of Guerrero. Members of these groups frequently maintain roadblocks and may use violence toward travelers.

The State Department is using a four-level system to rank the risks that some states in Mexico present to tourists. While the whole country is listed as Level 2, noting increased caution; parts of Mexico such as Tamaulipas, Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, and Sinaloa are listed as Level 4–similar to the ranking used for Syria and Afghanistan.

The description of Level 4 claims that “violent crime, such as murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, extortion, and sexual assault, is common. Gang activity, including gun battles, is widespread.” Consular officials say criminals often target passenger buses for ransom. Local law enforcement has a limited capability to respond to violence in many parts of the various states.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.

Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.