USA issues travel warning for Mexican resort town

Nancy Trejos | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption U.S. Embassy issues travel warning for popular Mexico tourist resort A travel warning has been issued for Playa del Carmen, Mexico, following an unnamed threat that has closed the U.S. Embassy there.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City is prohibiting U.S. government employees from traveling to popular resort town Playa del Carmen.

The U.S. Consular Agency in Playa del Carmen in the state Quintana Roo will be closed “until further notice,” the embassy said in its alert.

The embassy said it had “received information about a security threat” on Wednesday. It did not specify what that threat is.

The alert, issued Wednesday night, says U.S. government employees have to cease traveling to the town “immediately” and “until further notice.”

The move comes after the Feb. 21 explosion on the ferry that links Playa del Carmen with the town of Cozumel. The incident injured 25 people, including two Americans.

On March 1, undetonated explosive devices were found by Mexico law enforcement on another tourist ferry. Both incidents are still under investigation. After that incident, the embassy prohibited U.S. government employees from using all tourist ferries.

The alert stopped short of prohibiting all U.S. travelers from traveling to the resort town.

"We released a March 7 Security Alert to all U.S. citizens due to credible information we received regarding this security threat in Playa del Carmen," a U.S. State Department official said in an email. "We recommend U.S. citizens planning travel to the area consider this information before making travel decisions."

The U.S. State Department earlier this year put Mexico on a “Level 2: Exercise increased caution” alert status due to crime. It warns that some areas are experiencing violent crime such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery.

U.S. government employees are not allowed to travel between cities after dark in many parts of Mexico.

The State Department has already advised travelers to avoid five states in Mexico due to crime. They are Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas. Alcapulco is located in Guerrero.

Last summer, the department also cautioned vacationers to be careful when drinking alcohol in Mexico. The move came after a U.S. traveler died in a pool at a resort near Playa del Carmen after drinking. Other tourists reported blacking out after drinking at resorts in Mexico.

Some tourist destinations have no warnings against them, including Mexico City, Cancun, and Los Cabos.