Spring Breakers Head for Violent Mexico

(CBS)  Thousands of college kids are pouring into Mexico for Spring Break. But the weekend was one of the deadliest in the country's recent history, as Americans were caught in the cross-fire of drug violence.

Three people with ties to the U.S. Consulate in Juarez, Mexico were gunned down in that violent border city over the weekend, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker.

Consulate employee Arthur Redelfs and his wife Leslie Enriques were killed in the drive-by shooting. Their baby survived the attack. A short time later the spouse of another consulate employee was murdered.

This, just two days after gunmen opened fire at a funeral in Juarez, killing six people, including a 2-month old baby and a 14-year-old girl.

To the south, along the Pacific in the popular tourist resort of Acapulco, an even more gruesome weekend. Early on Saturday, 13 people were killed, including five police officers. Four of the victims were beheaded. All, undoubtedly, the dirty work of Mexico's ruthless drug cartels.

"These individuals that are carrying out these beheadings are doing it as a signature and to send a message to their opponents," Brian Jenkins, a security expert with Rand Corp. tells CBS News. "That is a message that is intended to terrorize."

Mexico is in the grip of hyper-violent drug gangs battling on the streets for control of the smuggling routes to the illicit U.S. drug market, worth as much as $40 billion per year by some estimates. Not even president Felipe Calderon's declaration of war, with 45,000 troops sent to battle the cartels, has been able to stop the traffickers or the violence.

Still, despite the violence and U.S. government travel warnings, Mexico remains a popular Spring Break destination. Some 200,000 students from around the world descend on Cancun annually. MTV is hosting it's spring break extravaganza in Acapulco this week.

Beach parties and drug violence, a troubling mix in Acapulco this year.

[InquiringMindsWantToKnow]

E This claim that "32%" of all US travelers that die will die in Mexico. The Prmoters of the websites listed in the blog post this anytime they find a story about Mexico. This, of course, is useless information unless placed in context. Mexico is by far and away the country more Americans travel to than any other country. In fact, 32% of all American traveling out of the US, go to Mexico (source US Office of Travel and Tourism Industries) So it is not "shocking" that 32% of all non-natural deaths of U.S. citizens outside this country occur in Mexico. That is the exact number that travel there! For the statistically challenged, this is a baseline of zero. The promoters of this claim and referenced website are several women whose childern have died in Mexico. The site they want you to read is self-written and scripted antidotal evidence of how evil Mexico is. The main promoter tells a story of the loss of he 20+ year old son in a pool accident, a tragic event. The details as she tells the are quite unclear. There is a vaque reference to her son being drunk, which is not disclamied. Was he? Her primary complaint seems to be that a nurse from Canada should have been able to intervene and make the hotel doctor do a better job. Where in the world would it be acceptable for a stranger in a crowd to come forward to stop a doctor---good or bad? By the way, at least by implication the hotel had a doctor on call and sent the doctor to treat her son. She complains this all happend in a large resort in Cancun. The resort, in fact, is a large chain, with locatons in multiple countries. What of the other countires this chain is in, or is it just Mexico. What of the chain itself? Given the level of analysis on the 32% claim, it has probably been lost upon her that these chain resorts are not usually not owned nor controlled by Mexicans, nor are the often seperate mangement companies usually run by Mexicans, nor are the local on-site managers usually Mexicans. What is the answer in her case? The company at issue is actually owned by a company located in Europe! Note that I did not say "hotels" as most of the resorts in the world (including in the US) today work under a different and complicated business model of managing locations of timeshares and fractionals through management companies. The site also follows a practice of posting negative news articles about Mexico, without verification or later correction--like the report of a kidnpped teen in Cancun that turned out to be a runaway. Mamm, your loss is tragic. There are many positive things you can do in your son's name. However, this is not one of them. Your misguided race baiting efforts do not honor you son. Yes, the US does have better safety standards than most other countries. The last few decades have led to major safety improvements in the US unseen in the rest of the world. We have, for instance, had seat belt laws for almost two decades now. You I suppose we could not travel anywhere if that were considered, or even go out the front door. We could, after all, continue our drive in the US towards "shocking" public ignorance of world affairs and culture, while simultaneously sucking all joy out of life, locked in our homes. Oh yes, we could continue to use ?antidotal evidence" to support prejudice and racism. Antidotal evidence of death and injury can be submitted for any location in the world. On the other hand and sadly, we in the US balance our general increase in safety by gun violence not seen anywhere else on earth. Tijuana, the busiest border town in the world is generally considered a dangerous city, yet has a lower per capita murder rate than many US cities, including for instance, Houston. No Mexican has ever walked into a school or mall with a gun and shot scores of people. Ever. Killings by drug dealers are of other drug dealers, not tourists and limited to small areas of a big country. Cabo, for instance, is three times further from Tijuana than is Los Angeles, a city that has some parts that no one in their right mind would just stroll through. At present, we shoot more people here in the US than in any other country in the world. Mexicans actually like Americans, a rare treat nowadays. The real story is always the same: You should not leave your common sense at home when traveling. The most common tourist risks are not what you might think, but instead drowning and auto accidents. Auto accidents are a world wide problem. Drowning is an increased risk for vactioners because most vacationers are near water. The risk as to both can be reduced by being careful. Just becase you are on vacation does not mean you should get in the ocean or a pool while drunk. The most dangerous shots involving tourists in Mexico include use of alcohol.

[Empire-George-]

by queenofclubs March 15, 2010 3:13 PM EDT

There are plenty of awesome beaches right here in the USA...why go to Mexico?
__________________

Really ? here in the U.S. ? the only awesome equivalent I've seen would be the U.S. Virgin Islands.....even Florida beaches don't compare with some of the resorts in Mexico, beach wise.....were is the awesome U.S. beach version of Acapulco ? I'd love to visit.

[ZihuaRob]

Careful! Over a dozen tourists were gunned down in cold blood on St. Croix wen I lived there over 37 years ago. Nothing like that has ever happened here in Mexico. Yet St. Croix continues to enjoy a booming tourism industry, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. But as far as I know we still haven't lost any tourists to narcoviolence in any of Mexico's resorts, including Zihuatanejo, which I still find a much safer place than anywhere I lived in the USA (including Florida, with the exception of Sanibel Island).

No one should use violence as an excuse not to visit Mexico. The people are still some of the warmest and friendliest anywhere, the food is sublime, the beaches are picture postcard perfect, and the weather is the best in the world!

[armyoftwelve]

I heard the NRA is sending down a couple of fully armed tour buses : )

[Empire-George-]

I wish they would, incognito....with big, U.S. Consulate signs on the tour bus, then when the cartels want to get stupid, surprise ! Wouldn't that "send a message"

Of course that couldn't happen in reality.

[sectorseveng]

Considering this DEEP recession and what is likely over 20% unemployment, why can't these wealthy kids spend their money right here in the USA? Why is it Mexico MORE important (as dangerous as it is), than spending their money here? I don't get it!

[Overruled1]

This is not the time to go to a country in the middle of a civil conflict that can easily escalate into violent gun battles.
It wasn't ever safe in parts of Mexico gringos!

[GringaEnMexico]

The Early Show is supposed to be a trustworthy show where everyday Americans like me can hear the news as well as get useful tips. Many people watch the show and love it. Until today, I was one of them. Today?s segment on travel in Mexico was just plain an embarrassment for humanity. Where on earth did CBS dig up that 'expert'? ?If you go to Mexico, stay in your hotel and do not venture out?? ?If a friend/family member who moved to Mexico invites you to their house while you are there, don't go, just stay in your hotel?? Who pays for that advertising- Sheraton? Club Med? In other words, if I ask my cousins who are coming to Ixtapa to come visit my house in Zihuatanejo, they should smile and 'JUST SAY NO'? Please! Hey, what about giving some REAL advice, like maybe learning how to just say no to the things that could really get you into trouble? What about instilling higher morals in your kids?
I do not believe the saying 'what goes around comes around', but I do believe people do put themselves in danger when they make choices they probably would not if they were at home (so in that respect, probably best not to let some SpringBreak teenagers out of the house!)
My parents taught me to behave myself and to respect others. I was also taught to 'just say No', whether it is to one more drink, to drugs, or to a one night stand.
I have been living in Mexico since 1993 and have never had a problem. Ever. My 76 yr old mother is visiting me right now, and we are about to head out on a 4 day road trip, through central Mexico. Yep, a couple of very fair skinned gringas. Would I even attempt that if it was unsafe? I've lived here long enough to know what is safe and where not to go. I grew up in Chicago and therefore know fairly well that there are certain areas not to go to... not even during the day. Sure, areas like that exist here in Mexico as well, but very far from the tourist destinations. They are waaaay up in the North of Mexico; the border areas where the trouble is happening. In the segment today, Acapulco was singled out... Acapulco is a city of close to a million people, it is not a small town; all cities of that size have areas you need to stay away from. Having said that, the amount of neighborhoods you need to steer clear of in ACA are not even 5% as rough as some areas of Chicago. Ditto that for Detroit, NY, LA and even northern neighbor Toronto.
I have worked in tourism here in Mexico since I hung up my vacationing flip-flops to live here permanently in '93(I have lived/worked in tourism in Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Huatulco and Ixtapa) and it never ceases to amaze me how many Americans (fortunately, not all!!)come to Mexico and talk about how drunk they want to get, ask where they can get drugs (or women) and then wink as they say 'What happens in Mexico stays in Mexico!". I often wonder how it is that I grew up in the same country as those tourists...
Yes, a handful of tourists have been victims of shooting in Mexico in the past few years, in tourist destinations. Sadly, the whole stories do NOT always get past the border control. 99% of those instances were linked to involvement in drugs. Morale of the story, folks? Don't get into the wrong crowd, and you will be fine. That can be said for ANY country, any city.
Kudos to all of you who have responded in the like about the irresponsibility shown in this so-called 'report'. It is probably wishful thinking that everyone write in to express that they, too are fed up with reporters not doing their homework.

[ZihuaRob]

Right on, vecina! Muy bien dicho.

[DawnBroderick40]

Throughout the world, you read of people blowing up women and children, raping and murdering children, killing babies they don't want, beheading people, executing parents in front of their children. Religion aside, because I'm not religious and politics aside because I couldn't care less, why is there so much hatred in this world? Is it possible to remove religion and politics and find an answer? How can someone look into the eyes of a baby and kill him/her? How can someone cut the head off of another human being? I worry as all my children go out into this unstable violent world, but has it always been this way and we just know about it more? So very sad how we care so little for our fellow man.

[cbsblogger]

No kid that I'm paying tuition for would ever be going to Mexico for spring break. Until Americans understand that MTV and the Hollywood entertainment industry, who represent pure greed based upon poor behavior and should be considered as un-friendlies (if not the outright enemy), and definitely not the solution, this will go on.

[ladyang]

Next month's big story will be "Why didn't the US Gov't do more to protect U.S. citizens?'
People will express that they are adults and don't want the gov't telling what to do, then something happens and then it's always the same story.
Parents/friends on tv stating what a good person so and so was. And that the gov't don't do enough to keep it's citizens safe.

Blah - Blah - Blah!!!!!!

[nomoreUSA]

ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHING BUNCH OF BULL. DID YOU PAY FOR THAT LACK OF EDUCATION MR. REPORTER????? AS AN AMERICAN WHO HAS LIVE HERE FOR 10 YEARS SOUTH OF CANCUN (BY CHOICE) I/WE FEEL UNBELIEVABLE SAFE HERE. UNLESS YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE DRUG CARTELS, OR (GOD BLESS THEM) THE POLICE OR MILITARY TRYING TO FINALLY PUT AN END TO WHAT THE CARTELS HAVE DONE TO THIS COUNTRY, YOU, THE TOURIST ARE NOT THE TARGET!!! STUPID!!! U.S.A. PROPAGANDA AT ITS FINEST!!