Is it safe to travel to Mexico right now?

A wave of unrest after the killing of a cartel leader has rattled tourists in Mexico

- SHANNON SIMS

WITH SPRING BREAK just weeks away, and snowbirds looking to dodge a blustery winter, the recent unrest in Mexico has left travellers concerned about whether visiting the country is safe right now.

While tourism is usually unaffected by cartel violence, which is often restricted to local communities, this time was different. Flights in and out of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara were scrapped, and incidents near other popular tourism areas — including Cancún and Playa del Carmen — prompted temporary "shelter in place" warnings from the US government. "Although the situation will likely stabilise in the coming days, this marks a new phase in cartel reactions to high-level enforcement actions," said Kent Webber, a former Pentagon officer and a senior manager at Global Rescue, a US-based travel safety organisation. "No travel to Mexico is risk-free," he said, adding that the environment can shift quickly when senior cartel figures are killed or captured. What the travellers with plans to visit Mexico should know:

What's the latest with the cartels?