The United States embassy in Mexico City has closed its consular agency in Playa del Carmen and is barring employees from traveling there, following a ferry explosion back in February that injured 25 people including two Americans. The incident occurred on a ferry that runs between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, and a week later another “apparent explosive device” was discovered on another ferry in Cozumel.
The personnel travel restrictions have been in place “until further notice,” according to a spokesperson for the State Department. Likewise, American tourists are being told to avoid travel to the area with a “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” alert.
“We take our obligation to provide information to U.S. citizens seriously as evidenced by the clear, timely, and reliable safety and security information we release worldwide,” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement to ABC News, adding that the agency will provide “important updates when information becomes available.”
“In Mexico alone, we’ve issued a number of recent security alerts as soon as we received information that travelers should know. We encourage travelers to be aware of surroundings and exercise caution,” Nauert said Wednesday night.
The alert comes just before many Americans plan to flock to Playa del Carmen for spring break, which typically takes places from mid-March to mid-April.
Both incidents are still under investigation with no apparent motive released to the public yet.
(Via ABC News)