MEXICO CITY, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Rampant crime and gang activity in Mexico prompted the U.S. State Department on Wednesday to issue a stringent travel advisory, warning tourists to completely avoid five Mexican states, an advisory level often reserved for nations at war.
The State Department's highest "do not travel" advisory places the states of Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Guerrero at the same warning level as war-ravaged Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The advisory delivered a stark reminder of the formerly ritzy seaside resort city Acapulco fall from grace.
Once a glamorous playground for the Hollywood jet set, including Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth, the resort in Guerrero state now has one of the highest murder rates in the world, having fallen victim to vicious gang warfare in recent years.
http://news.trust.org/item/20180111041114-6js0h