TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Government helicopters hovered over the coastline of Puerto Vallarta last weekend as Mexican authorities responded to cartel-related violence, images that quickly spread across international television and social media.
The unrest in the popular Pacific resort city comes as many students at the University of Arizona finalize plans for spring break travel. Mexico, the United States’ largest trading partner, shares a nearly 2,000-mile border with the U.S., including a stretch just south of Tucson. Destinations such as Rocky Point, also known as Puerto Peñasco, remain a short drive for Southern Arizona residents.
On campus this week, some students described feeling uneasy about the latest violence.
“It’s scary!” said Nicole Shughart, a University of Arizona student.
Manuel Castillo, another student, called the situation “devastating.”
“It sucks that it’s gotten to this point,” Castillo said. “It sucks that the government hasn’t really been able to control it. The lives that have been lost of civilians that don’t having anything to do with all that… It’s been devastating.”
Still, Castillo said his own travel plans typically focus on other regions.
“We go to the northern parts of Sonora in the mountains,” he said. “And that’s not really affected by what’s going on.”
He added that travelers who avoid risky behavior can reduce their chances of encountering trouble.
“The cartels, they have their own territories, unfortunately, that they control,” Castillo said. “But they’re not always after civilians. They just want their control. What we’ve always went by is ‘if you go looking for trouble, you’re gonna find it.’ So you just go peacefully, do what you’re gonna do, don’t do anything you’re not supposed to do and you’ll be fine.”
Stella Berg, who recently returned from Cabo San Lucas, said traveling with family has helped her feel secure.
“Whenever I’ve gone I’ve always been with my dad, like family,” Berg said. “So I’ve always been around an older person I feel safe with, and I know knows where not to go and stuff.”
In a statement, the university said, “All university-sponsored international travel is carefully reviewed, with the safety and wellbeing of our community as the top priority.”
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