Texas alert angers Mexican ambassador?

The Mexican ambassador this week accused Texas of playing politics by urging college students to avoid Mexico on spring break because of a dramatic rise in violence.

“Mexico strongly disagrees with the assessment made by Texas officials regarding travel to Mexico,” Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan said in a statement posted on the Mexican Embassy’s website.

He added that Texas authorities “should be able to more objectively evaluate facts, providing nuance and context, and, in doing so, dispel the notion that their motivation is a clear-cut political agenda.”

The Texas Department of Public Safety this week issued a travel warning to students because of “continued violence throughout” Mexico.

Public Safety Director Steven C. McCraw noted that his department has a responsibility to alert Texas residents to the dangers of visiting Mexico, where drug wars and other crimes claimed more than 13,000 lives last year.