Updated travel warning for Mexico

An updated travel warning for Mexico issued Wednesday by the U.S. State Department for the first time includes the state of Baja California Sur as an area of concern, urging travelers to exercise caution when visiting La Paz, the state capital.

“According to the Department of Interior of Mexico, in 2013 Baja California Sur registered its highest homicide rate since 1997,” the warning states. “Many of these homicides occurred in La Paz, where there has been an increase in organized crime-related violence.”

The State Department reviews travel conditions for countries around the world, including Mexico. The department’s review of conditions in Mexico makes an effort to distinguish between different parts of the country.

Several states have no travel advisories, and until this latest report there had been none for Baja California Sur.

Mexican government statistics tallied 56 killings in Baja California Sur in 2013, the highest in 16 years, and the state is expected to exceed that number this year, according to a report last month by the Associated Press.

For the state of Baja California, which includes Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, Rosarito Beach and Tecate, the travel advisory shows little change from the previous one issued in October 2014, and continues to urge visitors to “exercise caution in the northern state of Baja California, particularly at night.”