The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City is prohibiting U.S. government employees from traveling to popular resort town Playa del Carmen.

The State Department abruptly closed the U.S. Consulate in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and is prohibiting all U.S. government employees from traveling to the popular resort town. Government sources tell CBS News the measures were taken because of a “real crime threat” connected to warring drug cartels.

A security alert is now in effect for all Americans considering travel to Playa del Carmen.

On March 1, undetonated explosive devices were found by Mexico law enforcement on another tourist ferry. Both incidents are still under investigation. After that incident, the embassy prohibited U.S. government employees from using all tourist ferries.

Over the past year, there has been a dramatic increase in violence in and around Playa del Carmen, according to Eric Olson, an expert on security issues in Mexico at the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program.

The alert stopped short of prohibiting all U.S. travelers from traveling to the resort town.

“We released a March 7 Security Alert to all U.S. citizens due to credible information we received regarding this security threat in Playa del Carmen,” a U.S. State Department official said in an email. “We recommend U.S. citizens planning travel to the area consider this information before making travel decisions.”

 

The U.S. State Department earlier this year put Mexico on a “Level 2: Exercise increased caution” alert status due to crime. It warns that some areas are experiencing violent crime such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery.

U.S. government employees are not allowed to travel between cities after dark in many parts of Mexico.

The State Department has already advised travelers to avoid five states in Mexico due to crime. They are Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas. Alcapulco is located in Guerrero.

 

“Every time the United States issues a travel advisory, it’s got such a negative connotation, there’s an almost immediate knee jerk reaction from people to cancel,” says Greenberg, “but in terms of Americans being targeted for violent crime, it doesn’t really exist.”

Canada has also updated its travel advisory for Mexico, urging its citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution.”

The Mexico Tourism Board insists Playa del Carmen is safe. It tells “CBS This Morning” that the U.S. security alert implies “safety issues without any basis in fact.”