Some families changing Mexico holiday travel plans due to cartel violence

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The holidays are a time for families to come together, but when your loved ones live south of the border it can give you pause. With drug-related violence still a major concern, some families are changing their plans.

At the Mexican Consulate in Houston, the lines are always long; and during the holidays, even more so, with people going home to visit their families.

"They spend Christmas there and also New Years is a very important date for Mexicans," said Fernanda Villanueva with the Mexican Consulate.

The problem is getting there safely for those who travel by car. Cartel violence is ongoing and the military has been sent in to some areas after Mexican police officers were killed this month. The consulate provides a list of travel safety recommendations to those going home. Even so, Eddie Aragon says there's still a risk and fewer people are willing to take it.

"There aren't as many vehicles as there used to be and the other thing, the place where you're going, not as many of them; not half of the vehicles that used to," Aragon said.

Carmen Aguillar is one of those who's decided to let someone else do the driving after a bad experience across the border.

"I think it's better and more sure to travel by bus," said Aguillar.

Apparently more people are. It's a busy time of year for bus companies that serve cities in Mexico. It's the way this cab driver travels home.

"I take a bus. I don't take no money, no nothing," said Alfonso Vasquez.

The Mexican Consulate recommends not taking a lot of presents if traveling as that might attract unwanted attention and invite problems. And that, says Vasquez, is "pretty sad, I hope soon it gets better."

The consulate says there will be additional federal police on duty at checkpoints to assure travelers.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Coast Guard suspends search for 6 people believed missing in the Gulf of Mexico off Galveston

  GALVESTON, TX -- Six people are missing in the Gulf of Mexico after they abandoned their sinking fishing boat in the waters off Galveston, Texas, the Coast Guard said Monday.

The Coast Guard had been searching for them ever since the boat's captain sent a mayday call Sunday afternoon, saying the vessel was sinking and that the six people onboard were planning to escape in an orange life raft, said Coast Guard command center controller Elvie Damaso. However, around 6pm Monday, the Coast Guard suspended its search for the day. It says it will and said it will continue sending out the radio broadcast for ships in the area to be on the lookout for them and then decide whether to resume actively searching for them on Tuesday.

Eyewitness News received a copy of the distress call:

"We have an onboard emergency. We are taking on water sir," the unidentified boat captain told the Coast Guard.

Damaso says authorities are not sure if the boat is called Scallywag or Skylark because the quality of the line was poor.

Coast Guard officials need the public's help in trying to work out who was on the boat and where it came from, Petty officer Richard Brahm said.

"We weren't able to get it from the captain before the boat went down," Brahm said.

Damaso said at least three boats, a helicopter, a plane and two cutters are involved in the search for the missing fishermen in a stretch of water roughly the size of Delaware. The boat went down somewhere off the coast of Galveston, about 50 miles southeast of Houston.

"All my electronics are down and I couldn't give you an exact location," the boat's captain said in the distress call. Brahm said authorities couldn't be more specific about where to search for the boat because the distress call was received by several communication towers.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Search to resume for 6 reported missing in Gulf of Mexico off Galveston

  GALVESTON, TX -- The Coast Guard planned to resume its search for six people reported missing in the Gulf of Mexico after a mayday radio call said they were abandoning their sinking fishing boat in the waters off Galveston, Texas.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Richard Brahm said plans were to resume the search Tuesday morning. That's after.an extensive daylong Coast Guard search Monday turned up no sign of the six.

The boat's captain sent a mayday call Sunday afternoon saying the vessel was sinking and that the six people onboard were planning to escape in an orange life raft.

Brahm said no reports were received by telephone or other sources to confirm a vessel was overdue or that any of six people were missing.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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