http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-m ... 2000.storyNotre Dame fans in Chicago planning a trip to El Paso for this year's Sun Bowl shouldn't include the nearby Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez in their travels, officials warn.
Sun Bowl officials are discouraging fans from traveling to Juarez because, as a battleground of drug-related violence, it has become one of the most dangerous cities in the world, with nearly 3,000 murders this year. Previously, Juarez had been a popular destination among Sun Bowl visitors.
"Don't go over the border, or you may not come back," said Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly in a news conference Tuesday. "Now I know El Paso is the safest city in the country. But it's serious. This isn't, 'Hey, let's give it a shot, guy, and jump in the car and see what it's like.'"
The terse warning, which comes as the Fighting Irish make their Sun Bowl debut against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, is a telling example of how Mexico's military-led war against drug cartels has affected how Americans travel in the border region.
Before the outbreak of drug-related violence, part of the draw to the Sun Bowl was the experience of taking a "twin-nation vacation," said Bernie Olivas, executive director of the bowl.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Shopping: Your home for personalized holiday shopping deals >>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, the daily bloody battles between drug gangs make Juarez far from the ideal vacation spot.
As many as a quarter of Juarez residents and thousands of their businesses have moved from the once bustling border town to nearby El Paso, according to a recent National Public Radio report. Some have sought refuge in other regions of the United States, including Chicago.
As for the Sun Bowl, tied for the title of the country's second longest-running football classic, officials say they ceased the decades-old tradition of taking game representatives to Juarez for dinner and a bullfight after the 2007 bowl, when the University of Oregon played the University of South Florida.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 and launched an attack on the cartels, resulting in some 30,000 deaths nationwide, including some Americans. Mexican officials insist that the country is safe for tourists however.
Olivas, a native of El Paso, said he has not been to Juarez since the 2007 Sun Bowl week. "I had a lot of relatives in Juarez, and we used to cross all the time. We never even thought about it," he said.
In September, after a shooting in front of the American Foundation School in the city of Monterrey, the State Department issued a travel warning that urged American citizens to avoid areas in Mexico where crime might occur.
Much of Mexico's narcotics-related violence has occurred in several northern Mexican states, including Baja California, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Coahuila and parts of Chihuahua, where Juarez is located. Areas of tourism, though, are considered less dangerous, the alert said.
Aside from the obvious dangers, the U.S. government also reminds travelers to bring proper documentation to make the international trip. Since 2009, federal law requires that anyone crossing international lines carry a U.S. passport, a passport card or other documentation compliant with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. For more information, travelers can visit getyouhome.gov.
Some Notre Dame players said they won't travel to Juarez during the Sun Bowl.
Senior linebacker Brian Smith, 21, said he has read reports of stray bullets from Juarez making their way into El Paso, striking people there.
"I know I'm staying back. I won't be close to the border," Smith said. "I might be in the hotel room the whole time."
Junior defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore, 20, said staying away from the troubles in Juarez is just common sense.
"That's probably not the place you want to be at," Lewis-Moore said
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
