Florida State students held with ‘rifles in their faces’ during spring break trip to Mexico: report

Related video: Florida attorney general issues spring break warning

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The father of a Florida State University student is saying his 20-year-old daughter and her two classmates were held at gunpoint while on a spring break trip to Cancun, Mexico, Fox News reported Thursday.

“I researched it before they went there,” he said. “It was a safe place to go.”

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The three girls reportedly traveled to Ocean Dream Cancun by Guru Hotel, but on the first day of their trip, they were held with “rifles in their faces” by four individuals dressed in camo and police gear their father said.

“You can go to the airport and leave the country before going to get your belongings. Or you can go to jail, and it won’t be comfortable,” the father said his daughter was told. “Or you can each give us $300 apiece.”

Fox News reports the girls paid over $900 to the robbers and reported that other spring breakers have shared similar experiences.

Earlier this month, Texas state officials urged residents to avoid travel to Mexico during spring break, saying “drug cartel violence and other criminal violence” was a significant threat, according to NBC News.

On Feb. 26, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a notice to potential spring break travelers saying “crime can occur anywhere in Mexico, including in popular tourist destinations,” and noted travelers should be on alert for dangerous situations when traveling to Mexico.

Despite the warning, the U.S. Department of State only lists six Mexican states under a “Do Not Travel” advisory: Colima state, Guerrero state, Michoacan state, Sinaloa state, Tamaulipas state, and Zacatecas state.

Popular tourist destinations such as Cabo San Lucas and Cancun are under a “Exercise Increased Caution” advisory.

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