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As college students gear up for fun in the sun, the highest law enforcement agency in Texas warns against Mexico.

For many spring breakers, the worst case scenario is usually an embarrassing stint on Girls Gone Wild or MTV’s gag reel. But in a report released this week, the Texas Department of Public Safety has warned students with Mexico on their mind of more serious dangers, reports USA Today.  

"The situation in Mexico today is significantly different than it was just a decade ago," Steven McCraw, director of Texas’ highest law enforcement agency, told USA Today. "Many crimes against Americans in Mexico go unpunished, and we have a responsibility to inform the public about safety and travel risks and threats. Based on the unpredictable nature of cartel violence and other criminal elements, we are urging individuals to avoid travel to Mexico at this time."

Last month, the U.S. State Department issued an updated travel warning on Mexico, cautioning against travel in partial regions but differentiating between problem areas and popular tourist attractions like Cancún, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta. Nevertheless, both reports indicate that "rape and sexual assault continue to be serious problems in resort areas."

Such reports can come as a hard knock to Mexico’s tourism industry, as American vacationers account for approximately 60% of foreign visitors in the country. One third of these travelers either live in Texas or fly through the state to get to Mexico.

Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, CEO of the Mexican Tourism Board, compared the two reports and described the Texas announcement as "outrageous and exceptionally aggressive" to USA Today. "The message it sends is that Mexico is an enemy, not a friend."

That message may have already been sent by many Americans, however. In 2011, only 5.7 million Americans visited Mexico, a decrease of 3% compared to 2010. But the reported number of Americans murdered in Mexico increased from 35 in 2007 to 120 in 2011.

As far as reality TV goes, that’s not much to laugh about.