A gun battle in Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), Mexico, prompted the U.S. State Department to caution Americans this week about taking care while visiting the border beach town.
The consulate in Nogales reported that a series of attacks have occurred in the normally idyllic town. A home invasion and an assault severely injured one U-S citizen. In a recent case, vacationers were held at gunpoint and a woman was sexually assaulted. Then on July 19, a gunbattle between members of a drug gang left six people dead, including a police officer. The shootout happened downtown in the middle of the day.
Kurt Geisler is a realtor who lives in Rocky Point. He predicts the warning won’t have much impact on tourism to Rocky Point.
"Absolutely not. A few years back, things like this did impact but people have gotten used to hearing the negative comments and our tourism is up this year already about 30 percent over last year,” he said.
The warden message was an update to an official State Department warning that included Rocky Point sent out earlier this year.
The small town was first added to travel warnings in 2011.