Citing violence in certain parts of Mexico, the U.S. State Department is urging Americans to be cautious when traveling south of the border.

The public announcement, which is in effect until March, singles out Nuevo Laredo in the state of Tamaulipas as a city that is particularly violent.

"U.S. citizens residing and traveling in Mexico should exercise extreme caution when in unfamiliar areas," the announcement states in part. And while there is no evidence U.S. citizens are being targeted, some have been victims of random shootings on highways outside Nuevo Laredo, Mexico City and Tijuana, the department reports.

Raul Carrasco of Mexico Getaway Tours & Travel in Tucson, said that while violent incidents have rocked some areas, it is still safe to travel to the country.

"They generalize the whole county as being violent, and it's not so," he said of the government's Web site posting.

Like most of Mexico, the neighboring state of Sonora has not been affected by increasing violence, Carrasco stressed.

Sonora continues to lure Tucsonans to well-known tourism areas, including Puerto Penasco, he said. "People should not be afraid to travel there," Carrasco added. "On the northern part of Mexico there's no problem."

On its Web Site, the State Department states that 1,500 people have died in drug-related violence. It includes both Mexican and U.S. citizens as victims of homicide and kidnappings.

The department urged Americans to stay on main roads, to travel during the day, and to stay in well-known tourist areas.

Mexican officials could not be reached to comment late Friday.