The U.S. government says Mexico's bloody drug war is a growing threat to tourists. Now, as college students start planning their spring breaks, the U.S. State Department has a new warning about traveling to Mexico.

This is the image Mexico wants American tourists to see: beautiful beaches, party time!

But recently, this is more the reality: a drug war that is spiraling out of control.

One college student said "I've heard it's pretty violent."

College students planning for spring break are taking notice.

Another college student, Julie Harrison, said "I would avoid going to Mexico most likely because of that. I wouldn't want to be caught up in that. There is a lot of violence going on."

In Mexican border cities in just the past week, a police chief quit after drug gangs started killing police officers, gunmen opened fire on a governor's convoy, killing a bodyguard, and 10 people died in a 4-hour shootout involving grenades and bazookas.

In a travel advisory issued just last week, the U.S. State Department warns, "large fire fights have taken place in many towns and cities across Mexico.  During some of these incidents, U.S. citizens have been trapped."

But travel agents say most tourist towns like Cancun are still popular.

Travel agent Terry Denton says "you have to make a distinction between the border incidents that are going on and the places like Playacar, Cancun, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, which are exceedingly safe."