UNM WARNS AGAINST TRAVEL TO JUAREZ

University of New Mexico officials advised students on Wednesday to
avoid Juarez and nearby areas because of the violence.

Richard Holder, deputy provost, cited the deaths of a University of
Texas at El Paso student and a former UTEP student on Sunday.

Alejandro Ruiz Salazar, 19, who attended UTEP, and Jorge Pedro
Gonzalez Quintero, 21, were chased down and shot dead Sunday south of
Juarez on the highway that links the border city with the town of
Villa Ahumada.

The number of slayings in Juarez since 2008 is nearing 5,300. More
than 1,000 people have been killed this year.

College students and professors in Juarez have fallen victim to the
drug cartel violence. UTEP officials said they believe Ruiz is the
first of their students killed in the drug war.