( CNN ) -- Texas authorities are urging residents not to cross into the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo during the Fourth of July weekend because of intelligence that a Mexican drug cartel plans to target U.S. citizens . The violent Zetas drug cartel , which operates in Nuevo Laredo , will be targeting crimes at Americans who cross the border into the city this weekend , the Texas Department of Public Safety and Webb County Sheriff 's Office said Saturday . `` According to the information we have received , the Zetas are planning a possible surge in criminal activity , such as robberies , extortions , car-jackings and vehicle theft , specifically against U.S. citizens , '' DPS Director Steven McCraw said in a statement . `` We urge U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Nuevo Laredo this weekend if it can be avoided . '' Nuevo Laredo is across the border from Laredo , Texas , a city which bills itself as the `` Gateway to Mexico . '' Four international bridges link Texas and Mexico at Laredo . An average of 11,000 trucks cross the border daily on those bridges . Besides , commerce , the bridges between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo also connect families who have relatives on both sides of the border . Nuevo Laredo , like most Mexican border cities , offers rows of bars , inexpensive dentists , restaurants and cultural events to draw tourists . But tourism has sharply declined in the past six years as drug cartel violence has spiraled in Mexico . Because of the various bridges into the United States and access to a major highway , Nuevo Laredo has been a turf contested by rival drug cartels . The Zetas are known for having expanded their activities in the area from drug trafficking to exortion , kidnapping and human smuggling . While the officials put out a warning for travel to Nuevo Laredo , they said there is no indication that this cartel criminal spree will crossover into the United States . Officials in Nuevo Laredo said they were not familiar with the Texas warning . `` We are on alert as usual , because that is how we must be in Nuevo Laredo , but there is no special alert here with regards to what the U.S. authorities in Texas are saying , '' said Michelle Jones-Salazar , spokeswoman for the state 's public prosecutor 's office in Nuevo Laredo . `` This week , there has not been a single gun battle that we have had to respond to or a single dead body . The city continues as usual and we remain vigilant . '' CNN 's Mariano Castillo and Nick Valencia contributed to this report .
NEW : Mexico officials say they are not on heightened alert . Tourism to Nuevo Laredo has been on the decline because of violence . The Zetas drug cartel is planning to target U.S. citizens , officials say . Nuevo Laredo , Mexico is across the border from Laredo , Texas .