Airline passengers on guard after worldwide travel alert issued for US citizens going overseas
MIAMI — Travelers at Miami International Airport tell CBS News Miami that they are on guard and alert after the U.S. State Department issued a worldwide travel alert for U.S. citizens going overseas.
The State Department had said it's concerned about heightened tensions and the possibility of violence against Americans. This happens as thousands of people have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war since October 7.
The State Department urges travelers to stay alert at locations frequented by tourists and enroll in SMART — the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program — to receive information and alerts, which will also make it easier for you to be located in case of an emergency. And, follow the State Department on Facebook and Twitter.
"Keep your eyes open and have eyes in the back of your head and know what is around you," Debbie Payne of Fort Worth, Texas told CBS News MIami's Peter D'Oench.
"I feel like people are taking this port unity to do anything they can right now. Right now as you travel, keep your eyes open and be aware of where you are at all times," added Payne's daughter Sarah. "Also, follow your local and federal governments on social media and do what they are telling you to do."
CBS News Miami also caught up with Marie and Garth Been of Delray Beach before they boarded a flight to London.
"They should be aware and look around, but what else can you do though?" Garth Been said. "This will not stop us from going on vacation."
"Always be on your guard. Always be careful. Don't take unnecessary risks," Marie Been said. "This is all we can do to be careful."
"With things going on overseas, I am concerned. The safety of everyone, that is what concerns me the most, the safety of people, the safety of people going back and forth," Cheryl Reeves of Cleveland, Ohio, said. "Watch your back. Watch your surroundings. That is what I always do, watch my surroundings."
"I am very concerned," Former F.B.I. Agent Stuart Kaplan said. "People need to be extremely careful. I can not over-emphasize that. The problem is that when you are in another country, you are a target because you stick out."
