The FBI has issued an urgent warning for travelers to stay alert and stay safe as thousands of college students prepare to flock to sun-soaked beaches for spring break.
The message comes following the disappearance of 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student who vanished in the Dominican Republic.
The case has cast a shadow over the excitement of the usual spring break getaways. and federal agencies are now urging travelers to take extra precautions.
‘Whether it’s families looking to escape the final throes of winter or a college student seeking a brief respite from the rigors of academic life, know that the risks are there,’ said Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
‘Maintain vigilance throughout your travels and be prepared to contact the nearest US embassy or consulate should the need arise.’
The FBI, alongside the US State Department, is urging Americans heading abroad to remain vigilant, avoid traveling alone at night, use only authorized transportation, and be wary of strangers and scams.
‘Be wary of scams: Criminals abroad may use dating apps or other methods to lure victims into robbery or harm,’ the agency warned.
Konanki vanished in the early hours of March 6 in the Dominican Republic’s popular tourist town of Punta Cana. It saw authorities scour beaches, comb through hotel footage, and search the surrounding waters believing she may have drowned.
Her grieving parents have now asked authorities in the Dominican Republic to formally declare that she is dead.
A source with direct knowledge of the investigation told DailyMail.com Sudiksha’s family has accepted the ‘deeply painful’ reality that she won’t be found alive, 11 days after she vanished in the early hours of March 6 while on spring break in Punta Cana.
Her disappearance sparked an intense multi-agency search, despite authorities warning early on that she’d likely tragically drowned in the rough surf.
Days on, the US State Department is encouraging spring breakers to check travel advisories before heading abroad.
Countries under Level 4 warnings – such as parts of Mexico, Haiti, and Venezuela – are deemed too dangerous to visit due to crime, kidnappings, and political instability.
But even seemingly ‘safe’ destinations can pose risks.
Just last week, Turks and Caicos – one of the most popular spring break getaways -was issued a Level 2 travel advisory due to concerns over crime and the island’s harsh gun laws.
Even at home in the US there can be dangers lurking with fights and drunkenness common.
Florida in particular has seen spring break season has descend into chaos, as wild parties, violent clashes, and criminal activity unfold across its most popular beach destinations.
Miami Beach, a long-standing Spring Break getaway, is no longer the main choice for revelers as police continue to enforce strict rules, sending partygoers looking for alternative vacation spots in Florida.
In March alone there has been a shooting of the boardwalk in Daytona Beach, illegal cryptocurrency-backed boxing matches in Fort Lauderdale and a staggering wave of arrests along Volusia County beaches.
In Daytona Beach, hundreds of partygoers had descended on the beach, many lured there by social media influencer Strictly Ray.
But a 6pm curfew was ignored and then gunfire rang out on the crowded boardwalk leaving two people hit.
As authorities struggled to contain the mayhem in Daytona just down the coast in Fort Lauderdale, a shocking new trend emerged – illegal boxing matches, fueled by cryptocurrency betting.
What began as a few drunken dares escalated into full-fledged fight nights, where shirtless spring breakers beat each other to a pulp as a frenzied crowd waved cash and placed crypto bets on their phones.
Joshua Pettus, the man who recorded the video of the fight, lives nearby on a boat and was walking the beach when he saw a massive crowd forming.
‘I started hearing somebody taking bets, and they were doing it with crypto,’ Pettus told NBC 6 South Florida.
As soon as he heard this he took out his phone, started recorded and followed the people talking about making bets.
When he got closer, he said he saw ‘boxing gloves come out.’ The ring of students gradually swelled larger as the fight was set to kick off.
The video shot by Pettus shows a man hyping up the crowd before two other men put on the boxing gloves.
After touching gloves, the men began throwing frenzied punches at one another before one of them got knocked down.
Authorities have vowed to crack down on the illegal operation, warning that anyone caught participating could face criminal charges.
Staying in the Sunshine State, law enforcement across Volusia County in the east-central part of Florida, was waging an all-out war against spring break lawlessness.
Beaches once known for family vacations have been overtaken by drunk and disorderly crowds, leading to a staggering 82 arrests in a single weekend – 10 of them resulting in felony charges. Last year, in all of 2024 there were just 52 arrests.
Deputies have been patrolling the beaches in uniform and undercover in order to address issues such as underage drinking.
‘With massive crowds it’s hard to drive down here because you can see it gets very busy so what we’ll wind up doing is walking in and out of the cars just to see if we can find alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, things like that,’ Deputy Brett Kolterman told ClickOrlando.
‘We try to keep people spread out and as long as they’re minding their own business, we have no problem with you, it’s just once things start to go illegal that’s when we have an issue,’ Kolterman said.