The U.S. government is warning Americans that travel to Colombia remains dangerous despite a decrease in violence around most urban centers.
In an updated travel warning, the State Department says violence by narco-terrorist groups and other criminal elements continues to affect all parts of the country.
It says violence has dropped markedly in many cities, specifically mentioning Bogota, Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena.
But it says Cali and much of rural Colombia remain extremely dangerous because of the drug trade and fighting between insurgents, drug traffickers and government forces.
On Tuesday, Colombian authorities arrested two U.S. soldiers suspected of smuggling weapons to right-wing paramilitary groups.
The United States has several hundred troops in Colombia to provide support for local authorities.