Years ago, because I work for the government, they decided I needed to be briefed before a dive trip to Mexico.. Granted, we were staying on the Caribbean coast, which is traditionally safer than the Pacific coast, although things are picking up on the Caribbean side..
During my "briefing", the enlisted safety guy told me that, yes, lotta drug wars and stuff going on in Mexico and you do NOT wanna be at the wrong place at the wrong time.. but, generally, he told me that the drug lords NEED tourist dollars in Mexico in order to launder the drug money they pull in, so they don't openly look for tourists to attack.. if they did, tourists wouldn't go to Mexico and no more money laundering..
.. but things do happen, unfortunately.. wrong place, wrong time things do happen accidentally.. My point, tho, is that tourists are not be targeted by drug gangs because they need tourist dollars/pesos... So, as long as he doesn't go off and look for trouble, he should be ok...
Friendship is like peeing your pants.. Everybody can see it, but only you can feel the warmth..