Security Concerns

[lbassi]

Our friends who are going to join us going to Mazatlan later this month just called us saying that they have heard two stories that give them concern about security. The first is that there was a report that Federales (or others?)robbed some coaches and in other instances, someone(s) shot up a motorhome (supposedly more than one) and kidnapped the people. Can anyone shed any light on these reported incidences? Are they true? What part of Mexico did this occur in? When? Any and all info is welcomed as usual. Thanks. Larry

[anthony]

i heard a story about 2 canadian tourist in a motorhome that where killed around ensenada tijuana..... tijuana/rosarito/ensenada last year and now where very dangerous hot spots for tourists returning to the usa.... 99% of the victims where pulled over at night by suv's with cop lights on the roof... they would take everything and you simply had to walk out... it is my opinion that since the new president took charge and was cleaning house in all police departments that some bad police men thorught they might as well steal from the tourists driving back home..... when driving car/r.v. into mexico, always purchase a cellphone at the OOXO (7-11 store) so that you have instant communications...... when driving through towns and you spot a tow truck take down the phone number and store it on your cell phone. the mexico car permit or r.v. permit stick it on your windshield but on the tint area close to the top ( i always say the sticker placed behind the rear view mirror simply lets those bad people know your a tourist..... dont park overnight at a pemex gas station, simply google - mexico (town or city) trailer park.... there you will find an r.v. park to stay overnight. always bring along a gps handheld system so that you can see how far you have driven or how much longer to the next town...... if driving by car, every town has those drive-through motels, they have security and its almost like a small town home with a garage.. normally they charge 250 pesos to 350 pesos for 8 hours ... once you park in the garage your time starts untill you leave the place... you cant go to the store or fast food... so you have all your supplies with you so that you dont need anything ( they sell beer and alcohol and some of them even food...) i like using those since i dont have to unload my truck... i simply drive in and park. when ever at a gas station and someone asks where you are going, know a town that is around the corner...... make sure you check your tire psi in the morning and when ever you stop for gas. dont drive at night because if there is an accident on the highway you might not be able to avoid it....... mexico is a wonderfull place with a lot of great people and there are the 1% that are looking for a quick buck.... the idea is not to become a target....... mazatlan is nice and has had a couple of problems but not related to any tourist. and also use scotia bank for atm withdrawls, they dont charge any fees for your bank of america account holder in the usa... they might have other agreements with other banks.

[DoggoMex]

Hola Larry

You shouldn't be concerned about the Federales or other police forces. The bad guys are those who can even disguise and pretend they belong to the security forces.

In my opinion the first thing you have to do when traveling by car through Sinaloa (or Mexico, although many parts of the country are safe) is to get a cellphone and remember that the ones you will turn to in case of emergency are Secretaria de la Seguridad Publica (SSP) and the Policia Federal Preventiva (PFP). You will get transfered through by dialing 066 (emergency) and 088 (PFP). When you already have your cellphone in Mexico go to the first police officer you see and ask him about other possible numbers for the state your are in (at that moment) and for others you will travel in. If in emergency call and ask for English assistance.

Just one more thing to consider. Mexico receives about 21 million visitors a year, if you have heard about incidents after doing the math it may look a bit safer than it does with all those bad news and propaganda relating North Americans.

[anthony]

that happened in baja california around rosarito/ensenada area..
i would enter mexico through nogales truck route to avoid the city area and your on the highway as soon as you cross the U.S.A/MEXICO border.
you should be o.k.
i saw a lot of r.v.'s coming down to puerto vallarta last year.......

[HolyMole]

Those "drive-through motels" are primarily aimed at the "no-tell motel" trade, and the posted rates are often based on 1 or 2 hour occupancy. Personally, I need more sleep than that. But even if you can squeeze 8 hours, it doesn't sound very convenient. Most tourists drive down in winter, when there are fewer daylight hours. Since night-driving in Mexico is never a good idea if you can avoid it, that means checking-in to the motel by 7 pm....and it's not light again for another 11 or 12 hours.
I don't see the point of hiding the temporary vehicle import permit sticker behind tinted glass, when my British Columbia license plates stick out like a sore thumb.
We've driven perhaps 30,000 km in Mexico.....not a great deal, but enough to have experienced a couple of accidents, and having our car stolen in Zihuatanejo. Aside from all the "normal" roadblocks and security checks, I've only been pulled over once for no reason.....driving from Navajoa towards Alamos. I expected a shakedown, so advised my wife not to say anything in Spanish. When the cop realized we neither spoke nor understood one word of Spanish, he sent us on our way. Actually, I speak and understand Spanish fairly well, but he never did explain why he had stopped us, or try to extort any money from us. Later, discussing the incident with the hotel owner in Alamos, he thought it was more likely that the cop simply wanted to ensure that our 12 year old vehicle was legitimately owned by gringos (?)
As far as security in general.....I'm becoming very concerned. I'm one of those Canadians who have always been quick to offer the opinion that travelling in Mexico is much safer than travelling in Phoenix, Miami, etc. Until the last couple of years, that may actually have been the case. Lately, in the face of ever-increasing violence, apologists like me have resorted to pointing out that tourists are not the target of crime; "it's narco-traffickers killing each other, fighting for control of the drug trade." We even like to point out the totally-irrelevant fact that, without the insatiable hunger for drugs from north of the border, there would be far less violence in Mexico. Some long-time ex-pats will even insist that the level of violence has always been there....it's just getting more publicity now.
My concern is that the apparent total breakdown of law and order in some areas of the country will spread. I was alarmed last winter by the comment of a Mexican army general who said that he and his men were being sent to Michoacan and Guerrero by President Calderon "to restore sovereignty" in those areas.
The systematic attacks on police chiefs, rank-and-file police officers and their families, regular army personnel, judges, journalists, labour leaders.... even ranchero singers and musicians whose song lyrics are critical of the criminals....the infiltration of the narco-traffickers into the highest echelons of the "war on drugs", the alarming defection rate of police and armed forces personnel,....are these not the telltale signs of a society well on its way to achieving "failed state" status? Combine the above with a worldwide economic recession, rising unemployment, a huge segment of the population already living in poverty, and how long will it be before gringos.....tourists as well as full or part-time residents, all of whom are believed, rightly or wrongly, to be wealthy by Mexican standards...become easy targets for thugs with no fear of the police?
Alarmist nonsense? I hope so. But the current situation is sure giving pause to our plans to move permanently to Mexico.

[tepetapan]

I have been living in mexico going on 7 years and have had thousands of guests and tourists pass through our RV park and Villas and no one has ever told a story of violence. One or two a year get taken by a transit cop but , hey, that´s part of knowing how to deal with them and takes a bit of practice.
Don´t let the media reports fool you, the problems are in geographiclly small areas and not through out Mexico. The economy in Mexico, as a whole, is doing fine and will bear the worldwide slow down as a bump in the road. Reports are saying tourism is strong and hotel rooms are hard to come by in the resort areas.