We traveled to Rocky Point on Saturday 6/22 and immediately after crossing were told to pull over for an "inspection" by Mexican officials with machine guns. They had me and my family [two kids in the car] get out and stand behind the car while one guard watched us and one went around the car, open each door and "inspected it". Sure enough when we got back in, they had stolen $200 dollars out of the car. It was in my moms purse and in the surprise of getting pulled over we didn't think to take out our purses. We have been coming down 3 times a year for about the past 5 years and never had anything like this happen. Needless to say I'm very scared to come back, it really shook me up. Anyone else have a similar experience or advice?
I was stopped bythem right before the US border heading back home, they made me get out but I told my wife to stay in the car with our 2 young children. They looked inside and made me open my cooler and one suitcase from the bed of the truck and then sent us on our way. I thought it was very odd.
Seagal, it’s sort of like leaving your purse at the gas station. Whoever finds it might or might not be tempted by the $200 inside. But . . . that's the risk of leaving a purse at, say, a gas station.
Ckyevanjay, it’s not odd at all. Random stops south of the border heading northward have been going on for years. Only those with contraband need be nervous.
This report of cash being taken from purses has been noted in other sites. Last Friday as I went by the inspection, they had pulled aside a car with a young couple. I stopped and advised the woman to get her purse. I said there had been issues reported. She chose to ignore the warning and leave her purse in the car but the Mexican officials looked at me and took note of what I had said.
This report of cash being taken from purses has been noted in other sites. Last Friday as I went by the inspection, they had pulled aside a car with a young couple. I stopped and advised the woman to get her purse. I said there had been issues reported. She chose to ignore the warning and leave her purse in the car but the Mexican officials looked at me and took note of what I had said.
I know, I never should have left it in there but I guess I was surprised. I've never been stopped going into MX before...... only going out.
"I've never been stopped going into MX before...... only going out."
Just got stopped heading southward today. While one guy inspected, we had a fun conversation with the other guy. Every so often over the years, they have had military personnel do inspections / inquiries.
(By the way, what was really odd is that at 1:00 PM . . . on a Thursday . . . noticed northbound traffic on the other side was backed up to the "Wendy's Sign," which is usually about a 45 minute wait. )
I was stopped when leaving yesterday. The soldier went through my entire vehicle. Had nothing of value in the car. Have experienced this in the past so was not too surprised. Did not search me. Took my driver's license and recorded my name. First time for that.
They drank all the beer I had in the refrigerator while "inspecting my boat" at Benjamin Hill one trip. Thought they were down in the cabin for awhile. They were kind enough to put the empty Pacifico bottles back in the fridge.
This is not good. The author of this is widely read and Google has picked up the story.
Mordida by street cops is well known. The problem here is this tells tourists the people at the police station are now in on the corruption action. This then begs the big question: if we can't trust the people at the police station, where do we go with big issues....crime reports, recovery of stolen property, etc ?
I went down few weeks ago and got stopped by a cop waiting behind a bush by a stop sign said I blew the sign. Tried to shake me for 60 but gave him 30$ he went back to bush. I would have went to station buy had 5 cars following me. They still crooked as always
Got the military exit inspection on the way out. They are looking for any money you have that is not in your pocket. They will also steal from you and say items are not allowed, so they can pocket your belongings. Don't even associate these thugs with the U.S. Military, they are scum. People need to know these asshats are stealing while they keep you occupied. They told me that my Big5 binoculars were not allowed in Mexico, I told him they were cheap and to put them back. When he found my change cup in the kitchen cabinet, he pulled it out and showed his thug buddy. I got the usual secondary refrigerator inspection on the US side and was told they get lots of recent complaints about the Mexican Army stealing but nothing on this side can be done about it, how true. So gotta take the bad with the good.
This is not good. The author of this is widely read and Google has picked up the story.
Mordida by street cops is well known. The problem here is this tells tourists the people at the police station are now in on the corruption action. This then begs the big question: if we can't trust the people at the police station, where do we go with big issues....crime reports, recovery of stolen property, etc ?
Got the military exit inspection on the way out. They are looking for any money you have that is not in your pocket. They will also steal from you and say items are not allowed, so they can pocket your belongings. Don't even associate these thugs with the U.S. Military, they are scum. People need to know these asshats are stealing while they keep you occupied. They told me that my Big5 binoculars were not allowed in Mexico, I told him they were cheap and to put them back. When he found my change cup in the kitchen cabinet, he pulled it out and showed his thug buddy. I got the usual secondary refrigerator inspection on the US side and was told they get lots of recent complaints about the Mexican Army stealing but nothing on this side can be done about it, how true. So gotta take the bad with the good.
I received a copy of this email someone recently received from the US Consulate after making a complaint regarding the theft of items during searches at the Lukeville port of entry. It's anyone's guess if anything will be done.
"The Consulate in Nogales has recently received reports from U.S. citizens about Mexican authorities conducting searches of American citizens as they enter and exit Sonoyta, Mexico. The Consulate recommends that American citizens obey all Mexican laws and comply with the directions given to them by Mexican authorities while they are traveling or residing in Mexico. American citizens can contact the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit at NogalesACS@state.gov to report any issues associated with the searches and to request from us an Affidavit of Mistreatment. If you wish to fill out an Affidavit of Mistreatment, please try to collect in a very polite manner as much information as possible about the individuals conducting the search, including their names, the name of the Mexican authority they represent, and the numbers visible on their official vehicles. Please include these important details when you fill out the Affidavit, send it back to NogalesACS@state.gov, and we will file it with the Mexican authorities.
The Consulate has raised the reported increase in searches in Sonoyta with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and appreciates your email."
I received a copy of this email someone recently received from the US Consulate after making a complaint regarding the theft of items during searches at the Lukeville port of entry. It's anyone's guess if anything will be done.
"The Consulate in Nogales has recently received reports from U.S. citizens about Mexican authorities conducting searches of American citizens as they enter and exit Sonoyta, Mexico. The Consulate recommends that American citizens obey all Mexican laws and comply with the directions given to them by Mexican authorities while they are traveling or residing in Mexico. American citizens can contact the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit at NogalesACS@state.gov to report any issues associated with the searches and to request from us an Affidavit of Mistreatment. If you wish to fill out an Affidavit of Mistreatment, please try to collect in a very polite manner as much information as possible about the individuals conducting the search, including their names, the name of the Mexican authority they represent, and the numbers visible on their official vehicles. Please include these important details when you fill out the Affidavit, send it back to NogalesACS@state.gov, and we will file it with the Mexican authorities.
The Consulate has raised the reported increase in searches in Sonoyta with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and appreciates your email."
OMG! Why didn't anyone think of reporting this to the proper authorities? Haha!
That was a fake checkpoint. This happens a lot in Mexico where the cartels pretend to be police/army/etc. Sometimes they don't even use the police clothes.
My advise is don't slow down and don't stop.. they aren't issued ammunition anyhow.
That's the dumbest F#@king advice I've heard recently. Ask Jerry how that turned out for some of his friends down by Santo Tomas. My girlfriend and I had to drive home after the Boo Bar Poker Run February 5th 2018. We left the Boo Bar awards ceremony at about 730 I believe we were on the road by 8pm... I want to say it was about 8:30pm when we were on decent of that little hill where the 1990's Narco deal gone bad shrine is if everyone is familiar with that, just a few miles past the River Sonoyta and Pinacate ranger stations on the North side of the highway. Anyways, after we got up and over that little knoll where that shrine is I could see a light a mile or so ahead in the distance. I could tell it wasn't oncoming headlights so naturally I started wondering what the hell it was. GF was asleep but as I got closer and started slowing down I could tell it was some kind of checkpoint. It ended up being a FEDERAL Police office or at least someone dressed as a FEDERALE with a flashlight. He was waiving the flashlight at me just like a traffic controller on an airway tarmac. They had cones set up and a car was on the side of the road with the trunk popped open.
Best thing to do in these situations is just keep calm and do as instructed. Be polite. 99.99999% of the time this has absolutely nothing to do with you. Just play the game, win and go on with your life. February 5th was a Monday so this was a random Monday night in the middle of the desert at about 830pm. Pulled up, rolled down the window. Guy goes, where are you headed, YO DIJE, "Phoenix". Guy asks me for my license, I provided it. He looks at it real quick and says Buenas noches... Pulling away, my now awake GF says WTF was that about and I go, NARCO activity. A scheduled shipment was pry headed through and this guy needed a piece of the game. His share. Nothing more, nothing less.
Don't try and be some hero and think you're going to blow through some checkpoint in the middle of the desert at night and not think there very well could be negative consequence. Just 10 trips per year for the last 13 years and many more before that with a lot of experience driving at night and all hours of the day ADVICE. I don't drive at night as much as we used to when we were young and invincible but every now and then we still do to maximize the amount of time we can spend in RP... Just be cool.
As for one of the other comments from Joan C. Pretty sure the C stands for cheerleader. Complete shocker JOAN.... I guess that would be the first time the cops were ever in on the take in Mexico... SMH They are NOT all like that but does it happen?! Only the naive ones think that they're all good...
Read this article today from the Associated Press about Bagdad, Mexico. The Eastern most part of the border where the Rio Grande meets the sea. In the article the community is complaining about a National Guard checkpoint like the one we have in Sonoyta just before the border. The article in principle is NOT about the National Guard.
"The only official presence is a sandbag guard post on the highway between Playa Bagdad and Matamoros, although locals protested at the post this month, saying it was only used to demand bribes. For Álvarez, "the Guard" doesn't mean President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's National Guard either. Instead it means "former soldiers, marines and police who report to the gangs."
I just thought the comment was relevant and insightful to this discussion and the NG check at POE Sonoyta/Lukeville. Even if the comment was only partly true it helps to understand why this behavior is happening for some at our crossing. I personally haven't had any issue with them. They did check my jet ski registration at 1030pm one night coming in to Mexico and then wanted me to turn my truck off and get out but once the guy saw I had a hand control and that I had to get my walker out of the back of the truck he just said GOOD NIGHT! And off we went.
We have encountered the secondary inspection last year while heading down to RP. Our money wasn't stolen as it was on us but they did thoroughly go through our truck.
We will be going down at the end of the month with several friends for my 40th. Some of which have never been to RP before.
Yes it's still there, they stop random cars, but I've seen mostly cars with females being targeted.
Just my observation while waiting to cross into the US.
I've never been stopped over the past 3 years of crossing.
My wife has been stopped with my 2 teenage girls, they made everyone get out of the car along with
our 3 cats traveling with them. It was a hectic 5 minutes for them.
Yes it's still there, they stop random cars, but I've seen mostly cars with females being targeted.
Just my observation while waiting to cross into the US.
I've never been stopped over the past 3 years of crossing.
My wife has been stopped with my 2 teenage girls, they made everyone get out of the car along with
our 3 cats traveling with them. It was a hectic 5 minutes for them.
Wonder why they're only targeting women?! LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL complete shocker. I actually told my girlfriend this trip that I think those Mexican National Guard troops are reading the forum because now the stop sign/checkpoint thing that I have been telling people to go through looks a lot more formal now and they are definitely manning it. Although, we got the wave through going South and then again going North a couple of days later. I don't even bother rolling down my window or showing any kinds of non verbal body language towards those guys. If they want me to stop I make them tell me. I dont volunteer by asking or showing any interest other than driving right by them.