Security issues in Guaymas, San Carlos and points south

We just returned from a non-rv trip to San Miguel de Allende. We took the usual route; hwy 85 south to Linares and then over the mountains to San Roberto, down hwy 57 and exited to Los Rodriguez.

We took my little brother, who for the first time has traveled internationally and is afraid of flying. He flew to Monterrey with a thought-filled mind from his friends and family. You'll get kidnapped, robbed, and bribed.

Just arriving back to the house an hour ago, this guy who hasn't traveled in his life said he would love to move to Mexico. Last week, I took him to see Monterrey, and this week more touring.

He said he can't believe how friendly the police and military are. He waved to just about everyone. Not a word of Spanish and he said it was unbelievable how incredible SMA, Dolores Hidalgo, Monterrey, and all in between are so wonderful.

I think he is over his fear. :)

I'm hoping I finish work for good in December and we will hit the road for longer periods.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO, and use common sense.

You just said it all. Thank you!

I’ve been to Mexico a few times and have never felt threatened. However, things seem to be changing for the worst.

According to USA Today, Mexico has 12 of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world, including the deadliest. This is based on the # of homicides per 100,000 people. Yeah, the USA has some on the list, but none that I would consider a tourist destination. Well, some may consider New Orleans a tourist destination, but its seedy reputation, its a tourist destination for all the wrong reasons.

The scary thing about the dangerous cities in Mexico is the include what are, or were, tourist destinations. This includes Los Cabo’s (#1!) and Acapulco.

Mexicowanderer, your chart certainly shows a lot of crimes. But, while no crime is good, most of these are not violent crimes. In Los Cabo’s, there is one murder PER DAY! Is there a similar chart for Mexican cities?

So, while I agree that you must always be cautious and some will feel more comfortable than others, I feel navigator is a little off base stating traveling in the USA is more dangerous than traveling in Mexico.

Wanna know what I truly fear in Mexico?

Suddenly seeing THIS through my windshield...

Señor jfkmk you read in a news paper USA today some report and they gave statistics of how bad some cities in Mexico are, that same news paper will report on another country with statistics that will show how bad a different city in another part of the world is, statistically speaking I can manipulate any data to show what I want you to read, many reporters think that they have the correct data and it is "enhansed" to sell the story.

I have been present at a news conference with the actual data and correct figures, that correct information was given by the Chiefs to the reporters present at the news briefing and what was printed was totally different.

There are some in this forum that live, travel or have business in. Mexico that try to get the correct information to those that want to travel to Mexico in a safe enjoyable manner, yes Acapulco is not goodd for any turista, not even for Mexicans, the problem with Los Cabos again are the narcos, do you know how desolate some of those beaches are? Perfect landing areas for the semi-submerged narco submarines to bring the product and transfer to pangas, the Mexican Navy has intercepted hundrds of pangas going out to sea with plastic containers with fuel and bails of mariguana for the subs to return to Colombia and where do the narcos want to live?

Los Cabos of course

Every cartel wants a piece of the action, either take the product up to Tijuana or transfer it to the main land, shorter route by land to the border and bypass most of the Armies check points, there are also a lot of dirt landing strips in Baja in the middle of no where, perfect for evading the radar blimp in Arizona.

navegator

Bottom line
How many tourists have been hurt? What were they doing?

Answer: Two bicylist's from Europe whose schedule prior to the incident included two murky days in a bad section of a city

One San Diego resident in Ixtapa, hanging out at a sleazy resident's bar of ill repute until 4:00 AM

Tens of thousands of visitors, Fly-In, drive in, float-in, and the above is it, the bottom line for a full year?

The issue really shouldn't be worthy of discussion.

navegator wrote:
Señor jfkmk you read in a news paper USA today some report and they gave statistics of how bad some cities in Mexico are, that same news paper will report on another country with statistics that will show how bad a different city in another part of the world is, statistically speaking I can manipulate any data to show what I want you to read, many reporters think that they have the correct data and it is "enhansed" to sell the story.

I have been present at a news conference with the actual data and correct figures, that correct information was given by the Chiefs to the reporters present at the news briefing and what was printed was totally different.

There are some in this forum that live, travel or have business in. Mexico that try to get the correct information to those that want to travel to Mexico in a safe enjoyable manner, yes Acapulco is not goodd for any turista, not even for Mexicans, the problem with Los Cabos again are the narcos, do you know how desolate some of those beaches are? Perfect landing areas for the semi-submerged narco submarines to bring the product and transfer to pangas, the Mexican Navy has intercepted hundrds of pangas going out to sea with plastic containers with fuel and bails of mariguana for the subs to return to Colombia and where do the narcos want to live?

Los Cabos of course

Every cartel wants a piece of the action, either take the product up to Tijuana or transfer it to the main land, shorter route by land to the border and bypass most of the Armies check points, there are also a lot of dirt landing strips in Baja in the middle of no where, perfect for evading the radar blimp in Arizona.

navegator

With all due respect, the article quoted is just one example of many, and was very specific to quoting homicides by city. I didn’t have the time to list each article talking about crime rates in Mexico.

Mexico is still one of the safer tourist destinations. I enjoyed my visits there, but with the bump in crime rates, especially this year, and the associated travel warnings, I’ll wait to go back until things improve.

As for drug cartels not targeting tourists, I don’t want to be around that either. A murder is a murder, I don’t want to be near it and don’t really care that I wasn’t the target.

Thanks for your input!

For tourists the cartels are not the problem. They are after bigger fish. It is the low level wanabees. That is who does the car jackings, bus robberies and car thefts. Highway 15 from near Santa Anna to almost HMO is a big problem. They do not care if you are a local or a Foreigner.

Moisheh

I hate to kick a dead horse, but living nearby, here's the scoop on the "San Diego resident who was killed in Ixtapa."

That's how it was reported in the states, but if you followed it in the LA Times, you found out that he worked in Oceanside, California and lived in Tijuana, so he knew what he was doing.

He was shot running out of a bar in Ixtapa. He had been in the bar earlier, hired a female companion, and when in his room, she tried to rob him. He went back to the bar where he hired her, talked to her "boss" and demanded things. He ran out of the bar and was shot and killed. It's still a dead US citizen, tourist? Maybe, but doing incredibly stupid stuff. Yes, the shooter was jailed, I don't feel like looking up the rest of the details.

See all the "capillas" on the roadside down here? Testimonials perhaps to beloved Juan who almost passed the eleventh car straight on that foggy night back in enero

Or Gancho who swore up and down it was safer for him to drive at night because he could see oncoming headlights further away. The other victim believed the same thing.

"Hey guys! Let's go score a Kilo!" Famous last worlds of many youngsters who were lucky. They actually paid for and got their wish but did not count on the seller meeting their obligation to the local cops by throwing them a bone. A three or four person bust could be counted on to generate twenty grand from their families.

None of this is "normal" yet USA newspapers insist on censoring out relevant details that would clearly depict the "tourist" as being screwier than a ****house rat.

At Playa Dorada some people arrived in a tent trailer. The next morning the marines were in their camp. A bale of marijuana had washed up on the beach and the marines had staked out an ambush. The new people had long hair, beards and tattoos. Instead of gazing at the bale, they had whacked off clumps of it and had taken them back to camp. When I had walked to within fifty feet a marina stopped me. "Do you esmoke marijuana?" I shook my head. I then asked an intentionally stupid question...

"Are these people dangerous?"

"Oh yes. They are marijuanos"

The reality was they were hippies who thought they had lucked-out and fallen into high-clover.

I pointed back to my camp
"I came here to fish but now I am worried. I think I will leave".

Cops and the military are incredibly polite to what they deem as tourists. I have had the federal police arrive at high mountain camps and act curious. "Have you ever seen the inside of a casarodante?" I invited them inside for a three minute tour. They actually enjoyed seeing what a rig consisted of and shook my hand all smiles before they departed.

Magazines can set cops off. Guns & Ammo and High Times do not belong in Mexico. if you are legit rolling your own cigarettes of tobacco. Keep your rolling papers by the can of tobacco.

USA pill bottles that have the Rx label are exempt from suspicion. Mexican hypnotics are rarely question but by law to be entirely legal boxes of Xanax or Valium need a xerox copy of a Mexican doctor's Rx and preferably a sales receipt.

It may seem corny but if a police or military patrol happens upon my remote camp I take the time to (gently!) shake the hand of each and every one of them and ask Agua? Coca? Some will say no, many will say yes. Most will take the time on future patrols to buzz on by to make sure I am OK. The new breed of police and military love to be treated (acknowledged) as being normal and appreciated.