Changes @ KM21 and other border areas.

[moisheh]

By Murphy Woodhouse
Nogales International | 0 comments





The Mexican government has closed its customs checkpoint on Highway 15 south of Nogales, Sonora, eliminating a second layer of inspection at the border that President Enrique Peña Nieto said had become unnecessary and cumbersome.

For southbound commercial and tourist vehicle traffic, the closure of the Agua Zarca checkpoint will likely mean shorter wait times for those headed south to Hermosillo and beyond. Immigration services at the facility, commonly known as Kilometer 21, will be unaffected.

Miguel Pacheco, owner of Nogales-based USA-Mex-Can Transport, said that the change will speed up the truckloads of heavy machinery his company takes into Mexico up to five times daily during peak months.

“It’s going to be really good because there will be no more delays at Kilometer 21,” he said.

According to Pacheco, those delays lasted up to two hours, on top of crossing delays near the border, depending on “how many trucks are to be inspected.”

Two other interior Sonoran checkpoints, Cabullona south of Agua Prieta and San Antonio near Imuris, were also closed, as well six others in in the border states of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas, according to an announcement Friday by Peña Nieto.

“Today we arrived at the last stage, the last step toward closing the last checkpoints that have no reason to be and which will make travel much faster, more comfortable and safer for those who previously had to pass through customs checkpoints,” the president said during a speech in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.

The checkpoints are run by the Mexico’s Tax Administration Service (SAT), the federal agency tasked with enforcing the country’s customs laws.

Mexican customs revisions at the border itself – including those immediately south of the Dennis DeConcini and Mariposa ports of entry – are not affected by the change and travellers will still have to pass through them.

Also unchanged is the requirement that foreign travelers heading south of Kilometer 21 must obtain a tourist permit from Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM). Those who don’t pick up a permit at the INM office on the south side on the DeConcini port can still apply at the office at Kilometer 21, according to INM Nogales delegate Carla Veronica Vazquez.

“Independently of the fact that there will no longer be a customs inspection, foreigners and nationals of other countries must come to the migration office to get documented,” she said.

Vazquez said that she had received no word that indicated that the president’s announcement will affect her agency’s work south of Nogales.

“As of right now, we have not received any other instruction,” she said. “We will remain at Kilometer 21 issuing permits to foreigners and nationals of the United States or any other country.”

Vazquez said that Banjercito, the agency that issues vehicle import permits for drivers traveling outside of Sonora’s permit-free zone, will also continue its operations at Kilometer 21. A woman who answered the phone Friday at Banjercito’s Agua Zarca office also said operations there remain unchanged.

In a speech in May in Cancun announcing the closure of several customs checkpoints in Southern Mexico, Peña Nieto said the days of drivers being “daily bothered by having to pass through (interior) customs checkpoints” are over. According to a news release posted Friday on the SAT website, 26 of the nation's 40 interior customs checkpoints have now been eliminated since Peña Nieto took office in 2012.

On Friday in Reynosa, Peña Nieto also announced the lifting of a $14,000 cap on monthly U.S. dollar deposits from border-area Mexican businesses, an anti-money laundering measure that had been in place since 2010.


The article may seem confusing. All that has happened is that there will be no more red or green lights and inspections @ KM21.

Moisheh

[Canadian_Rainbi]

moisheh wrote:
This type of corruption happens at KM21 in Sonora all the time. Only it is Mexicans who are the victims. In every town and village in Sonora there are local residents with second hand stores. Most of the goods come from yard sales in Tucson and beyond. Typically the owner of the store travels to AZ every week. He will usually have a 1/2 ton and maybe a trailer. When he gets to 21 the vehicles are loaded as high as is legally possible. Every nook and cranny is filled with goodies: furniture, appliances, clothing, small appliances and more. One of the aduaneros will examine the list of goods and come out to inspect the goods. At this point the driver is given a choice: Pay a "fee" to the audanero and carry on or unload the truck and trailer so the goods can be examined. The driver usually takes option one. Cost is between $100 and $150 usd. Option 2 is a disaster. At least 4 hours and the goods are scattered all over the parking lot. I have been told( not verified) that there is a system similar to tips in a restaurant. All of the "fees" are pooled with the shift boss taking the biggest share. Great business model.

Moisheh

Happened this summer to a good friend, a Permanent Resident of Mexico. Returning to Mazatlan from Canada with a used vehicle to import, filled with personal belongings from his storage locker, was told he had to completely empty the vehicle so that it (the vehicle) could be inspected for the importation. With the assistance of his broker and $100.00 UDS to the head of Aduana, he managed to not have to do that, nevertheless, he cleared Km 21 AT 3:00PM, having arrived at 8:30 AM. :h :S Needlss to say, he didn't make Maz that day!

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Get your hands on a movie

La Ley de Herodes

North of the border the movie has subtitles and is dubbed in Ingles if you wish. A bus driver played his "special VCR tape" for me as a solo passenger in a passage between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.

Few times in my life have I ever laughed harder. This is humor-negro as only Mexicanos can do it. The movie won awards. Every bit as funny but a hell of a lot more ironic than Blazing Saddles. It rips corruption right to the core. Translated, gringos will understand this movie perfectly. It remains one of the top three of my favorite movies.

[navegator]

I am just stating that there is corruption every where you go in the world in one form or another, every country has some in some form or method.

Cooperar pal refresco jefe.
Como nos arreglamos jefe?

Those few words are the most common words to indicate that the person is willing to make a deal for some money in Mexico.

Asi es la vida patron.

navegator



navegator

[qtla9111]

navegator wrote:
To answer Mr: qtlla9111.

The official fee for unloading and loading the trailer is $320.00 US Dollars and that is only paid at the border if the Mexican customs requests it, once the seals are attached, the trailer box should not be opened until it arrives at the destination.

The contents of the trailer were inspected at the border both by the US customs and then the Mexican customs the driver had a detailed inventory and documents that the Mexican Consulate provided for the transpertation into Mexico and the trailer doors were sealed, in the Resguardo Aduanal South of Sonoyta, they stoped the trailer and removed the seals, opened the doors and asked for money to let the rig continue nothing was unloaded and nothing was touched.

They asked for $170.00 US Dollars deposited into a private debit card at the local Oxxo, the driver stayed with the trailer, he can not go out of the customs compound and NO HE DID NOT PARTICIPATE in the extorsion, our neece's husband's family have a company that has trailers and asked the company that transported ower furniture if the driver could have asked for a bribe , that is forbiden and the driver can loose his job, the company is reputable and honest, the seals where not on the doors.

The Garita Aduanal South of Sonoyta has been a thorn in the comerce for quite some time we have a friend that works for a maquiladora tha transports goods from theire factory in Tijuana to the one in Guadaljara and he has to drive from Tijuana to Sonyta at least once a week to give the Aduaneros a bribe, the company places the brbes under cost of doing buisness.

A number of persons that post here have complained about this particular Aduana.

For Mr: iguana07

Spain emtyed the dungeons of all criminals and sent them to the new world as conquistadores, cheaper than to house them in spain, the bribes came with them and have not stoped.

navegator

I understand what you're saying, loud and clear. My position is that you paid them off. Corruption is a two-way street. It's your choice but don't blame Mexico and paint the whole country with a wide brush.

American ex-pats love to pay bribes. It makes them feel like "I've really got a handle on being a Mexican". In reality, all they do is additional damage.

A bit off topic but I have read quite a bit about corruption. In the last four years, 78 American governors, mayors, local and state officials have been convicted of corruption. Of course there they use nicer words such as; fraud, bribery, and embezzlement.

The EU says it cost them 120 billion Euro in corruption throughout Europe.

It's part of the human condition. When one obtains power, they run the risk of becoming corrupt.

I personally will jump through hoops, wait a lifetime if I have to, but I won't personally participate.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Yeah but the indigenas gave 'em

V.D.

Payback...

To try and compare the vertical level of corruption in Mexico to the United States is absurd. But the country is trying to wrestle it's way out of it.

"They pay me nothing so I must obtain my fair sueldo by direct means"
"If we paid them more they would still steal"

"So you kidnap children, boil your enemies in acid, and purchase platinum inlaid machine guns? One hundred thousand pesos, ten ---- -----'s, and go forth and sin no more my son"

The population is as much to blame as the government. You should have heard the uproar when the ricos found out the hard way they could not slip a 200 peso note to a PFP patrulla for speeding -- they were outraged.

[navegator]

You can not compare Mexico and Australia, in Australia the British did not go in as conquerors, they established a colony and sent the inmates.

Many were political prisoners, I would compare that to the United States, the British established a colony and proceeded to destroy as much as they could of the native American populations and did not intermix to much.

In Mexico many of the Spaniards came alone with out the women, as opposed to the colonists that came with wife's and children, so the Spaniards took native women for "wife's" and you have the mestizo, also remember that the Spanish brought diseases that the natives had no immunity to and died in great numbers.

Corruption is global, I recall reading of a land fiasco in Arkansas and the Clintons were involved, also a Duke Cunningham that went to jail for taking bribes.

navegator

[iguana07]

Well you can look at it that way but most Mexicans are Mestizo or indigenous, Spanish is a minority influence. I think if you use that theory all New countries can blame their corruption back to the 1500's when they were discovered.
What about Australia, started out as prisoners. Would you compare their current condition to Mexico's. I believe it was the individuals that got into power and authority that took advantage of the poor and still continues. Until Mexico can get more people into middle class and out of poverty it will always remain status quo!
Oh wait, what about the French? LOL

[navegator]

To answer Mr: qtlla9111.

The official fee for unloading and loading the trailer is $320.00 US Dollars and that is only paid at the border if the Mexican customs requests it, once the seals are attached, the trailer box should not be opened until it arrives at the destination.

The contents of the trailer were inspected at the border both by the US customs and then the Mexican customs the driver had a detailed inventory and documents that the Mexican Consulate provided for the transpertation into Mexico and the trailer doors were sealed, in the Resguardo Aduanal South of Sonoyta, they stoped the trailer and removed the seals, opened the doors and asked for money to let the rig continue nothing was unloaded and nothing was touched.

They asked for $170.00 US Dollars deposited into a private debit card at the local Oxxo, the driver stayed with the trailer, he can not go out of the customs compound and NO HE DID NOT PARTICIPATE in the extorsion, our neece's husband's family have a company that has trailers and asked the company that transported ower furniture if the driver could have asked for a bribe , that is forbiden and the driver can loose his job, the company is reputable and honest, the seals where not on the doors.

The Garita Aduanal South of Sonoyta has been a thorn in the comerce for quite some time we have a friend that works for a maquiladora tha transports goods from theire factory in Tijuana to the one in Guadaljara and he has to drive from Tijuana to Sonyta at least once a week to give the Aduaneros a bribe, the company places the brbes under cost of doing buisness.

A number of persons that post here have complained about this particular Aduana.

For Mr: iguana07

Spain emtyed the dungeons of all criminals and sent them to the new world as conquistadores, cheaper than to house them in spain, the bribes came with them and have not stoped.

navegator

[MEXICOWANDERER]

We're going to see just how integrated this "New Model" is...

Last year, Hacienda raised IVA in both Bajas Californias, to match the mainland. 16.0%

Going to ship some stuff from Baja Sur to Michoacan using ESTAFETA. Before the tax was raised 5.0% every package originating in either of the Bajas Californias had to pass through Aduana in Mexico (the city). Yes this meant packages being sent exclusively within the country.

Going to insert a 50 peso note, nice, fresh and crisp within a sealed envelope. Bait.

ESTAFETA is a private carrier. The package wouldn't stand a chance in Correos.

Enesto Prieto Pendejo can afford to "loosen" interior inspections a little. PRI is raising taxes, the price of fuel and tramites like there is no tomorrow. Want to import a used motor vehicle into los Bajas Californias? Sooooprisssse! Since july a FIFTY PERCENT of retail value tax has been applied to extraneous vehicles. More surprises. Chatter has the price of ALL combustibles being raised by ten percent in October. This is rumor. The other stuff above is fact.

[rocmoc]

moisheh wrote:
This type of corruption happens at KM21 in Sonora all the time. Only it is Mexicans who are the victims. In every town and village in Sonora there are local residents with second hand stores. Most of the goods come from yard sales in Tucson and beyond. Typically the owner of the store travels to AZ every week. He will usually have a 1/2 ton and maybe a trailer. When he gets to 21 the vehicles are loaded as high as is legally possible. Every nook and cranny is filled with goodies: furniture, appliances, clothing, small appliances and more. One of the aduaneros will examine the list of goods and come out to inspect the goods. At this point the driver is given a choice: Pay a "fee" to the audanero and carry on or unload the truck and trailer so the goods can be examined. The driver usually takes option one. Cost is between $100 and $150 usd. Option 2 is a disaster. At least 4 hours and the goods are scattered all over the parking lot. I have been told( not verified) that there is a system similar to tips in a restaurant. All of the "fees" are pooled with the shift boss taking the biggest share. Great business model.

Moisheh

X2. See it all the time on I19 in AZ. They are incredible packers!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[moisheh]

This type of corruption happens at KM21 in Sonora all the time. Only it is Mexicans who are the victims. In every town and village in Sonora there are local residents with second hand stores. Most of the goods come from yard sales in Tucson and beyond. Typically the owner of the store travels to AZ every week. He will usually have a 1/2 ton and maybe a trailer. When he gets to 21 the vehicles are loaded as high as is legally possible. Every nook and cranny is filled with goodies: furniture, appliances, clothing, small appliances and more. One of the aduaneros will examine the list of goods and come out to inspect the goods. At this point the driver is given a choice: Pay a "fee" to the audanero and carry on or unload the truck and trailer so the goods can be examined. The driver usually takes option one. Cost is between $100 and $150 usd. Option 2 is a disaster. At least 4 hours and the goods are scattered all over the parking lot. I have been told( not verified) that there is a system similar to tips in a restaurant. All of the "fees" are pooled with the shift boss taking the biggest share. Great business model.

Moisheh

[qtla9111]

navegator wrote:


We paid the mordida and the truck left minutes after the crooks got the money.

navegator

Was it a legitimate charge to have someone unload the truck (doesn't matter whether they unloaded it or not)? Did the driver get a receipt? Did the driver split the money with the aduana?

In the end, you paid. That is the definition of corruption.

[moisheh]

Because I believe that corruption is traceable to the Spaniards and not the indigenous peoples that inhabited Mexico when Cortes arrived.

Moisheh

[iguana07]

Moisheh, may I ask why the Spaniards?