BajaNomad - Bad Experience with Tijuana Police

Bad Experience with Tijuana Police

cupcake - 1-4-2025 at 02:12 PM

A few days ago, on December 31, I crossed the border into Mexico at San Ysidro. My plan was to spend one night in Tijuana and then head south the next day. I was walking the same route from the border to the Revolucion area of downtown that I have taken numerous times in the past. This is a designated pedestrian walkway and takes about 10 minutes from the border to Revolucion. I have walked this route at all hours of day and night, without ever having any problems. At one point, there is a ramp overpass, which spans busy roadways and the Tijuana River. It was 7pm and dark, but I could see several men at the base of the ramp. I couldn't make them out clearly, but because of their numbers I decided it would be best to turn around and take another route, fearing the possibility of being mugged. As soon as I turned around and began walking back the way I had come, several men came running out from the darkened ramp area and surrounded me. It turned out they were police, conducting a checkpoint. They escorted me back into the darkened area of the ramp and informed me (in good English) that because I had 'seen' the police and turned away from them, that this allowed them to conduct a search of my person and belongings. I told them that I had thought they were robbers, because they had been in the dark and not visible, and that if I had known they were police I would not have turned around. Telling them this was to no avail. I was told to take off my backpack, and while this was being searched, I was told to put my hands on the wall. Then I was frisked for several minutes, with an officer going through my pockets and feeling my arms and legs, continually asking if I had any weapons, and drugs, any Viagra, any cocaine. Then they had me put my hands behind my back and continued to ask me the same questions: "where are you going, why did you 'run' from the police, where are your drugs". After this, they asked several questions about items in my backpack: I told them "That is iodine for water purification, I am going hiking in the Catavina area", "That is my GPS device for hiking". After this, they had me put my hands back on the wall and commenced to frisking me again. "Do you have any Viagra, any cocaine?" This went on for quite some time and was unnerving, because so far they still had not found my money belt, which was inside my pants and contained approximately $3,000 US (in pesos and dollars). I was concerned if they found that, I would be accused of being a drug dealer or drug/money mule. I remained calm and pleasant through the entire experience, and was eventually let go and allowed to proceed on my way. Fortunately, they never found my money belt.

I did spend a night in downtown Tijuana, at a hotel I have stayed at numerous times in the past, but I decided to cancel my trip the next morning. I have made numerous trips across Mexico over the last 50 years, and nothing like this has happened to me before. The experience left me feeling like I no longer wished to be in Mexico. Maybe this will change in time and see me willing to try again in the future. If there is a bright side to this, I can report that as far as I know, nothing was taken from me during my encounter with the police. All my gear was accounted for at my hotel room, and the 8,000 or so pesos I had in my fanny pack was still there.

[Edited on 1-4-2025 by cupcake]

SFandH - 1-4-2025 at 02:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake

I can report that as far as I know, nothing was taken from me during my encounter with the police. All my gear was accounted for at my hotel room, and the 8,000 or so pesos I had in my fanny pack was still there.

Good to hear.

Tioloco - 1-4-2025 at 02:35 PM

Cupcake- Thank you for the report. Could have ended a lot worse for you for sure. Unfortunately, police in Mexico have very little oversight and are sadly often a wing of the cartel in their respective area. Dont get me wrong, I have had many positive encounters over the years with the police and a few bad encounters. I think you were lucky to have escaped that without a $3,000 haircut at the minimum.

I do hope you can put this experience behind you and get back to enjoying the parts of Mexico you enjoy. It cant rain every day.

cupcake - 1-4-2025 at 02:47 PM

Yes, I also am a 'glass half full' kind of traveler, so will likely be headed south again someday.

A $3,000 haircut is one thing, but over the years I've read accounts of people being detained for what appear to be minor infractions, and ending up spending many thousands in legal fees to have their case settled. The thing is, these really expensive cases seem to involve instances where the cops were honest, but the justice 'industry' was questionable. Then again, maybe the 'honest' cops in those really expensive cases were working on a kickback percentage...

[Edited on 1-4-2025 by cupcake]

stillnbaja - 1-4-2025 at 02:51 PM

I've had my share.....I'm ready to tap out and head back to Ventura. Baja just ain't the same

Tioloco - 1-4-2025 at 03:04 PM

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake

Yes, I also am a 'glass half full' kind of traveler, so will likely be headed south again someday.

A $3,000 haircut is one thing, but over the years I've read accounts of people being detained for what appear to be minor infractions, and ending up spending many thousands in legal fees to have their case settled. The thing is, these really expensive cases seem to involve instances where the cops were honest, but the justice 'industry' was questionable. Then again, maybe the 'honest' cops in those really expensive cases were working on a kickback percentage...

[Edited on 1-4-2025 by cupcake]

I have had a few trips to the police station/ jail to bail out friends who got into the legal spiderweb for minor offenses (some legitimate, some not).
What I have seen is they are all in on the game at some level. Have seen officers pocket "fines" and I have seen a judge collect the fine, place it in his desk drawer then 2 minutes later while we were still face to face he removed the money from his desk and placed it into his pocket.

Mexico justice just is what it is. You got lucky.

lencho - 1-4-2025 at 03:04 PM

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake

...asking if I had any weapons, and drugs, any Viagra...

Viagra? That's weird. I believe it's available over the counter in Mexico.

Maybe they had a hot date and wanted to save a trip to the pharmacy. :lol:

cupcake - 1-4-2025 at 03:15 PM

Prompted by your post, I just searched online, and it looks like Viagra is legal in Mexico and sold over the counter without a prescription. And yet, in my police encounter they seemed more interested in Viagra than cocaine or weapons. I have no idea why. I've never used Viagra. I told the police that I am 65 years old, implying why would I want Viagra (I live pretty much as a Monk). Their reply, I guess it made sense: 'yea, you are 65 years old, so you need Viagra'. I guess TJ sees a lot of old men using Viagra and looking for some female action. Yes, it is all weird indeed!

[Edited on 1-4-2025 by cupcake]

mtgoat666 - 1-4-2025 at 03:20 PM

That walk between SY border and revolution is a sketchy area. I don't like it in daytime, and I would not do it at night.

TJ is a rough city, and the cops robbing people makes the city worse.

Pre-911 I would visit TJ, but since then it is scum city (and border traffic is untenable) and city gives off a bad vibe, and there are way too many stories of cops robbing people.

Cops robbing people. All the time. Bad place to visit.

mtgoat666 - 1-4-2025 at 03:23 PM

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake

Prompted by your post, I just searched online, and it looks like Viagra is legal in Mexico and sold over the counter without a prescription. And yet, in my police encounter they seemed more interested in Viagra than cocaine or weapons. I have no idea why. I've never used Viagra. I told the police that I am 65 years old, implying why would I want Viagra (I live pretty much as a Monk). Their reply, I guess it made sense: 'yea, you are 65 years old, so you need Viagra'. I guess TJ sees a lot of old men using Viagra and looking for some female action. Yes, it is all weird indeed!

[Edited on 1-4-2025 by cupcake]

I think a lot of gringos go there for prostitutes. Yuck. Men who can only get sex by buying it. Sad.

cupcake - 1-4-2025 at 03:58 PM

Maybe the police were interested in finding Viagra on me because it would have labeled me as a person to be 'worked'. They might have seen me differently. Instead, maybe I was a good fish, to be thrown back into the stream. There had to be a reason. Maybe Viagra is legal and easy to buy in Mexico, but it's a no-no to bring across the border?

Lee - 1-4-2025 at 07:09 PM

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake

Maybe the police were interested in finding Viagra on me because it would have labeled me as a person to be 'worked'. They might have seen me differently. Instead, maybe I was a good fish, to be thrown back into the stream. There had to be a reason. Maybe Viagra is legal and easy to buy in Mexico, but it's a no-no to bring across the border?

LE, both sides, have a wide discretion. Doesn't matter if cops found viagra and it's legal in MX. If they say it's illegal, then you have trouble.

Advice: stay the heck out of TJ! Stay somewhere else. You don't want a second encounter to get the lesson.

Money belt is good. Carrying that much money on the streets of TJ? Not so good.

Tommy A - 1-5-2025 at 08:32 AM

Never judge a country by its border towns.

wilderone - 1-5-2025 at 08:40 AM

Were they wearing uniforms? Have ID?

ligui - 1-5-2025 at 10:31 AM

Not sure I wasn't there but it seems like a normal check. You were heading towards the police then did a u turn away from them . they never asked you for money. After dark in TJ sounds like they were just looking to see if you were doing something wrong.

Do a u turn at a DUI check point and they would assume you are drinking.

Hope you will feel good about going back to Mexico soon

Lee - 1-5-2025 at 11:05 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Tommy A

Never judge a country by its border towns.

That's right. This can happen almost anywhere. CC if it's night. La Paz same thing. Ensenada.

No one has asked, or I've missed it, but you have had to be very comfortable in that area at night, and, what were you doing on foot with all that money? Business?

I would say your experience was a good one.

BooJumMan - 1-5-2025 at 11:29 AM

Maybe I'm a wuss, but I wouldn't be walking that area alone at night.

Was there anyone else walking that stretch?

surfhat - 1-5-2025 at 12:20 PM

Why would anyone choose to enter Baja "Norte"without a vehicle?

I did one time ride along with a friend down the whole of Baja and found I would never do that again.

Life is for learning. Is it not?

I, to this day, question why anyone would consider exploring Baja without a vehicle?

I put my own time into seeing Mex. from a bus in the old days from Tijuana to Guerrero and beyond down to Centro and further into Central America.

A lifetime of memories still resonates decades later with the gift that travel give us all.

cupcake - 1-5-2025 at 03:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by wilderone

Were they wearing uniforms? Have ID?

They all had uniforms on, which in the seconds of my 'apprehension' I couldn't be sure if they were legitimate or not. After they had me back under the ramp and were 'processing' me, I knew they were legitimate. I didn't ask to see any IDs, I was concentrating on projecting my 'frail old man - friend of Mexico' persona.

cupcake - 1-5-2025 at 03:38 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Lee

Quote: Originally posted by Tommy A

Never judge a country by its border towns.

I was just walking to my hotel after crossing the border into Mexico. When I left at around 7am the next morning, I walked the same way back to the border, no police checkpoint then.

I've walked this route in both directions at all hours of day and night, 30 to 40 times over the last ten years; this was the first time I've seen a police checkpoint there, and I've never had a problem with 'bad guys'.

cupcake - 1-5-2025 at 03:41 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BooJumMan

Maybe I'm a wuss, but I wouldn't be walking that area alone at night.

Was there anyone else walking that stretch?

I know you are not a wuss. Travelers have to follow their gut instinct. I also don't disagree with what Goat has said about this stretch of pedestrian path. Maybe it is sketchy. There are usually others walking there as well, at all times of day or night; not a lot of people, but a few.

cupcake - 1-5-2025 at 03:47 PM

Quote: Originally posted by ligui

Not sure I wasn't there but it seems like a normal check. You were heading towards the police then did a u turn away from them . they never asked you for money. After dark in TJ sounds like they were just looking to see if you were doing something wrong.

Do a u turn at a DUI check point and they would assume you are drinking.

Hope you will feel good about going back to Mexico soon

The thing is, those police had to have known that no one was going to be able to identify them where they were. They were in the dark without any lighting. They had to have been doing this in order to 'trap' people. Believe me, I've been through my share of police check points in Mexico over the years, and I've never seen one conducted like this. They wanted people to turn around, giving them legal cause to perform such a search of body and property.

cupcake - 1-5-2025 at 04:01 PM

Quote: Originally posted by surfhat

Why would anyone choose to enter Baja "Norte"without a vehicle?

I did one time ride along with a friend down the whole of Baja and found I would never do that again.

Life is for learning. Is it not?

I, to this day, question why anyone would consider exploring Baja without a vehicle?

I put my own time into seeing Mex. from a bus in the old days from Tijuana to Guerrero and beyond down to Centro and further into Central America.

A lifetime of memories still resonates decades later with the gift that travel give us all.

In 1991, I drove my Nissan pickup from Los Angeles to Panama and back. It was a different world then. In any event, it is a moot point, because the areas that my low clearance Honda Accord can reach in Baja, I have already seen, and those places are easily reached via public transport and private taxi. The places I want to go now are not reachable in my car. I enjoy Not having a car on my travels. People have been murdered for their automobiles in Mexico, you must know this. It is not a rare event. People driving an automobile are also 'known' to have money. Driving an automobile in Mexico automatically makes you more of a target. That has been my experience.

[Edited on 1-6-2025 by cupcake]

cupcake - 1-5-2025 at 04:14 PM

Quote: Originally posted by surfhat

Why would anyone choose to enter Baja "Norte"without a vehicle?

I, to this day, question why anyone would consider exploring Baja without a vehicle?

Here is a real example, as it is something I want to do. Trekking from Mision Santa Gertrudis to San Ignacio. My car can not reach Santa Gertrudis, I know this because I have been to that Mision earlier this year, via a paid private ride in a truck. But, lets just say I did have a vehicle that would get me to Mision Santa Gertrudis. I park there and spend the next several days walking to San Ignacio. All the while my vehicle is left at Santa Gertrudis, it is vulnerable to theft, vandalism, pick-a-part. Then, I reach San Ignacio and now what? How do I get my vehicle? Answer: I pay the same man that took me in his truck earlier this year, to take me back to my vehicle...IF he is available to do this. That is a big if. If I can't find anyone to take me back to my vehicle, what do I do? Spend a couple of weeks walking there? What if I do spend the time and walk there, only to find my car has been stolen. Then what? You can see how this could turn into something I just don't want to deal with.

Now the same trip without a vehicle:
I reach Guerrero Negro easily on a public bus. I call Angel to see if he can take me to Santa Gertrudis in his truck. Two scenarios: 1) Angel is not available, and neither is anyone else. No problem, I am in GN and Not stranded. 2) Angel is available and drops me at Santa Gertrudis. I then spend several days walking to San Ignacio, from where I can take a public bus north or south, as desired.

[Edited on 1-6-2025 by cupcake]