capn.sharky - 7-12-2006 at 08:44 AM
"NO army at the checkpoints....must have been voting" Posted earlier by Bob and Susan. Returned Monday from two months in Loreto. No cp's
anywhere---including 25Klm above Loreto and Manadero. I always wonder why when there are no cp's whatsoever. And, no, there were not voting last
monday ---or before that on election day. Since I was told by a Mexican Army Capt. that 99% of the drugs come north in 18 wheelers, I can't help but
think....well, you know. Perhaps it was National Have a Soldier for Lunch Day....couldn't be a payoff by the cartel---Naw!!
Anyone have any ideas? I have seen this before but usually they are at Manadero cp.
NO Checkpoint Personnel ?
MrBillM - 7-12-2006 at 09:31 AM
The general consensus seems to have been that they were pulled out and reassigned temporarily because of the National Election. Could be true, I
guess, but I don't remember the checkpoints being unmanned at the last National Election which was not a Presidential election.
I came North through the El Chinero Army Checkpoint above San Felipe ayer and it was deserted.
Someone must be able to answer this.
vgabndo - 7-12-2006 at 10:34 AM
Didn't the real increase in checkpoints happen after the Clinton economic aid bail-out program and involve the DEA in some agreement tied to the
money? I seem to remember that the Mexicans were sort of pushed into it.
Maneadero
DanO - 7-12-2006 at 10:37 AM
The Maneadero (it really should now be called the Santo Tomas) checkpoint had a couple of guys eating fruit c-cktails and waving everybody through on
July 1 and 5. Incidentally, I heard that they moved it south because the smugglers were ypassing the previous checkpoint by using an offroad route
east of Ejido Uruapan.
See, it wasn't the election...
Sharksbaja - 7-12-2006 at 12:44 PM
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=18107#pid1563...
thebajarunner - 7-12-2006 at 03:23 PM
Dan O, we observed the same thing last week at Santo Tomas, several guys in full uniform sitting right at the road but casually waving us through
without any comment.
And yes, locals tell me that "they" had figured out an easy bypass to the one by the water slide, so it was moved right to the top of the steep hill
North of Santo Tomas to minimize the ease of bypassing the checkpoint.
bajalou - 7-12-2006 at 05:48 PM
The soldiers were removed from the checkpoints the last presidential election - for about a week. But of course then there was no controvrsy about
the winner. I don't expect to see them back till there are no more apeals about who won.
Today at Mex 5 and Mex 3, there were 3 soldiers sitting at a table in the barracks area. I've been told that the Army Post in San Felipe has only a
skeleton crew since June 28th.
Sharksbaja - 7-12-2006 at 06:36 PM
Well, they lost out, I gave my regular handouts of paletas to my kids
Axel - 7-18-2006 at 03:46 PM
Just drove back from abreojos 7-17 and still no one checking, only a few at santo tomas
bajalou - 7-18-2006 at 05:26 PM
The one at Hghy 5 and Hghy 3 was being put back up yesterday morning.
elgatoloco - 7-20-2006 at 05:03 PM
We left Bahia Asuncion on Tuesday for the drive north. The checkpoint at GN was unmanned as was the one at El Tomatal. Just north of the Bahia de Los
Angeles turnoff we saw a truckload of soldiers heading southbound. When we got to the San Agustin checkpoint they were fully staffed and we got a
cursory look in the cab. The next morning at El Rosario they asked to look in the camper. Quick check and on our way at the Santo Tomas check. The
wife observed that at each stop they poked the underside of the glove box with a screwdriver. Must have had some new training whilst away.
Gone from near Fox Studios
The Gull - 7-20-2006 at 06:51 PM
No more camp near Potpotla.