Mexicali_Kid - 2-5-2011 at 08:20 AM
Beginning February 7th, the State of Baja Calif. will begin legalizing "chocolate" vehicles. Chocolate is a nice way to say the car was stolen from
the US.
For a fee of $1500MN, the "chocolate" vehicle will be given legal registration papers.
More than 5,000 stolen vehicles are driven into Mexico each year. There are over 50,000 on the roads of Baja California as this is written. It's a
huge problem. First of all these vehicles can't get insurance, secondly, the state is loosing registration revenues estimated at $75 million pesos a
year.
http://www.oem.com.mx/lavozdelafrontera/notas/n1954433.htm
shari - 2-5-2011 at 08:30 AM
My understanding of the word "chocolate" vehicles is that they are vehicles with foreign plates...not stolen cars. Many people buy vehicles in the
states and bring them down or are sold foreign plated vehicles here in mexico...they are not stolen.
It has been easy, at least around here, to just get a temporary permit to circulate via programs like anapromex etc. which is a step to importing a
vehicle....FYI, almost no locals have vehicle insurance in our area whether foreign plated or baja plated cars...so this is not unusual in many areas.
DENNIS - 2-5-2011 at 08:35 AM
Nothing new here. It's always been that cars without "pink slips" could be registered here. It was just a matter of "who you know" to get the job
done.
So...this new twist is no more than a method to gather more money for the state while becoming complicit in car theft north of the border. It will
only encourage more of the crime.
Another thing....the 1500 Peso fee is far less than an importation fee. Far less. I can't imagine why anybody in the future would bother to import a
vehicle in the old way when the lesser fee will get the job done.
How long will it be before Mexico blames the US for flooding the country with all these "chocolate" vehicles much as we do with guns. Most certainly,
everything is our fault.
BajaGringo - 2-5-2011 at 09:25 AM
Not trying to get into a political argument but I agree with Shari. The term ¨chocolate¨when referring to cars down here is simply a vehicle with
north of the border plates owned and operated by a local without a corresponding north of the border drivers license that was never properly imported
into Mexico.
May some of them be stolen?
Probably but I would guess that most of them are simply vehicles that folks bought north of the border at a better deal than they could get on the
same quality car/truck in Mexico. Especially in the border areas where the same used vehicle from California is believed to be in much better
condition. Used vehicles in the Tijuana region are commonly referred to as ¨Tijuaneado¨; meaning that it has been thrashed on the local rough roads,
topes and potholes.
One favorite many down here look for when shopping are vehicles that cannot pass smog in California - those are had exceptionally cheap up north and I
will admit to buying one myself...
Chocolate and other Brown Stuff
MrBillM - 2-5-2011 at 12:32 PM
Regardless of what they may "Intend" regarding Chocolate Vehicles, Dennis is also correct that vehicles without title have long been registered.
Over the last 30 years, I've sold or gifted three vehicles sans Legal Papers South of the Border. None were stolen.
In the last of those a few years back, the recipient came back a few times asking if I could supply the papers because he was having a hard time
getting it registered. Finally, he came back and said "No Problema", he'd found someone who was willing to take care of it.
Chocolate clarification
bajaguy - 2-5-2011 at 01:35 PM
This article from ensenada.net explains the program:
http://tinyurl.com/4ze38ru
I think this came to a head with the arrest of the guy running the Anapromex program:
http://tinyurl.com/4ze38ru