BajaNomad

Not good for La Paz

DianaT - 3-12-2015 at 01:56 PM

25 tourists robbed on the island.




Sweetwater - 3-12-2015 at 02:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by DianaT  
25 tourists robbed on the island.






wow, fugly indeed.

La Paz, Baja California Sur (BCS). A group of 25 tourists, mostly foreigners, were assaulted by three armed men on Saturday around 13:30 pm, while they rested and ate nearby beach Ensenada Grande, Island Holy Spirit.

The victims, including domestic visitors, French and Germans, who had traveled to the site aboard 3 boats were, were intercepted by the assailants, who arrived on the scene in a boat, unexpectedly, then lowered, and gun in hand, threatening passersby to hand over all their belongings.

In addition to taking what they brought tourists, like cash, cameras, phones, wallets and even passports were stolen one of the three boats, which conducted the tour one of the groups, for the Holy Spirit.

To avoid persecution, said a victim of what happened to BCS News, who preferred to remain anonymous, thieves took the keys of the remaining vessels, so that the captains had to connect the cables directly to return to La Paz after I lived.

The tourists who were stranded in the Holy Spirit for a moment, filed a complaint with the appropriate authority; so far unknown progress in the investigations.

The victims, who were robbed of their passports, they must go to the embassies of their respective countries, to the criminal complaint filed with the Attorney General, to get back his papers and to return to their countries of origin.

The victims believe that their embassies contact the Foreign Ministry every nation, so that they in turn issue a travel advisory against traveling to Baja California Sur.

weebray - 3-12-2015 at 05:43 PM

This story does not appear to be true as written. According to the local pangeros this was a case of reposition stemming from a dispute between two pangeros. It is true that a weapon was involved and that some of the belongings of some of the tourists in the repossessed boat were lost as they were left in the boat when it was repossessed. This was not a robbery of tourists. The perps threw the radios of the other boats in the water and left. No tourists were "held up" and much more expensive boats, money and other valuables were left.

Isla Espiritu Santo...

Whale-ista - 3-12-2015 at 06:14 PM

is popular w/many outfitters who run dive boats, sightseeing, snorkeling etc.

Also popular with kayakers... so lots of people often around.

Weebray- are you saying this was a case of competition? One tour boat taking out another company's boat?

Or.... what exactly, if not a robbery? The items were just left in one boat that was "borrowed" or "moved" or...?? And the owners were on the beach when this happened??

In any case- agree, not good for local tourism to have this type of incident occur.

If it was two competing companies- unprofessional to say the least!

weebray - 3-12-2015 at 06:35 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista  
is popular w/many outfitters who run dive boats, sightseeing, snorkeling etc.

Also popular with kayakers... so lots of people often around.

Weebray- are you saying this was a case of competition? One tour boat taking out another company's boat?

Or.... what exactly, if not a robbery? The items were just left in one boat that was "borrowed" or "moved" or...?? And the owners were on the beach when this happened??

In any case- agree, not good for local tourism to have this type of incident occur.

If it was two competing companies- unprofessional to say the least!


I agree, it's not cool but according to the guys on the malecon it was not a robbery it was a dispute between two pangeros. As happens often in Mexico the issue was settled "out of court". Pity is that tourists were involved and the story was twisted to imply that it was a shakedown of them. I do not believe the story, as written, is correct but the damage has been done.

bajaguy - 3-12-2015 at 06:42 PM

A redistribution of wealth........... :lol:

chavycha - 3-14-2015 at 11:48 AM

Heard about this a couple days ago from a local before it hit the papers. His story was similar to the account linked above. :?:

It certainly could be a rumor which got legs in print, but whichever version is correct, it's still not good to be mixing guns and tourists.

churro - 3-14-2015 at 03:12 PM

We were down in La Paz a couple days ago.... The police had the malecon blocked off at about 7:00 AM and would not allow any traffic to go south... We asked one of the on lookers what was going on, they said there was a shooting. Some bad stuff going on down there

weebray - 3-14-2015 at 03:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by churro  
We were down in La Paz a couple days ago.... The police had the malecon blocked off at about 7:00 AM and would not allow any traffic to go south... We asked one of the on lookers what was going on, they said there was a shooting. Some bad stuff going on down there

The consciences here according to my Mexican neighbors and friends is that, yes, there is a struggle between rival drug interests going on. Last Wednesday a vehicle that the police were trying to pull over opened fire and some mayhem occurred. Some grenades were tossed where they sat unexploded for about 9 hours while waiting for a disposal team to be rounded up. I figure maybe they had to come from Mexico as BCS may not have that type of resource. (this is just my guess) Anyway the talk among the locals is that the gov't has limited control of the situation but has "made it know" that as long as no innocent people are involved the differing factions can pretty much have at it. Aside from the act of piracy in Ensenada Grande this week, no tourists or locals have been involved. If you happen to know or be a relative of one of these warring factions you may want to consider a vacation somewhere else. According to my friends this "posturing" will die down after the upcoming elections. We shall see. Anecdotally, we hear that it's really hard to cop a lid these days. For the most part life continues pretty much normally here with little evidence of any trouble.

[Edited on 3-14-2015 by weebray]

monoloco - 3-14-2015 at 04:26 PM

Quote: Originally posted by weebray  

Anyway the talk among the locals is that the gov't has limited control of the situation but has "made it know" that as long as no innocent people are involved the differing factions can pretty much have at it.

[Edited on 3-14-2015 by weebray]
I've been told that the state government (including the governor) and the state police are active participants in cartel business activities. It seems that problems arose when the police and politicos got greedy and started offering exclusivity and protection to different groups, in the same areas. Some of the victims have been police, government employees, and lawyers, and some of the narco mantas, left on victims, have accused the police of double dipping.

BajaBlanca - 3-14-2015 at 07:11 PM

boy, what a mess.

aguachico - 3-14-2015 at 07:49 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca  
boy, what a mess.


You can say that again.

Seems safer, for tourists, in Tijuana...

mtgoat666 - 3-14-2015 at 07:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by weebray  
Quote: Originally posted by churro  
We were down in La Paz a couple days ago.... The police had the malecon blocked off at about 7:00 AM and would not allow any traffic to go south... We asked one of the on lookers what was going on, they said there was a shooting. Some bad stuff going on down there

The consciences here according to my Mexican neighbors and friends is that, yes, there is a struggle between rival drug interests going on. Last Wednesday a vehicle that the police were trying to pull over opened fire and some mayhem occurred. Some grenades were tossed where they sat unexploded for about 9 hours while waiting for a disposal team to be rounded up. I figure maybe they had to come from Mexico as BCS may not have that type of resource. (this is just my guess) Anyway the talk among the locals is that the gov't has limited control of the situation but has "made it know" that as long as no innocent people are involved the differing factions can pretty much have at it. Aside from the act of piracy in Ensenada Grande this week, no tourists or locals have been involved. If you happen to know or be a relative of one of these warring factions you may want to consider a vacation somewhere else. According to my friends this "posturing" will die down after the upcoming elections. We shall see. Anecdotally, we hear that it's really hard to cop a lid these days. For the most part life continues pretty much normally here with little evidence of any trouble.

[Edited on 3-14-2015 by weebray]


So, tourist should come on down! Just tell those tourist to step over the bodies, and be careful to not slip in the blood! Don't worry about the violence, it's not directed at tourists! It is R rated street scene though, what with all the bodies in the gutters, so you tourists might want to leave the young kids at home.

weebray - 3-15-2015 at 08:14 AM

I assume this was written for submission to a creative writing class or I designed to show us how clever you are but you obviously need lessons in reading comprehension. I just explained how, yes, there is some unrest in the city just as there is in most large cities in the world. The Limbaufication of the situation by the media has mostly been a disservice to La Paz as any evidence of unrest is very hard to find. It is also a disservice for clowns like you spouting off about things you don't know anything about. We await your next "clever" response.

gnukid - 3-15-2015 at 09:35 AM

Apparently, during the event on the evening of the 10th (or morning 11th?) that started near the Sanctuary and 5th of February and Altamirano (same block, same type of event, same time of night, same location, pretty much every week) where police went to pull over a "suspicious person", who was driving around the neighborhood in all black with a cowboy hat, according to witnesses, code red, shots of various caliber, detonations, fired from all directions, from inside houses, grenades were thrown, but did not explode, simultaneously, all over the place, hundreds of shots of multiple high caliber weapons, house to house searches, but no one one was injured, except ultimately later one of the "bad guys" reportedly received one shot as he exchanged fire between two vehicles while he tried to escape down the malecon and carretera pichelingue, and was subsequently detained by the marines.

Just the opposite of an Oakland or Detroit uncontrolled drug gang type of shooting where random people get hit a block away. These drug gang guys are well trained and disciplined to fire that many shots and not hit anyone.
http://colectivopericu.net/2015/03/11/informan-de-disparos-z...

In related news a man stole a battery and the police arrested the victims for detaining him... http://www.bcsnoticias.mx/ayudenme-levantaron-y-vienen-madre...


Audio of the shots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFh4V7P_IYw


Documentary of how "color revolution" strategic controlled opposition is being used to destabilize and control societies, as justification for the ATF gun walking and cartel theater in Mexico
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc_7BcJz2Bo


[Edited on 3-15-2015 by gnukid]

weebray - 3-15-2015 at 09:41 AM

Don't believe everything you read. The media are trying to sell papers. This is not the Christian Science Monitor.

mtgoat666 - 3-15-2015 at 09:50 AM

Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  


Just the opposite of an Oakland or Detroit uncontrolled drug gang type of shooting where random people get hit a block away. These drug gang guys are well trained and disciplined to fire that many shots and not hit anyone.
http://colectivopericu.net/2015/03/11/informan-de-disparos-z...


I am sure that makes us all feel much better, eh? Hey tourists: never mind the gunfire, those are highly trained soldiers of the cartels, they never have collateral damage, bring some ear plugs if the noise keeps you awake! Peace, love and fish tacos!

Jack Swords - 3-15-2015 at 10:00 AM

Just returned from several months in La Paz and environs...lots of tourists there as well as the annual snowbirds. Everybody seems to be having a good time. Those who sit in front of their computer with absolutely no personal knowledge of posted current issues need to simply stay home and refrain from commenting.

sargentodiaz - 3-15-2015 at 10:08 AM

I have a daily feed with a blog about Mexican news and it's been covering the situation in La Paz with some dire warning about tourists going there.

Is it really that bad?

gnukid - 3-15-2015 at 10:22 AM

At this point, criticism of ATF Gun-walking program, Fast and Furious high caliber weapons sales to Mexican Cartels is declared an absolute success in conjunction with Soros funded color revolution efforts to destabilize targeted sectors for economic and social control, effectively creating controlled chaos.

Kudos to a well executed plan to increase central control of economies of military industries, mineral resources, prison and policing, banking, education, privatize municipal services and consolidate energy and media.

We have a volatile ride ahead for 2015 team, but let's congratulate our fearless leaders for orchestrating powerful distractions, fear and encouraging short term memory in the proletariate who are begging for servitude.

durrelllrobert - 3-15-2015 at 10:28 AM

Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  
Apparently, during the event on the evening of the 11th that started near the Sanctuary and 5th of February and Altamirano (same block, same type of event, same time of night, same location, pretty much every week) where police went to pull over a "suspicious person", who was driving around the neighborhood in all black with a cowboy hat, according to witnesses, code red, shots of various caliber, detonations, fired from all directions, from inside houses, grenades were thrown, but did not explode, simultaneously, all over the place, hundreds of shots of multiple high caliber weapons, house to house searches, but no one one was injured, except ultimately later one of the "bad guys" reportedly received one shot as he exchanged fire between two vehicles while he tried to escape down the malecon and carretera pichelingue, and was subsequently detained by the marines.

Just the opposite of an Oakland or Detroit uncontrolled drug gang type of shooting where random people get hit a block away. These drug gang guys are well trained and disciplined to fire that many shots and not hit anyone.
http://colectivopericu.net/2015/03/11/informan-de-disparos-z...

In related news a man stole a battery and the police arrested the victims for detaining him... http://www.bcsnoticias.mx/ayudenme-levantaron-y-vienen-madre...


How can that be when guns are illegal in Mexico?

weebray - 3-15-2015 at 04:56 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Jack Swords  
Just returned from several months in La Paz and environs...lots of tourists there as well as the annual snowbirds. Everybody seems to be having a good time. Those who sit in front of their computer with absolutely no personal knowledge of posted current issues need to simply stay home and refrain from commenting.


Amen brother. I live here, it's really quite tranquil 99.9% of the time. Obviously there are people on this net with nothing to do but sit at a computer posting utter nonsense. I merely tried to explain to other nomads that life in La Paz is still sweet, quiet and safe. Apparently some of you are not happy to hear this. Maybe you're just not happy period.


Bajahowodd - 3-15-2015 at 05:10 PM

Geez. La Paz is one of the safest cities of its size worldwide.

laventana - 3-18-2015 at 07:09 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Bajahowodd  
Geez. La Paz is one of the safest cities of its size worldwide.


Mind you it is only the cartel against the cartel killings to date....

Safest in North America it may have two years and past when there were no cartel killings. But now with 50? a year and being a small city i bet it no longer can come close to that stat anymore, sadly. Even my tiny town 30 miles away from LaPaz had the cartel take out one of their own, this person was responsible for most of the summer home break ins, so his funeral was very small.

So a population by my estimate is 600 for this town and one of theirs gone is an astronomical number.

This is all very sad that our island is now in the the ranks of stats like TJ, areas of Chicago, LA and so on. I use to live in Evanston Illinois, about 6 blocks from one of the drive by hot spots of Chicago. Same there, it was drug vs drug hits, but they seemed to miss and hit more innocent bystanders there than down here.

monoloco - 3-18-2015 at 06:01 PM

I go to La Paz all the time and I always FEEL safe, but I recognize that there is a risk in every action I take, the risk of going to La Paz is still very low for most of us, however, the risk of being a crime victim there now, is somewhat higher than it used to be. Just remember, that the a$$wholes who would kill someone with automatic weapons, on a crowded street, don't really give a ratz a$$ if you catch a stray, so keep your head down if you hear shooting.