BajaNomad - Security Situation in Baja

don't go - hotbed of crime.
Bandidos everywhere

Are you having a bad day Harald?

Howard - 5-24-2021 at 04:03 PM

Some foreigners who live down here think it's they're private playground and try and deter new visitors. Clearly they have no else where to go or they would be there.

As almost anywhere in the world the bigger cities have the bigger problems.

Always be aware of your surroundings just like anywhere in the world and you will be fine. July will be very hot so always travel with extra drinking water in case you get stranded.

In my opinion the further south you go the more mellow it gets and you start to get comfortable and you enjoy the trip even more.

If you can stop and smell the cactus along the way as the Peninsula has it's own beauty like nowhere else.

Just cross the border and head south!

del mar - 5-24-2021 at 04:24 PM

the further south you go from these border towns the safer you'll be...seems the bad guys have set up camp in Tecate these days

4x4abc - 5-24-2021 at 04:40 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

don't go - hotbed of crime.
Bandidos everywhere

Are you having a bad day Harald?

one of my best days in years.
Pool was divine!
celebrating 4 years of not losing my foot.
my dogs are happy
I am happy

Baja300 - 5-24-2021 at 04:47 PM

Thanks to everyone that has replied! I'm looking forward to more comments from the members of this community. This will be my second time exploring the Baja peninsula going all the way to Cabo, and I travel frequently to San Felipe and Gonzaga Bay as well, every now and then I also venture around Laguna Hanson. I wanted to get some insight in the situation away from the border but from some of the comments it looks like it is safer than being near the border cities.

JZ - 5-24-2021 at 05:02 PM

We get away from the border as fast as possible.

Loreto feels very safe to me. La Paz and Cabo you have to be a little more cautious.

Bajaboy - 5-24-2021 at 05:12 PM

I am far more concerned getting shot north of the border than south of it. Follow your instincts, smile, and you should be fine.

mtgoat666 - 5-24-2021 at 05:16 PM

I am far more concerned getting shot north of the border than south of it. Follow your instincts, smile, and you should be fine.

I disagree. Crime is more of a problem in Mexico than USA. In USA I can park my car in most neighborhoods and remote beaches or remote mountain areas w/o worry of theft. In Mexico, most anywhere you park you are at risk of break in.

Re gun violenvce and armed robbery, I don’t worry about it at all in USA. In Mexico, violence level is high, and I think risk is higher in Mexico…

Bajaboy - 5-24-2021 at 05:43 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

I am far more concerned getting shot north of the border than south of it. Follow your instincts, smile, and you should be fine.

I park my car in front of my house in Mexico and it stays unlocked. Just got back from a mountain bike ride at Los Penasquitos here in San Diego. I told my son I normally park on the east side as the west side is known for smash and grabs.

I'm glad you have your opinion....

shari - 5-24-2021 at 06:07 PM

sure depends where you are....here in our village of Bahia Asuncion we have a fantastic security patrol from the fishing coops so it is very safe here....hardly anyone has bars on the windows or even locks their doors...I leave me keys in the ignition and windows down when I go into a store or visit someone. Crime is extremely rare...most dangerous thing in Baja is driving too fast on the highway....that WILL get you killed!

RFClark - 5-24-2021 at 06:45 PM

How safe is Baja? How safe is anywhere! I think it depends largely on the individual! The US isn't completely safe. There are more people in the US so more chances to have a problem. The population of Baja Sur is a few hundred thousand people so fewer chances!

222DF138-2DFF-495A-A798-740F7947E067.jpeg - 208kB

JZ - 5-24-2021 at 07:14 PM

Damn RF. Sure glad we don't live on the right side of the US.

RFClark - 5-24-2021 at 07:17 PM

You saw that too!

motoged - 5-24-2021 at 07:48 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

don't go - hotbed of crime.
Bandidos everywhere

Are you having a bad day Harald?

one of my best days in years.
Pool was divine!
celebrating 4 years of not losing my foot.
my dogs are happy
I am happy

Harald,
Just want to let you know I get and appreciate your dry sense of humour ... :biggrin:

SFandH - 5-24-2021 at 08:29 PM

Theft is my biggest crime concern when in Mex.

BajaBlanca - 5-24-2021 at 08:40 PM

Here are some thoughts I have for you.

Please take all your docs and money out of the vehicle if you are asked to exit your car at the military checkpoints. They have guns, do not be worried.

Do not drive at night. Plan hotel stops accordingly. We all have lots of suggestions!

Keep a copy of your DL and show it to police if they stop you. If they ask you to pay a bribe, don't do it. Agree to go to the headquarters unless you are indeed guilty.

I bet you have a blast. Be careful like you would in the US.

RFClark - 5-24-2021 at 08:53 PM

Motoged,

We all judge people, even you do it! Assuming you drive a car! Are they going to stop is the least of it. Looking at that map makes Baja look really good!

JC43 - 5-25-2021 at 07:14 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

I am far more concerned getting shot north of the border than south of it. Follow your instincts, smile, and you should be fine.

This is a typically goat post. Always putting dirt on Baja but living in a high crime city. Baja is as safe as any place or as unsafe if you go places you shouldn`t go. One thing is for sure. You can be shot to death much faster NoB then SoB. Theft is a problem here and there. No difference. But I rather will loose some goods in Baja than my life in the U.S..

PaulW - 5-26-2021 at 08:22 AM

Risk of crime or violence is the highest in the big cities. Traveling thru the big cities the path of least proximity of the dense city is the best plan. Same recommendation for driving in the US. Take a route that uses the outskirts of the big cities.
Once past the danger zone then the risk is substantially decrease to levels just like rural US.
Overall the risk of traffic incidents is higher than the risk of crime in a large city.

bajatrailrider - 5-26-2021 at 08:48 AM

Great advice

4x4abc - 5-26-2021 at 10:20 AM

simple math
a city of 2 million will have a good number of thieves who will go after your stuff
hey, that's their "job"

in 10,000 pop Santa Rosalia there are still some bad guys who lust after your roof rack content
but hiding is more difficult and social pressure is high
running away is hard too - where to?

in 150 pop Agua Verde there might be a wannabe thief
but social pressure is even higher
plus who is gonna buy the backpack you stole?

Probability is low

BajaBruno - 5-26-2021 at 08:01 PM

These data are a few years old, but in 2016 31 million U.S. citizens visited Mexico and 75 were killed, which puts your probability of being a victim at 413,000 to 1 (considering all of Mexico--Baja is probably lower, though I have no data to support that).
That murder rate would be enviable in a lot of U.S. cities, which are often 40 times higher.
So, take the advice of the more reasonable people above and have a good time.
It's not a bad idea to carry an extra 5 gallons of gas if your vehicle can do that safely; pay in pesos rather than dollars, and get your pesos at a bank ATM (see posts here for the rip-off banks). Treat people with courtesy and respect and you will nearly always get that in return.
The trouble with the police (in my experience) has been in the towns rather than on the highway (which is patrol by the federal highway police). I don't pay bribes and I've never had a problem with that, but many people feel that paying 400 pesos is more comfortable than a polite statement about how corruption is illegal and yada yada yada. Cops in Mexico make about $400 a month with the expectation that they will make a decent wage from bribes. That's just the culture.

JZ - 5-26-2021 at 09:10 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBruno

These data are a few years old, but in 2016 31 million U.S. citizens visited Mexico and 75 were killed, which puts your probability of being a victim at 413,000 to 1 (considering all of Mexico--Baja is probably lower, though I have no data to support that).
That murder rate would be enviable in a lot of U.S. cities, which are often 40 times higher.
So, take the advice of the more reasonable people above and have a good time.
It's not a bad idea to carry an extra 5 gallons of gas if your vehicle can do that safely; pay in pesos rather than dollars, and get your pesos at a bank ATM (see posts here for the rip-off banks). Treat people with courtesy and respect and you will nearly always get that in return.
The trouble with the police (in my experience) has been in the towns rather than on the highway (which is patrol by the federal highway police). I don't pay bribes and I've never had a problem with that, but many people feel that paying 400 pesos is more comfortable than a polite statement about how corruption is illegal and yada yada yada. Cops in Mexico make about $400 a month with the expectation that they will make a decent wage from bribes. That's just the culture.

Good post.

Skipjack Joe - 5-27-2021 at 01:56 AM

Most of the violence is between the narco people and not by them towards you. Drugs are everywhere in Baja, even in small towns like Asuncion. As a result burglaries do occur in the smaller towns and these are to support drug usage. We recently had a guy badly beaten by fellow drug dealers and it’s not the first time.

pacificobob - 5-27-2021 at 07:47 AM

I am far more concerned getting shot north of the border than south of it. Follow your instincts, smile, and you should be fine.

motoged - 5-27-2021 at 10:23 AM

Not too many daily mass shootings in Baja....

SFandH - 5-27-2021 at 10:35 AM

Quote: Originally posted by motoged

Not too many daily mass shootings in Baja....

In Mexico, every bullet has a name on it. Executions.

Howard - 5-27-2021 at 10:56 AM

I have absolutely no fear of being shot or accosted in Baja but getting my place broken into while I am gone, that is another story.

landcruising - 5-27-2021 at 03:50 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBruno

Just some simple statistics for comparison. Not necessarily a rating of safety. Since as others have pointed out, it depends on where you go and/or avoid and how you act.

More recent data shows much worse murder rate in Baja of 73 per 100,000 than quoted above.

https://www.borderreport.com/regions/california/baja-califor...

Murder rate in California is 4.5 per 100,000

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/california/ca.htm

So you are statistically 16 times more likely to be murdered in Baja than in California. (based on these cherry picked articles)

advrider - 5-27-2021 at 06:38 PM

All good information above. Live life, you could get killed crossing the street for a gallon of milk in the US or Mexico! Be smart don't go looking for hookers or blow and you will be just fine. Really just pay attention, don't leave your common sense at home but you will find more wanting to help then hurt! Enjoy..

mtgoat666 - 5-27-2021 at 08:47 PM

I think some of you are enamored with baja and are therefore blind to its flaws. Crime and violence is real, it is pervasive in both USA and Mexico cultures. But in Mexico it has been more extreme. Whole states in Mexico are too dangerous to safely travel for gringos. Cartel turf wars are raging in several baja cities. Mexico does not have strong police system, the police are underfunded and ineffective.
I too think you can travel reasonably safely in Mexico, but the fairy tale view of rural baja being safer than most of USA is just that, fairy tale nonsense.
Don’t sugar coat it. Admit it, and be honest.

Look at bahia de Los Angeles. Quite a few gringos brutally murdered in quaint rural baja… are you telling me that there are not social problems in BOLA? Why the murders?

Terry28 - 5-28-2021 at 08:19 AM

Sr. Goat actually makes valid points...The main difference in crime is that the police are basically worthless...very few crimes actually solved.
People get ripped more by cops than robbers....Murder is a whole different subject. Most never solved.... everybody believes they are perfectly safe until something happens to them...I have owned homes in both Baja states, never assaulted but burgled several times......Still going though!!!

Cancamo - 5-28-2021 at 08:43 AM

In relation to thefts;
The only proven way to get the police motivated is to pay them directly.
Half up front, the other half when crime is solved. Although this is not 100% effective.

Justice through the "legal system" is non-existent.

No comment on violent crime, that's a whole other story.

BajaBruno - 5-28-2021 at 12:44 PM

Quote: Originally posted by landcruising

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBruno

The data I quoted were of "U.S. citizens" killed in Mexico, not total deaths. The borderreport.com article you quoted also contains the caveat that, "The State Department goes on to say violence is largely limited to Tijuana’s outlying areas and not concentrated in tourist zones, and that criminals “do not tend to target U.S. citizens uninvolved in drug trafficking.” "

I am of the opinion that criminals, particularly cartel criminals, are terrified to kill a U.S. citizen for fear of the U.S. government. The Mormon killings in Sonora are a good example. Had those people been innocent Mexican farmers, I doubt there would have been any arrests. But, the U.S. put pressure on Mexico and suddenly several suspects were arrested. Were they really responsible or just expendable to the cartel? We will probably never know, but people did go to jail.

RFClark - 5-29-2021 at 03:29 AM

Goat,

Spend a night in South Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, East St Louis, Oakland, Hunters Point, downtown LA, or Far Rockaway and get back to me on that safety thing! I’ll leave the Wege board plugged in!

mtgoat666 - 5-29-2021 at 07:06 AM

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark

Goat,

Spend a night in South Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, East St Louis, Oakland, Hunters Point, downtown LA, or Far Rockaway and get back to me on that safety thing! I’ll leave the Wege board plugged in!

I often stay over nite in Oakland for business, and occasionally stay in downtown LA. Feel perfectly safe walking around at nite. What are you afraid of?

JC43 - 5-29-2021 at 05:14 PM

simple math
a city of 2 million will have a good number of thieves who will go after your stuff
hey, that's their "job"

in 10,000 pop Santa Rosalia there are still some bad guys who lust after your roof rack content
but hiding is more difficult and social pressure is high
running away is hard too - where to?

in 150 pop Agua Verde there might be a wannabe thief
but social pressure is even higher
plus who is gonna buy the backpack you stole?

Well, different to your post: My friends from Mulege, on the way to Europe. The flight in about 5 hours. Going to Balandra for a swim and kill those 5 hours. Car full of stuff. Suitcases. Complete photo equipment. Passports of course. Cash. etc.etc. Car perfectly locked.
The swim ,,, not even 20 minutes. Retunrning to the car ---- car completely empty. No break in, no signs of violence. Police was helpful spending some money, but somehow helpless w/ the case. How did it happen? According to a Police Specialist the bandidos have special keys. One size fits all. One for Chevy. One for Ford and so on. Where does the stolen stuff go? Within minutes there is a boat on the way to the mainland. From there to MX city there is a huge "black market" selling only stolen stuff. Police can`t do nothing about it as they have no evidence that the stuff is stolen. Of course for the Police: Nothing to find in Baja.
To sell stuff from Agua Verde you are asking. Not a problem. Most all of these "Casa de Empeño" are taking whatever they can. No question asked. Same inside the U.S.

Cancamo - 5-29-2021 at 06:08 PM

Going to Balandra for a swim and kill those 5 hours

Sorry to hear that..........

Unfortunately Balandra and Tecolote have been effected by theft of vehicles some time now. Probably watching every move. I know of two armed robberies there in the last few years.

Frigin tweakers.

mtgoat666 - 5-29-2021 at 06:27 PM

My friends from Mulege, on the way to Europe. The flight in about 5 hours. Going to Balandra for a swim and kill those 5 hours. Car full of stuff. Suitcases. Complete photo equipment. Passports of course. Cash. etc.etc. Car perfectly locked.
The swim ,,, not even 20 minutes. Retunrning to the car ---- car completely empty.

Crikey! You gotta be a fool to park a car full of stuff and unattended, especially at a large parking lot like at balandra.

wilderone - 5-30-2021 at 08:30 AM

"... the bandidos have special keys. One size fits all. One for Chevy. One for Ford and so on"
Once when I locked my keys in the car while in Yucatan, I was able to talk with someone on the phone in the next town about 5 miles away who was a locksmith or someone who had "skills". He asked me what kind of car I had (it was a rental corolla or something), and he said he didn't have a key for that - it would take him about an hour to get one. As it happened, there was someone there at the tourist cave place where I was, who said he could help. He had a wire that he put a string with a loop at the end, a knife he used as a pry bar at the door jamb. He was able to get the wire through the door jamb and loop the string on the inside door handle to open the door. Took him about 10 minutes. About 5 minutes later, the guy from the next town showed up the key. Seems they all have "skills".

SFandH - 5-30-2021 at 08:50 AM

Hence steering wheel locks (really slows most of the thieves down if they want the car) and car alarms. A wire with a loop through the door frame is an old trick.

There's a lot of thieves in Mexico. I keep my boat on a mooring in Bahia Concepcion and it's always a worry. Seems that every winter season people lose boats on the bay.

JZ - 5-30-2021 at 12:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH

Hence steering wheel locks (really slows most of the thieves down if they want the car) and car alarms. A wire with a loop through the door frame is an old trick.

There's a lot of thieves in Mexico. I keep my boat on a mooring in Bahia Concepcion and it's always a worry. Seems that every winter season people lose boats on the bay.

Those steering wheel locks can be defeated in minutes. The same for cable locks. And most pad locks with a universal bump key.

I leave my KTMs out a good bit. I have super thick chain locks that can't be cut with a bolt cutter. Put them through the top of the forks. You'd need a power tool to cut them. Also have a cable lock that has an alarm that goes off if it is cut. Use both.

Tried to find a motion activated light for the back of the truck, but haven't found a good one yet.

Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Chain
https://youtu.be/mMLox4wGS50

[Edited on 5-31-2021 by JZ]

JZ - 5-30-2021 at 12:46 PM

Haven't had anything stolen in MX in a long time. Had two coolers full of beer stolen in 2020. One in Oregon and one in New Mexico.

Bajabus - 5-30-2021 at 01:24 PM

I keep a set of lock picks with me just about everywhere. This is a fun guy that shows you how to defeat just about any lock out there. A lot of them with those high powered magnets.

https://www.youtube.com/c/lockpickinglawyer

RFClark - 5-30-2021 at 05:10 PM

JC43,

The Thieves Market in Mexico City is an institution! It was there in the ‘80s when i worked there. They had a system for returning documents taken in thefts or pocket picking. When they determined where you were staying they sent a Boy Scout around to sell you back your stuff less the valuables! Very professional!

wilderone - 5-30-2021 at 06:02 PM

Had a friend traveling in Chiapas. At the military checkpoints, they ask "where are you staying". He told them the name of the hotel - his car was broken into that night at the hotel. I don't think it's a coincidence.

JC43 - 5-31-2021 at 10:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Crikey! You gotta be a fool to park a car full of stuff and unattended, especially at a large parking lot like at balandra.

Goat, look at that from the flip side. A frequently traveled parking lot. People all over the place. My friends were thinking with all those folks around thieves might not be capable to do a break in w/o getting full attention from others. Yep I said its already: With this special "one for all opens all" keys, nobody is paying attention.

David K - 6-1-2021 at 10:11 AM

Goat sure has a racist attitude about Mexican people all being thieves!

Thankfully, I have discovered (from 55 years of Mexico travel) that Mexican people are wonderful as a whole and have never had anything stolen. Most will give you anything you need without regard to their own poverty.

Skipjack Joe - 6-1-2021 at 10:26 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Goat sure has a racist attitude about Mexican people all being thieves!

Thankfully, I have discovered (from 55 years of Mexico travel) that Mexican people are wonderful as a whole and have never had anything stolen. Most will give you anything you need without regard to their own poverty.

That's not what Goat said. You are right that Mexican people are wonderful people and will often give you the shirts of their back. Often for nothing. It's also true that Mexicans think that all Americans are wealthy. And I suspect that some believe that removing some of that wealth is not a great tragedy for Americans.

David K - 6-1-2021 at 10:43 AM

LOL, right, that's not what he said, but it is a little pushback to the goat for all his verbal attacks on Americans.

JC43 - 6-2-2021 at 09:45 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K

David oh David - pls don`t say such BS again. Here is why: A racist attitude has nothing to do with being a thieve. Better look at Ku-Klax-Klan or Donald Trump to learn about racism before posting. Only besides. Mexicans do have steeling in their genes. Not all, but most. Your experience of 55 years of Mexican travel is certainly something but based on visiting Baja for ?????? two weeks in a row? Longer? 3 weeks? Even longer? Remember what JR told you: Pinchie Gringos not even living in Baja but pretending to have the greatest knowledge about Mexico. And no Mexican will give you anything you need without looking at his own poverty. That is just not true. It is simply impossible for a poor guy to give you anything you need. HE IS POOR !

[Edited on 6-3-2021 by JC43]

RFClark - 6-2-2021 at 10:14 PM

JC43,

Can a Gringo who has lived and worked in Mexico for 35 years have an opinion? Most Mexicans work hard, most are honest. Cars are stolen all the time. Rental cars usually are marked to identify them and often have trackers so robbery not theft occurs.

You don't need a key to open a keyless entry car. Just a box from China! On looking for “racism” China is one of the places to start! Tibet or Xinjiang where over a million Uegers are being “reeducated” as an example.

Skipjack Joe - 6-2-2021 at 10:44 PM

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark

On looking for “racism” China is one of the places to start! Tibet or Xinjiang where over a million Uegers are being “reeducated” as an example.

Ever hear of the "Melting Pot"?

RFClark - 6-3-2021 at 03:12 AM

Joe,

Yes, I have! In fact my father grew up in Brooklyn. He attended public school there. It was a “melting pot” and he was part Irish. What it was not was a government run concentration camp! Then there is Tibet! I’m old enough to remember when China “liberated” Tibet from the people who lived there.

Skipjack Joe - 6-3-2021 at 04:37 AM

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark

Joe,

Yes, I have! In fact my father grew up in Brooklyn. He attended public school there. It was a “melting pot” and he was part Irish. What it was not was a government run concentration camp! Then there is Tibet! I’m old enough to remember when China “liberated” Tibet from the people who lived there.

Japanese American being escorted to the Manzanar internment camp.

file-20190715-173370-16p5uf5r.jpg - 197kB

RFClark - 6-3-2021 at 04:54 AM

Yes, escorted as shown in your picture. I can post some first hand testimony of how the Japanese dealt with US P.OW.s and civilians in the Philippians! It makes very grim reading!

It certainly wasn’t our finest moment at one level. That said you will find no pictures of soldiers from any of the Axis powers helping those being interned!

AKgringo - 6-3-2021 at 07:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Only besides. Mexicans do have steeling in their genes.

It must be tough passing by a metal detector! :rolleyes:

charliemanson - 6-3-2021 at 12:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho