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Tioloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2744
Registered: 7-30-2014
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HWY 3 SHOOTING/ ROBBERY ATTEMPT
Anyone have further info on the (Baja 1000 race)chase truck shot up by cartel members near Valle de Trinidad yesterday? Sounds like the driver and
passengers narrowly escaped with their lives.
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David K
Honored Nomad
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This was sent to me to share here...
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Udo
Elite Nomad
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It was never printed publically in FB's Baja South Campos Amigos
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Here is the source post group page (Reporte Ciudadano San Felipe):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SanFelipeBCMexico/permalink/...
Updated link!
[Edited on 11-18-2024 by David K]
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
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This is so scary. SO SCARY!
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Bajazly
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Where did you see it was cartel related? Not really their MO, probably just bonehead tweeters.
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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Tioloco
Ultra Nomad
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5 guys with long guns is a fairly well armed group. Lends itself to a cartel squad more than some "bonehead tweakers".
When the victim took evasive action, they were chased and their vehicle was shot multiple times.
Victims were extremely lucky to not be hit by any of the rounds that pierced their vehicle.
Heads up for that area. This was a very brazen attack during a busy weekend of the Baja 1000 race.
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6346
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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Extremely lucky!
Thanks for sharing this post David!
Quote: Originally posted by Tioloco  | 5 guys with long guns is a fairly well armed group. Lends itself to a cartel squad more than some "bonehead tweakers".
When the victim took evasive action, they were chased and their vehicle was shot multiple times.
Victims were extremely lucky to not be hit by any of the rounds that pierced their vehicle.
Heads up for that area. This was a very brazen attack during a busy weekend of the Baja 1000 race. |
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
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this is at least the 2nd one
I believe there was one more, but I can't find the reference
https://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=96838
Harald Pietschmann
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
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Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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On the road ''approximately 3am.....? Guess bad hombres don't sleep.
Similar story happened S. of SF not too long ago on 5.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
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My guess, based only on what I have read here, is that they were car thieves who wanted his truck.
I wouldn't think that cartel leaders would want this kind of attention drawn to their area of operation, but I could be wrong!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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JDCanuck
Super Nomad
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There was also this one just before the election but not in Baja:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-nicholas-quets-killed-...
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Tioloco
Ultra Nomad
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Another senseless murder
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Biznaga
Newbie
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Another senseless murder, I absolutely agree. This incident happened on MX HWY 2. This is at least the third shooting in the past year, on HWY 2 in
this general area. Most of these incidents happened late at night. This area of Sonora has been under a struggle for control between at least two
different cartels for quite some time.
The U.S. Dept of State has had this section of Sonora under "may not travel into or through" status for a long time;
"Triangular region near Mariposa U.S. Port of Entry: U.S. government employees may not travel into or through the triangular region
west of the Mariposa U.S. Port of Entry, east of Sonoyta, and north of Altar municipality".
here is a map of the "restricted area - red zones" for Sonora and Sinaloa. The yellow lines are where US Government employees are allowed to travel,
during daylight hours only;
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=12wpiYBptaFKm94SUs_...
Now compare that Sonora - Sinaloa map, with the Baja "restricted area - red zones" map here;
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1rgiXg7mI9WRw-LK6P8...
The most recent fatal attack victim was a former U.S. Marine from southern Arizona. He was traveling with two other people. They were en-route to
Puerto Penasco aka Rocky Point. For some unknown reason, they decided to cross the border in Nogales, rather than Lukeville, and head down to HWY 2,
then westbound towards Rocky Point.
Early news reports from the two survivors stated that they encountered a "unofficial checkpoint" in the dark. The victim was driving, and decided to
run the checkpoint, rather then stop. A vehicle or two chased after them, and started shooting at the victims truck. One bullet pierced the back of
the truck, and struck the victim.
unfortunately, this news article is behind a paywall, so I'll copy and paste the text below;
"A Tucson man was fatally shot Friday night while traveling through a volatile part of northwest Sonora, on the same highway where two Arizona
women were killed in an August shooting and where a U.S. resident was killed in December.The U.S. State Department identified the man who was shot as
Nicholas Douglas Quets, a U.S. citizen. It provided no further details on Monday.Quets, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was traveling from Nogales to
Puerto Peñasco with friends, his family said.The Oct. 18 shooting took place just before 8 p.m. near Altar, Sonora, at kilometer 74 of Federal
Highway 2, between Altar and Caborca, the Sonora Attorney General’s Office said. A vehicle pulled up alongside the 31-year-old man’s pickup truck
and opened fire in a “direct attack,” the Sonora Attorney General’s Office said in a news release. Immediately before the shooting, an armed
group had tried to stop his vehicle at a checkpoint, a Sonora state official confirmed, speaking on background. The gunmen opened fire after the
man’s vehicle did not stop. Failure to stop at an “illicit checkpoint” also preceded the December late-night killing of a U.S. resident and the
wounding of two others, including a U.S. citizen, on the same highway, the Arizona Daily Star reported at the time. In a third incident, on Aug. 23 at
10:30 a.m., two Arizona women ages 72 and 82 were found fatally shot in their overturned vehicle, on a different segment of Federal Highway 2, as they
traveled from Lukeville to their hometown of Caborca. One of the women was a U.S. citizen, and one was a lawful permanent resident, the Star reported.
Sonora law enforcement — including the state’s criminal investigative unit, AMIC; the Mexican Navy; and air support — quickly launched a search
operation in the Altar-Caborca desert region to find the culprits in the Oct. 18 attack, but came under fire from criminal elements over the weekend,
the AG’s office said in a Monday news release".
I realize these incidents did not happen in our beloved Baja, but the HWY 3 late-night incident sure did. So what are the lessons available from these
incidents, for us Nomads?
One of the lessons a salty old Baja Nomad taught me decades ago, was to do everything you can to avoid driving at night. Back then, that was more
about cows and rocks in the road, plus the drop-offs and crazy truck drivers on HWY 1.
another useful lesson is do research and try to follow the State Dept's travel recommendations, prior to entering a unfamiliar part of Mexico.
the potential lesson that I really struggle with, is weather or not to stop at what looks like an unofficial checkpoint. This one is really tough for
me. I think it would really depend if it was daylight of after dark. We've all read stories where someone stops, and things work out ok. Then, there
are tragic stories like what happened to this former Marine. I'm only guessing that he had to make a split second decision, weather to stop, or to
blow through the fake checkpoint, and avoid conflict with the bad guys.
if you are willing to share your thoughts or lessons with the rest of your Nomads, what would you do? You come up to a fake checkpoint somewhere in
Baja, late at night. Would you stop, or drive around it? What if it was in broad daylight?
this forum is for sharing your tips, tricks, potential hazards and lessons learned with your fellow Nomads. We can all learn from each other.
wishing you all peace, love and fish tacos
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advrider
Super Nomad
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Registered: 10-2-2015
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I've plaid this scenario in my head many times. On my moto, I would probably make a run, but not sure. I guess it would depend on the vibe. Same in a
car, just not sure on the answer. Might depend on when and where it happened.
I've known several people that have been stopped in mainland Mexico by cartels at check points, in pretty remote areas and didn't have any
problems.
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3509
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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More likely bad things will happen at night. Don’t drive in the dark.
Not even a question. Not stopping at what looks like a bogus checkpoint.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
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Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: Originally posted by Lee | More likely bad things will happen at night. Don’t drive in the dark.
Not even a question. Not stopping at what looks like a bogus checkpoint. |
I second this idea.
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JDCanuck
Super Nomad
Posts: 1676
Registered: 2-22-2020
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Pick the route with caution, drive during the day and stop at every check point, suspicious or not. Better yet, fly and avoid the hassle and rent a
vehicle down there or leave one you own for your use when you arrive if you go frequently. An extra vehicle is cheap insurance.
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3509
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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| Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck | | Pick the route with caution, drive during the day and stop at every check point, suspicious or not. Better yet, fly and avoid the hassle and rent a
vehicle down there or leave one you own for your use when you arrive if you go frequently. An extra vehicle is cheap insurance.
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If a checkpoint looks suspicious, why would you stop?
If I'm going to be shot, better off running than taken out in the desert.
A bogus checkpoint in MX will probably do you harm. Trust your gut.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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JDCanuck
Super Nomad
Posts: 1676
Registered: 2-22-2020
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People who ran got shot, people who didn't weren't shot, so I guess if you run they are convinced you were the ones they were looking for. No more
questions asked.
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