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Author: Subject: Bizzare Moment at Ensenada Toll Booth
MexicoTed
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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 06:46 PM
Bizzare Moment at Ensenada Toll Booth


Hey all,

My brother and I just returned from an awesome 4 1/2 day trip throughout northern Baja when we had a somewhat odd yet scary moment at the Ensenada Toll Booth.

Heading north we paid the toll, then pulled over to to use the restrooms. We jumped back in the car and got in line for the military inspection a couple hundred feet from the toll booth. They were checking everyone and we were 8 cars back. This is when things got a little scary.

As we waited in line, an Expedition coming south just stopped in the middle of the toll road next to the north bound check point. The driver got out and just stood there looking back north as if waiting for another car. Drivers heading south just drove around him on both sides. Finally a military officer came over and they had a little argument. That's when we both noticed the plain clothes driver had two guns strapped to his body.

The military officer left and within two minutes or so a newer pick up pulled up with tinted windows behind the Expedition. The driver jumped in his car and led the pickup away. My brother and I just sat there and said what the heck was that all about.

You'd think that was enough, but nope the "fun" was just beginning. We were behind a newer white F250 with three young Mexicans (20's). As one of the soldiers was asking for ID or papers, an officer came over and started questioning all of them. A couple other soldiers came up on the passenger side and were watching them really intensively.

Now we are watching them and saying if the you know what goes down with these guys how we were just going to jump out the door and get out of the car (only half-kidding). If something happened we were in the middle lane with trucks on one side cars on the other, in front (the pickup) and behind us. Nowhere to go.

After a 10 minute exchange, handing of papers, cars honking, and intense dialog going around they let them go. Phewwww! It was now our turn to move to the front, but just as he was waving us up (yes it keeps going!) the two soldiers started to look way behind us and told us to stop.

Everyone looked real concerned and this is when I really got a little scared. We glanced up on the hill where the machine gun and little barracks are and saw at least 8 soldiers running out, some half dressed and with no helmets, with guns ready and manning the machine gun. All looking south beyond the toll booth with a lot of yelling.

We were strating to freak out, when after a minute or so the soldier next to our car told us and the car next to us to go! We screamed out of there and couldn't see anything happening, but feeling blessed. I have no idea what all of it was about nor have a I found any news, but thoughts of being in the crossfire put a nice scare in our drive home.

We actually saw one last thing that convinced us something was going on, maybe in Ensenada. Just south of the last toll booth at Playas de Tijuana a convoy of 2 Humvees with soldiers and 4 Federal Police pickup trucks with the officers all dressed in black and covered masks completely covering their faces were heading south. The police trucks had their lights on and all personal in all vehicles were standing with weapons ready.

Hope nothing happened, but glad were were just about to cross the border!

In spite of all this the trip was incredible (I'll post a trip report soon here and then a bunch of photos here and on my blog). Also, we got to the San Ysidro border at 1pm and crossed 30 minutes later. That was sweet.

Ted




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Marc
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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 07:14 PM


Just adds to adventure!:o:o:o
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wessongroup
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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 07:25 PM


Glad it worked out OK for ya.... it can happen very fast...



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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 07:34 PM


The heavy military presence on the streets is new to Rosarito and a little shocking the first time you see it. It is here to stay though and they are building a barracks for the military here. The current serious security problem is drug-related and that falls under the jurisdiction of the military in Mexico, not the local police. So the military handles all the serious crimes in Rosarito on the streets and the local and tourist police forces seek to "prevent crime" (whatever that means). It's the new normal. This is until the new state police force is created this or next year.

Even with all the checkpoints, the cartels still move human and drug cargo down the toll roads quite freely and always have. The SUV's and uniforms you saw are just as likely to be fakes as real- right down to badges and strobe lights. My guess is a drug caravan was coming from the south and the solo driver was signalling the soldiers supervisors up the hill to allow it to pass through. Drugs don't make it from Guatemala to Tijuana without a lot of people at all levels looking the other way. Way too much money in it for everyone to stop it.

The Army checkpoints are generally manned by nice young Mexican men who are doing the best they can. They have no idea why they are told to do what they do- they just do it. The guys up the hill must have been caught flat-footed with the fast approaching caravan along with the solo car parked in the southbound lane.

There was a narco busted in Rosarito beach this morning "The Hammer" who worked for El Guicho and ultimately Chapo Guzman (Who celebrated 10 years of escaping from prison today. "Allegedly" Fox got $22 Million to let him walk out).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIMkH1_Y4jU




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woody with a view
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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 07:41 PM


i'll make sure to tell my buddy all of this when we approach the 1st toll booth heading south at 4am tomorrow!:lol::yes::spingrin:



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bajabass
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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 07:56 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
i'll make sure to tell my buddy all of this when we approach the 1st toll booth heading south at 4am tomorrow!:lol::yes::spingrin:
:lol: Bring an extra roll or two of papel sanitario Woody!:O



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MexicoTed
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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 07:58 PM


Yeah, not meaning to scare anyone away from a Baja trip as we had a great time, but just thought I'd inform you all of the situation we had.



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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 08:05 PM


The military does not trust plain clothes cops, especially PJE cops in your case from Baja California. What looks like innocent coincidence has led to soldiers dying so they'd rather play it safe. I highly recommend that if you did have to bail out of your vehicle to shout in English at the top of your lungs "American Tourist! American Tourist!" This sounds corny and actually a wee bit stupid but in actuality it could save your life. In a firefight soldiers have a tendency to hose anything that moves. In fact as I was bailing and screaming my fool lungs out I would have my hands in the air. Then duck!
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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 08:25 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by DavidE
I highly recommend that if you did have to bail out of your vehicle to shout in English at the top of your lungs "American Tourist! American Tourist!"


:lol::lol::lol::lol: David. You are kidding....arn't you? :lol::lol::lol::lol:
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woody with a view
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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 08:36 PM


i woulda stopped at the hill to see the action.


jest sayin.




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Baja&Back
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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 09:01 PM


C'mon, you didn't take some video to post????
Some Nomad you are ;-) :lol:




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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 09:39 PM


maybe a political dignitary coming to town? we get a lot of that in ensenada.



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[*] posted on 1-19-2011 at 11:31 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by bajabound2005
maybe a political dignitary coming to town? we get a lot of that in ensenada.



David K. said he wouldn't be down until work picked up....just a quickie?:biggrin:




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[*] posted on 1-20-2011 at 08:32 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by Marc
Just adds to adventure!:o:o:o


Unless they open up with the 50 cal.
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bajabass
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[*] posted on 1-20-2011 at 08:39 AM


Wait just a second, I thought BIG bullets would be easier to dodge?????



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[*] posted on 1-20-2011 at 09:11 AM


Similar sighting yesterday while driving north of SJD around 5 p.m.:


"...[pickup] truck with the officers all dressed in black and covered masks completely covering their faces were heading south."




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[*] posted on 1-20-2011 at 09:39 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by motoged
Quote:
Originally posted by bajabound2005
maybe a political dignitary coming to town? we get a lot of that in ensenada.



David K. said he wouldn't be down until work picked up....just a quickie?:biggrin:


I rarely ask for armed escorts on my Baja trips... :lol:




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[*] posted on 1-20-2011 at 10:36 AM


From a reliable source.............

A gunfight in Rosarito (unknown location) on Wednesday (1-19-11) when apparent cartel members opened fire on Units of the PEP (State Police) and the military. Initial report is that one PEP officer killed.




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[*] posted on 1-20-2011 at 04:16 PM


Dennis, actually I'm not. You folks over in Baja have it somewhat less tense than it is over on the mainland. When firefights occur the danger ramps up tremendously and you have to suddenly become smarter than the problem.

There is a very real danger of getting hosed by a 7.62 mm Belgian FN rifle. A quite serious series of talks with SSP commandantes (Federal Police) Ejercito and Armada tenientes managed to uncover a glaring vulnerability of innocents in the midst of a shootout. The two words that seem to bore into hyped up skulls of cops and the military are "Tourist (or tourista)" and "American". Shout it, scream it, whatever it takes.

I was forced to try this out in a town called Guacamayas when I found myself surrounded by several dozens SSP cops dressed in armor, and rifles at the ready. They were getting ready to raid a house next to the junkyard where I was searching for a rear-view mirror. I yelled "Hola!" and "Por Favor!" with no results --- the calls were ignored. Then I yelled "Tourista!" and "American!" and half a dozen cops looked at me and waved for me to come out of their ringed-in circle. I got the hell out of there short of laying rubber. La Voz de Michoacan reported on Saturday the next day that three people were killed in a shootout in Guacamayas. I don't know if it was the same place I was at. Just last week I read where Guacamayas was a stronghold of La Familia Michoacana.

With me, pride vanishes beforeth gunfire. Hell yes I'll scream my bloody fool head off. Some firefights have grenade launchers used, and so far authorities have confiscated dozens of Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifles from the drogistas.
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[*] posted on 1-20-2011 at 04:59 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
i woulda stopped at the hill to see the action.


jest sayin.


You and me both brother...

:lol:




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