| Pages:
1
2 |
MexicoTed
Senior Nomad
Posts: 708
Registered: 8-2-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
|
|
|
Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
Member Is Offline
Mood: Waiting
|
|
Just adds to adventure!
|
|
|
wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
Member Is Offline
Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
|
|
Glad it worked out OK for ya.... it can happen very fast...
|
|
|
Woooosh
Banned
Posts: 5240
Registered: 1-28-2007
Location: Rosarito Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Luminescent Waves at Rosarito Beach
|
|
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
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
|
|
|
woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
|
|
i'll make sure to tell my buddy all of this when we approach the 1st toll booth heading south at 4am tomorrow!  
|
|
|
bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Want to fish!!!
|
|
| 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! |
Bring an extra roll or two of papel sanitario Woody!
Keep your eyes on the road, and your hands upon the wheel!
|
|
|
MexicoTed
Senior Nomad
Posts: 708
Registered: 8-2-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
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.
|
|
|
DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
|
|
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!
|
|
|
DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
|
|
| 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!" |
David. You
are kidding....arn't you?
|
|
|
woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
|
|
i woulda stopped at the hill to see the action.
jest sayin.
|
|
|
Baja&Back
Senior Nomad
Posts: 549
Registered: 9-10-2004
Location: Vancouver, Canada / todo de Baja
Member Is Offline
Mood: Rarin' to go South!
|
|
C'mon, you didn't take some video to post????
Some Nomad you are ;-)
|
|
|
bajabound2005
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2762
Registered: 10-15-2005
Location: Punta Banda, BCN
Member Is Offline
Mood: words cannot describe...
|
|
maybe a political dignitary coming to town? we get a lot of that in ensenada.
Friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel.
|
|
|
motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
|
|
| 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?
Don't believe everything you think....
|
|
|
805gregg
Super Nomad
Posts: 1344
Registered: 5-21-2006
Location: Ojai, Ca
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Marc
Just adds to adventure! |
Unless they open up with the 50 cal.
|
|
|
bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Want to fish!!!
|
|
Wait just a second, I thought BIG bullets would be easier to dodge?????
Keep your eyes on the road, and your hands upon the wheel!
|
|
|
windgrrl
Super Nomad
Posts: 1336
Registered: 9-2-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
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."
When the way comes to an end, then change. Having changed, you pass through.
~ I-Ching
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65282
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
| 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? |
I rarely ask for armed escorts on my Baja trips...
|
|
|
bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
|
|
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.
|
|
|
DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
|
|
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.
|
|
|
BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
Member Is Offline
Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
|
|
| 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...
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
