[seabassslayer]

I know this is not a fishing report but this needs to be put out. For us who head to Coral or just thinking of taking the family down to Mex, think again. This was taking off of BD. Please read the first incident and the second. I will be put this up in the General Board as well.

On SUNDAY Monday, August 13, 2006 at about 0700 a friend of mine was returning to California from Ensenada after a weekend in his trailer at King's Coronita RV Park. He was driving on the well paved and traffic of the toll road. Near La Salina his truck started making a funny noise under the hood and suspecting a fan belt he pulled over to the side of the road in plain view of all the passing traffic and lifted his hood.

Within a minute a car pulled up in front of him as if to offer help and blocked his entrance back onto the highway and the first person out of this vehicle was a shaved headed gangster from the passenger seat with a gun in his hand demanding that he get onto his knees. The rest of the group blocked the view.

Viet Nam Style: With the pistol placed onto the back of his head he pleaded for his life. They swore at him many times and he thought they were going to kill him for sure. They spoke perfect English.....all of them.

They then emptied his pockets and drove off with his truck which was loaded with the tools of his trade and his fishing tackle and much more.

By a stroke of luck they missed $200 in bills which he used to get back to his location in the RV Park to solicit help from his girlfriend back at home. He was left with nothing but his shirt and pants.

This was all accomplished very professionally. This obviously was not the first time these people have done this. My friend was in the wrong place at the wrong time and unfortunately these gangsters are patrolling the highway.

He then went to the Ensenada Police Department where men in uniform were busy eating their Twinkies and he spent the rest of the day and night trying to report this crime. At one point an "officer" requested a pen from him so that he could take some notes.

This is an experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone and one that will stay with him for the rest of his life. While you might rationalize with "Well this can happen to you anywhere" give me a list of "anywhere" and I assure you I won't travel there either.

With my boat in Marina Coral, my trailer in King's Coronita RV Park next door to the Marina I travel to and from almost every Friday-Sunday. I am now gravely concerned and more concerned for my wife who sometimes travels down there in her own vehicle. I am sure that if you stop they will find you and if no one is stopped they will find another way to stop you for their robberies.

Steve Ross/Bad Dog

 

[DockRat]

Thanks for the info. I have 3 friends (surfers) who have trailers
down there. They go down there all the time and party.
I'll let them know.

Martin

 

[JR]

Be careful. Mexico is not the place I would want to be right now because of the Francisco Javier Arellano Félix arrest. I'm waiting for the dust to settle before I return.

 

[JSea]

Do you know Steve Ross personally Steve?
If you do, . . .
I'd like to speak with him.
I used to talk to Steve regularly some years back . .
I have no contact information for him currently.
I'd like to get some further perspective on this SITCH.

I don't go into Mexico anymore.
I haven't for years.
Others may enjoy their time there, that's cool more power to them.
I've never had anything quite that bad happen before.
I've seen others extorted on some level before.
I myself years back was pulled over for nothing and had to
hand over a bunch of cash to continue moving down the highway.
I see no reason to be there, absolutely none!
Truly a shame ANYONE has to go through something as described.

John.
Parker 2320 'FloMar'.

Edited to add . .
Spoke to Steve Ross this morning.

 

[Peashooter]

Years ago a close friend lost his father to an armed robber in Mexico. They would travel all over with their trailer with no fear of trouble. One night a criminal with a gun decided to rob them. As the man roughed up my buddies mother his father tried to intervine. His reward was a bullet in the chest. He died in the dirt beside the road with a sucking chest wound.
I don't drive in mexico any longer. Only boat in or fly.

 

[Captain Hook]

This reprinted story is only one of several involving bold car thefts, police shakedowns and armed robberies that have occurred in the last 10 days. Virtually all of it is in the corridor from TJ to Ensenada. Many of these seem to involve late model trucks or large SUVs like Suburbans.

Now comes word that Raquel of the famous Larry and Raquel's in Bahia de Los Angeles was shot dead by a car that pulled along side them near Catavina. Attempted robbery was apparently the motive.

The speculation for this increase ranges from the political turmoil over the election to the arrest of Arrellano Felix to the difficulty of deported felons returning to the US and instead, plying their only trade on gringos.

Personally, I'm going to give Mexico a wide berth for awhile and you know how long I've been going down there.

 

[Doug720]

My sister has lived and worked in Mexico for over 12 yeras. She is in partnership with with two mexicans teaching the Mexicans how to build and run small business . She has a spanish surname and speaks perfect spanish, you would not suspect she is an American if you met her. She and her family are also legally in Mexico, which is very difficult to do!

She was here two weeks and told us they are moving back to the US. This is due to the dozens of kidnappings of foreigners. Three of her neighbors have had family held for ransom in less than 12 months. All were freed after payment, but most were beat, and now are leaving Mexico. This gets about zero coverage in the US papers, and about the same in mexican papers.

She said if you advertise yourself by driving big cars and suv's your asking for problems. The crooks will think you are rich. The "Bump and Run" is huge in mexico, they mainly rob the people, but sometimes it's much worse.

She has an office in Baja and two on the mainland and all three have had issues with seriuos crime. Each of the last four to five years have been the getting worse. In her town there have been over 25 murders in the last year. Many others just disappeared. The police are no help and the embassies are little help.

She is afraid for her family. The are shaken down on a regular basis for every day things. The "BITE" has gotten out of hand. They have to pay a morbida to everyone in offical mexico do get anything done. Even the police expect something to take a report when she was held up last year in Cabo. If you have any money at all, they think you should share it with them!

She told me that the Mexicans do everything they can to keep any stories of crime against Americans out of the US press. You only here about the very worst incidents. Keep in mind, my sister is not a RICH ******, her business is small and has all mexicans who work there.

On a personal note, I used to ride and race motorcycles in Mexico, alot. Myself and many friends have stopped going down to Baja. Nearly every rider of driver who preruns any race in Baja has been robbed! I'm talking the biggest names, ask Johnny Cambell, Steve Hengeveld (factory HONDA), the Herbst boys and many others.

My old partner Rich Caselli and two others were stpped by phony cops, drove out to the middle of no where, stripped and marched into the desert at night by two guys with guns. They got away when the other "cops" got one of the two stolen trucks stuck trying turn around. They ran into the night with shots flying. Two days later the Govenor of Baja brought in the Federalales(?) and had a big shoot out that killed seven of the phony cops. This only happened after Sal Fishe of SCORE put pressure on the Mexican Government.It was in the LA Times - Do a search at latimes.com.

If Tauras or the others do not believe me or the others, SO WHAT! If he wants to talk? PM me and I will give him my sisters number in Mexico. All of these stories are just personal experiances of the people involved. Exaggerated? Who knows! Take them for what you think they are worth, but don't attack the people who report them like Tauras does.

Just my opinion and stories

 

[Doug720]

Matt,

Was your friend with the retired LA cop from El Segundo who was stabbed in the same incident? If so, that is my neighbor who was with him. My neighbor recovered, but no longer goes to Mexico.

Sorry for your friend.

 

[Peashooter]

Not the same incident. This would be back in the 90's.
At first I had a hard time believing things could be so dangerous, that this was just freaky bad luck. My mind has been changed. No value on life down there these days.

 

[piperca]

I heard further today about Raquel and Larry. The story I got is that Raquel was found dead in their vehicle, which had over 30 bullet holes in it. Larry has not been located. I got this from a reliable source, who knows Larry and Raquel very well.

Update: It appears that Larry is fine ... sorry for the false alarm!

 

[El Maddog]

Corrupt cops arrested in Rosarito

***From the OC Register 8/24/06***



MEXICO CITY Mexicoâ??s attorney general said Wednesday there will be a wave of arrests of corrupt police on the Mexico-California border following an investigation into a network of officials protecting the Arellano Felix drug trafficking gang, whose alleged kingpin awaits trial in the United States.
Daniel Cabeza de Vaca told a news conference that the network protected the so-called Tijuana cartel as it smuggled tons of marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine over the border to U.S. consumers. The corrupt officers also killed honest colleagues, decapitating three fellow officers in June, he said.
â??These criminal groups, especially the Tijuana cartel, depend on the support of corrupt police,â?? Cabeza de Vaca said.
On Saturday, federal prosecutors charged officers Jorge Alberto Perez and Salvador Cebreros with taking bribes to protect the Arellano Felix gang. The two officers worked at the police department of Rosarito, about 15 miles south of the U.S. border at San Diego.
The policemen are also suspected of involvement in the June killings of three of their fellow officers, Cabeza de Vaca said. The three victims were last seen alive going to the scene of a reported kidnapping in Rosarito. Their heads were later found on a beach in the nearby city of Tijuana.
Cabeza de Vaca said Perez and Cebreros were part of a â??a big protection networkâ?? working for the cartel in Rosarito and Tijuana. The police forces will be â??purified,â?? with all corrupt officers being brought to justice, he said.
Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard captured Francisco Javier Arellano Felix, 36, as he was fishing in international waters off Mexico aboard a U.S.-registered sport boat.
Arellano is being held in San Diego, where he has pleaded not guilty to racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to import and distribute controlled substances, and money laundering.

 

[WSH4FSH]

Great read. I haven't driven to Mex in a long time. I love it down thee and used to drive down all the time fishing and surfing. thanks for the insight.
CHRIS
A/K/A Private Boat "Fin-Addict"