I dont know the answers but I will comment on a reverse situation. My wife and I are white and we live in Sonora Mexico. We are fully immigrated into Mexico right down to the plates on all of our cars. When we travel North we are treated like smugglers, thieves of the worst kind and called anti-American all of this by the USA side of the inspection stations. We get stopped and searched at the Lukeville port of entry, then again south of Why Arizona, then again South of Gila Bend. One time my wife was detained for over 40 minutes at the port of entry because she is white and drives a car plated in Sonora. They took her phone away because she called me to tell me of the abuse. After it was all done they said that they were just testing a new drug dog on her car.....whatever. All of that said we still go the the USA once every 6 weeks or so and I go more when I have business in Phoenix but I understand the concern over traveling in a country where they use profiling. Different perspective same result! I guess they are just doing their job. Travel anyway and have fun. Guys with badges are just that, guys with badges....
Russ Black
011-521-638-113-4591 Cell Phone
Puerto Penasco, Sonora
I will try to explain, the check points are looking for two things, travelling south from the border.
What they are looking for, are "weapons", high powered asault rifles, Arizona and Texas, are two states, where the narcos get the weapons.
They are also looking for "Dollars", from illegaly selling the drugs, in the U.S. and Canada.
Place you self, in theire place, an RV, being driven by persons, that do not "look" like "gringos", but look "Mexican".
This imediatlly calls theire attention, so yes, they want to know everyting about you, what you have in the vehicle, where you come from, where you are going, Etc.
They are not discriminating, they are a little aprehensive, they do not know, if you are part of a cartell, or genuin tourists, they will check every one, that looks suspicious, heck I get stoped going to Ensenada, I am "gringo".
Have all your documents, handy and ready, get passports for all the kids, and both of you. These soldiers and goverment employees, are trying to do a poorlly paid job, they are happy to have some income.
The furder, you travel into the interior, the less checkpoints, untill you get, to the other border, some ports, have a zone, where customs check points are located, they are looking for contraband, out of the port.
It is a little unerving, it reminds me of the east german, check points, with the Vopos, pointing guns at you, but that is what needs to be done, to stem the cartels.
Be curteous, obey the orders, and try to talk with some of them, you will find out, a lot of interesting information, not only about travelling in that area, but about them, where they come from, and what they miss, from family, and the "pueblo", that they come from.
P.S. take some bags of american candy, and hand some out, it hellps to brake the tension. And if the girls, help hand out the candy, you will find out, that these persons, can be very nice, some times, they will radio further south, and alert the next check point about you, and you may not be pulled over, because you where nice, or they may also want some candy.
The Pope is arriving in Mexico in a few days so the army and Federal Police are out in force. In the past three days we have crossed three State lines and there have been huge checkpoints at each one. We have been questioned about our import papers for the MH and car and have had our passports carefully examined at each stop. We have been through two portable X-Ray machines and waved past one.
This is very unusual for us as we are usually waved through with a smile as I guess 65 to 70 year old Canadians do not fit the threat profile.
Don't take it personally and always smile and say thank you when they are finished. They are just doing their job and a dangerous one as well.
Yeah maybe try traveling with other, Google "Mexico RV Buddies" or "Mexico Travel Buddies" & you will find 2 or 3 ad hoc services for finding others to travel with. I think you will find the hassle decreases as you go further south.
mexicoruss wrote: I dont know the answers but I will comment on a reverse situation. My wife and I are white and we live in Sonora Mexico. We are fully immigrated into Mexico right down to the plates on all of our cars. When we travel North we are treated like smugglers, thieves of the worst kind and called anti-American all of this by the USA side of the inspection stations. We get stopped and searched at the Lukeville port of entry, then again south of Why Arizona, then again South of Gila Bend. One time my wife was detained for over 40 minutes at the port of entry because she is white and drives a car plated in Sonora. They took her phone away because she called me to tell me of the abuse. After it was all done they said that they were just testing a new drug dog on her car.....whatever. All of that said we still go the the USA once every 6 weeks or so and I go more when I have business in Phoenix but I understand the concern over traveling in a country where they use profiling. Different perspective same result! I guess they are just doing their job. Travel anyway and have fun. Guys with badges are just that, guys with badges....
Russ, we can relate. I get the "anti-American, traitor, why do you live in Mexico instead of the good ole U.S. of A" routine everytime we go to Laredo or McAllen.
I just blow it off now, small people with small minds.
Can't comment for the last year as we didn't have a chance to go down this year. But the 4 years previous we toured 27 of the 31 states. We seemed to average about every second check point for a walk though, some more thorough than others. We are younger Rvers as well and probably didn't fit the profile well so they always seemed to take a closer look. I can't recall whether it got better further south or not but central colonial Mexico seemed to present the most thorough searches. One of our Mexico friends seemed to feel the route up the middle was the most direct route to the 38 million druggies in Canada and USA so they seemed more concentrated there. Who knows. Its all good. Be polite and it's over soon enough. We'll be back next year, still undecided where...and when.
2003 Revolution 40C Class A. 2002 Vanguard 22 foot Class C. Diesel smart car Toad or pulling a 2009 Timeout Tent Trailer.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but rather by the moments that take our breath away.
We often get stopped at checkpoints but for us we think they just want to see what the inside of our Bus looks like. They almost never search or even ask for paperwork. I think you are being profiled due to the drug war and they are under orders to look of for guns and money. Advice above is good - relax and be polite and grin and bare it.
A suggestion - there is another thread here about a group of Mexican campers - you might contact them (if you speak Spanish) and communicate about their experiences with all of this. PM Barb at Hacienda Contreras to get the email addresses.
http://www.rollinghomes.com . . . . check this website and buy their book about camping in Mexico. They list all the RV parks in Mexico and tell all about them. There are updates to the book on the website.
There is lots of other info the regulars on this forum can give you - those who travel in Mexico every year and post here often - not those who say you are going to die and lose everything as they are not really well informed about Mexico.
Feel free to PM me and others on this forum for more involved information.
Yes you will be singled out if you fit the profile.
I also am of Mexican born parents and have traveled all over Mexico. I am a huero, so I don't fit the profile.............but as an example we were traveling in two jeeps both with B.C. plates going to Santa Clara from Patzcuaro, there we came across a fed check point, our jeep was stopped, we had a local Mexican friend sitting shotgun. Other jeep, all gringos, waved through.
This is the only check point in our over three months that we were stopped and asked for I.D. asked what work we do, etc. Why because we had a paisano in the vehicle. My friend also agreed that is why we were stopped.
My brother in law is not of the lighter complexion and I can tell you that he has been hassled quite a bit when we would go to Baja in our motor homes.
If I speak spanish to the police or feds I get a lot more attention than when I play the Gringo tourist.
Chuck/Sandy/&Maya the Sheltie & Kharma the Mutt
2002 Rexhall Roseair 39'DP
Toads = 1967 VW Bug,1976 CJ5 or HHR THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
Offline
