Crime, Safety, and the Police

[QUOTE=Sol12;2835408]IMO AMLO created the Guardia Nacional and they have too much power with no consequences for their actions. They have taken over at the border and when I drive trhru they are usually standing around talking and not inspecting vehicles as often. So it's much easier to bring things into Mexico with the knowledge that you won't be caught.

Just the other day a Guardia Nacional truck ran thru a stop light in downtown and caused an accident. They have been video taped forcing businesses to give them money. With them around it also makes the job of the police more difficult. If you want to see history repeating itself you should watch a documentary "Mexicos Bravest Man" it's on former Tijuana Police Chief and he was insistent that the army and federal police stay out of the Tijuana Police duties because it's to difficult to figure out who's corrupt if you have agencies in his city that he can't control. It also doesn't help with the current mayor of Tijuana being a woman and not standing up to the GN and giving control back to the chief of police instead she hides at the army base in a sign of weakness. This just gives the sign that the Cartels, GN, and anyone else can control the city with no retribution.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the new president next year and if they continue to use the GN or it's dismantled and they are able to create a new federal police that isn't corrupt. It's very interesting to follow some of the issues in Mexico and how similar they are to things that are happening in the US.[/QUOTE]Everybody is corrupt. The current USA president made many millions while vice president for favors which is completely illegal and voters are 100% ok with it. Ending corruption is hopeless.

[QUOTE=Artisttyp;2835528]It's even worse than I thought. We are one club shootout away from total destruction of the Zona.

If Juarez style shootouts happens in clubs here it's all over. We put up with a lot of BS but I think most mongers draw the line at random shootouts.[/QUOTE]Well this was obvious. You didn't have to be a pessimist like me to see the writing on the wall. You just had to put 2+2 together. All of Mexico is a chaotic mess civil war and I only spend 2 minutes month reading Mexican news. From beach resorts to avocado farms, this has been going on. Then you have the constant military riding around in guns when I say military I mean all kinds police, national guard etc. You could sense Tijuana was declared up for grabs by anyone willing to fight for it. Then you have other things going on in Zona specifically that we've read about in last 12 months. Adelitas bar situation. The costant price increases were a good Indication that $ was being squeezed. Could be the end of zona scene.

[QUOTE=BrotherMouzone;2835566]I'll be going down to Tijuana in a couple of weeks (for the first time in a few months) but yeah, I think I'll be calling it quits on future visits to Tijuana after that if things really start to heat up. Was also wondering myself why it took so long for the cartel violence to spread to the clubs. My (uninformed) speculation is that cartels see a lot of the in-fighting and reshuffling that's been going on recently down in Zona Norte as a sign of weakness and are happy to pounce on the opportunity. That and the fact that HK in recent years, and in recent months in particular (for example with the still ongoing club expansion and now the closure of their main rival Adelitas), has established itself as the dominant entity down in the Zona, which of course only makes them more of a target for those that want a piece of the $$.[/QUOTE]My own uninformed guess was that the "puta plazas" were considered to be a kind of demilitarized zone or DMZ where everybody was supposed to be cool and get along and just keep it about getting some pussy. But, you just know that at some point it's all going to collapse and all hell will break loose. Gangsters are going to be gangsters! Be safe bro!

Every business in Mexico has to pay protection money to cartels, besides all kinds of taxes to the stupid, useless and corrupt government. Taxi drivers, even street vendors, all have to pay or face costly sabotages, even deadly assaults. SInaloa cartel has been controlling the Tijuana Plaze for over 30 years, after the Arellano brothers were killed, arrested and the Tijuana cartel was disbanded.

A new cartel, likely CJNG, has been trying to muscle in for a couple years. They shot many street dealers and squeeze all businesses, the best were lucrative putas bars rolling in lots of cash from mongers every night. HK and other bars have been harassed and shaken down to pay the new protection. A few key workers have been murdered, but looks like HK resisted, hiring armed commercial guards starting about March.

I talked to the woman guard and her partner carrying their shiny Glocks. Looks like her partner was killed in front of Brizuela's home on July 11. They are no match for a bunch of sicarios with AK-47's, rolling up in cars, spraying the doors with bullets. Guards and meseros would be quickly killed or would run away. Sicarios then jam both front and back door, pour gasoline around the building and light a match.

I hate to be in HK with 500 guys and girls stampeding in the burning and smoking with no way out. Shit.

Wonder what big manufacturers like Ford, General Motor, VW have to pay to do business in Mexico.

This is absolutely correct. I've already been steps away from a drive-by shooting at cuantos guys near Eduardo.

Owners of HK have been targeted so they will hide in the US. Cartel's next move is: pay up or we're shooting up the place.

And when I say cartel, it could be the National Guard for all we know. Nice move AMLO!

[QUOTE=Artisttyp;2835528]It's even worse than I thought. We are one club shootout away from total destruction of the Zona.

If Juarez style shootouts happens in clubs here it's all over. We put up with a lot of BS but I think most mongers draw the line at random shootouts.[/QUOTE]

The violence has never targeted tourist and there is no reason to think it will now. For those that want to live in fear, go ahead. We don't even know if what happened at Adelita's is Cartel related.

[QUOTE=BrotherMouzone;2835566]I'll be going down to Tijuana in a couple of weeks (for the first time in a few months) but yeah, I think I'll be calling it quits on future visits to Tijuana after that if things really start to heat up.

Was also wondering myself why it took so long for the cartel violence to spread to the clubs. My (uninformed) speculation is that cartels see a lot of the in-fighting and reshuffling that's been going on recently down in Zona Norte as a sign of weakness and are happy to pounce on the opportunity. That and the fact that HK in recent years, and in recent months in particular (for example with the still ongoing club expansion and now the closure of their main rival Adelitas), has established itself as the dominant entity down in the Zona, which of course only makes them more of a target for those that want a piece of the $$.[/QUOTE].

[QUOTE=Scbb1;2835616]The violence has never targeted tourist and there is no reason to think it will now. For those that want to live in fear, go ahead. We don't even know if what happened at Adelita's is Cartel related.[/QUOTE]Dude, all you've got to be is in the wrong place at the wrong time! That's all it takes. No piece of ass is worth getting caught up in the violence to me, and Tijuana was never my main draw anyway. Not even close, so not missing anything anyway by not going as far as I'm concerned. I say again. Be safe out there bros!

I am wondering why the cartels are so interested in owning HK. Incidents like this only draw attention to themselves. If they what club why not just buy another one or start a new one. In the end I believe they want clubs so they can launder their money.

[QUOTE=Dogers69;2835578]Well this was obvious. You didn't have to be a pessimist like me to see the writing on the wall. You just had to put 2+2 together. All of Mexico is a chaotic mess civil war and I only spend 2 minutes month reading Mexican news. From beach resorts to avocado farms, this has been going on. Then you have the constant military riding around in guns when I say military I mean all kinds police, national guard etc. You could sense Tijuana was declared up for grabs by anyone willing to fight for it. Then you have other things going on in Zona specifically that we've read about in last 12 months. Adelitas bar situation. The costant price increases were a good Indication that $ was being squeezed. Could be the end of zona scene.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=SenorTJ;2835609]This is absolutely correct. I've already been steps away from a drive-by shooting at cuantos guys near Eduardo.

Owners of HK have been targeted so they will hide in the US. Cartel's next move is: pay up or we're shooting up the place.

And when I say cartel, it could be the National Guard for all we know. Nice move AMLO![/QUOTE]Sounds like what is currently going on in a certain establishment in the frontera of South Texas that I will not name. Bottom line is that these individuals are now focusing efforts on a new revenue stream of extortion, which happens to be brothels and their owners and yes, believe it or not, the putas that work in these establishments. This has taken the form of many of the women workers getting directly threatened, including being monetarily extorted, and with threats of death. So what is happening? Many of the girls simply leave out of fear. How do I know this? It comes out of the mouth of two former workers in this bar. Now I don't think that these individuals are going to initiate a shoot out in Hong Kong because there are so many Americans and they know the potential consequences of doing so. But, they will raise the fees and make those pay for not paying up.

"The current USA president made many millions while vice president for favors which is completely illegal and voters are 100% ok with it. ".

And the guy that didn't need the $ bribes etc. Being extremely vilified and destroyed cause admittedly he so abrasive. That's groundwork unfortunately for a different kind of civil war in the USA.

That's in upscale San Jeronimo barrio very close to where I stayed in MTY over MDW. Also I stayed in and crossed through Barrio Aguacatala Medellin many times very close to Pablo's old HQ and den of torture.

In some ways men need this type chaos unfortunately to those that lost life to combat feminism now creeping into MEX and other Latin countries. When bullets start flying and mortar rounds start landing the smaller feminine frame cowers in fear like #FJB and HunterB!

When women start garnering more $ and control its game over for most men.

[QUOTE=CaptainSolo;2835567][URL]https://apnews.com/article/fires-mexico-caribbean-bad171e01c1656a92886ce8cb806e8d3[/URL]

Years on, no convictions for Mexico casino fire with 52 dead.

BY Marcos Martinez Chacon Published 1:40 PM PDT, August 24,2021.

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) Ten years after Zetas cartel gunmen stormed into a casino in northern Mexico

Prez recalled the moment when armed men burst in and began to douse the casino with gasoline. Within seconds, a peaceful day at the casino turned into pandemonium.

"I heard a commotion, I turned around and I saw a man hit a woman with gun," Prez recalled.

"It didn't last long, we didn't know it was gasoline until the smoke started," she said. "I started to look for my son. I couldn't find him, the chaos broke out immediately. ".[/QUOTE][URL]https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-coverage/cartels/report-cartels-fighting-for-control-of-brothels-and-strip-clubs-in-tijuanas-tolerance-zone/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co[/URL]

Then stay out of wrong places, the cartels are not going to target tourist areas, especially ones they desire to control.

[QUOTE=TheCane;2835626]Dude, all you've got to be is in the wrong place at the wrong time! That's all it takes. No piece of ass is worth getting caught up in the violence to me, and Tijuana was never my main draw anyway. Not even close, so not missing anything anyway by not going as far as I'm concerned. I say again. Be safe out there bros![/QUOTE].

[QUOTE=Scbb1;2835825]Then stay out of wrong places, the cartels are not going to target tourist areas, especially ones they desire to control.[/QUOTE]That's just it. You don't always realize you're in the wrong place until it's too late! You think it's OK, but you thought wrong, and really it's not. You better hope the violence doesn't spill over into tourist areas. Seems to me that you give way too much credit to criminals. To suggest that they will always act logically and in line with their own interests versus out of emotional rage. Were these people in the below video aware they were in the wrong place before it was too late? I don't think so. In the wrong place at the wrong time, and didn't even know it! The same thing can't be said for people hanging out in La Zona. We've all been duly warned that a war is brewing. Proceed with caution at your own risk.

[URL]https://youtu.be/H5BnXYnn4Dc[/URL]

[QUOTE=Scbb1;2835616]The violence has never targeted tourist and there is no reason to think it will now. For those that want to live in fear, go ahead. We don't even know if what happened at Adelita's is Cartel related.

.[/QUOTE]Well I wouldn't say I'm "living in fear" or I probably wouldn't go down there in the first place. But I do think it's prudent to at least be cognizant of what's (possibly) going on behind the scenes there. The article I linked previously stated that a source inside the state attorney general's office overseeing Tijuana told the reporter that "gangs affiliated with cartels have been threatening and extorting club owners" in recent months and that "crime organizations" were "trying to establish control" of HK / other Zona Norte clubs. I figure this kind of stuff has always gone on in the past to some extent but I've never seen it reported publicly before, which IMO is a sign that criminal efforts to exert control over the clubs are intensifying (perhaps greatly so).

Will all of this lead to shootouts / more violence in the clubs? Like you I greatly doubt it but Tijuana is rarely predictable and IMO it's worth staying informed about POSSIBLE safety concerns down the road, even if the chances of anything crazy actually happening are low. All it takes is one crazy incident for everything to blow up LOL.