Border Crossings

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Comment by John K. Glaab, CIPS on June 24, 2011 at 11:40am

This is GREAT. PLease give me your e-mail and I will send  you a good news story.

john.glaab@settlement-co.com 

Comment by Mexico Mike on June 24, 2011 at 11:12am

All I can say is that once again I am driving all over the country and having no problems as usual. Currently in Oaxaca,

Make 2 big driving trips a year of 5,000 miles each to update my road logs and maps. I have quit trying to respond to those who had bad experiences or who simply think Mexico is dangerous. You are entitled to your opinion.

 

People mix up what happens to Mexican citizens with what happens to American citizens. People are robbed everywhere in the USA too.

Comment by Regina Netterfield on October 19, 2010 at 1:20pm

I just made the journey in July (11th) 2010 and want to tell you about the experiences I had on the road. I crossed over in Roma/Cd. Aleman because they would not let me cross in Laredo due to the flooding. Right after crossing and heading out of town, a fairly new grey unmarked truck pulled up next to me. The truck had an arrow in blue and red colors flashing in the right hand corner of the windshield. It stopped beside me. Inside were four guys in civilian clothes. They wore polo shirts in bright colors and jeans and T-shirts and turned-around baseball caps with La Guadelupana stiched in beads and bullet proof vests and each one had an automatic rifle in his lap. They looked fairly clean cut. They asked me where I was coming from and where I was headed and I told them I came from Roma and was headed with my mobile home to South America. I was driving a school bus and must have appeared like a crazy gringa. One of them wanted to look inside my bus, so he got out and I opened the door of the bus for him. He gave it a quick look-over and went back inside his truck. I assumed they were Police in civilian clothes, I told myself this must be the new war on drug sceme they got going. I think I had to tell myself that in order from peeing my pants in fear. Only now after reflecting on this experience and telling Pedro and some other experienced travellers have I had the guts to admit to myself that they were probably not cops.

Pedro met up with me in Monterrey and we continued on our journey. He had taken the ADO bus to the border and he said in Reynosa they (they Police) took everybody off the bus and asked them where they were headed. There were three guys next to him who wanted to cross the border illegally and after the cops got that information out of them, they wanted 2,000 pesos each for letting them continue on their journey.

When we went into Poza Rica on the coast, this cop in an official black Nissan Tsuru Police car stopped us and after some discussion he wanted 1,000 pesos because we had violated some law and went to take some bridge that was not designed for large vehicles and we should have taken the Cuota instead. After I got out I told them were was the sign that said that andthat I wanted to see his superior and he gave up on his extortion ssceme. We then turned around in order not to violate that "law" and saw that all the cars he had stopped had foreign (out of state) plates and I saw that he signaled to another cop with his empty hand to tell him that we did not pay. So corruption is alive and well.

Other than that and the terrible condition of the roads the trip was uneventful. Unmarked construction sites abound, unsecured embankment, potholes, unmarked topes gallore all over.

I just thought I would share this experience with you since I know some of you are driving down for the season.

Please be careful. Stay alive.

Comment by James Glover on March 3, 2010 at 7:00pm

If you are crossing at San Ysidro you can wait till Ensenada to get your tourist visas at the Immigration office along the marina boulevard. You will probably arrive a little early but as far as I know that is the last place for you to obtian them before heading south. If you want ot do this make sure you enter Ensenada using the coatal route and NOT the "centro" route...Just stay to the right and when the road turns left around Baja Naval (boat yard) and then back right it will be on your right side in a few blocks and has plenty of parking especailly at that hour but I'm not sure about Sunday's as I re read your post. You can also obtain the tourist cards from any Mexico consulate in LA or San Diego for example before you cross. Yes they will fine you for not having one before that but I have had friends obtain them in Guerro Negro without a fine because they crossed in the night but others have had to pay the fine. I suggest you get them at the consulate on or before Friday.

Comment by Don D. Nelson on March 3, 2010 at 5:55pm

On Sunday at 6 am in mid March we will be crossing at San Ysidro, California. How do we get a tourist permit ( we will be in Mexico for about 2.5 months) at that time of the morning? I understand after you get 100 miles down the baja they will fine you if you do not have one and apply for it later? Any suggestions or help on the procedures would be greatly appreciated. thanks. Don

Comment by BOBBY COX on January 28, 2010 at 3:10pm

I use to cross at Laredo and I had many adventures, I would say I probably crossed there about a hundred times. Of Course as they say in Mexico nothing changes...until it changes. I liked to cross there becauseback then I could catch the Monte Regio Train from Mexico City to Nuevo Laredo....unfortunately President Zedillo sold the Railroads and passenger service went to hell. But the thing I liked back then, (we're talking 30 plus years ago), was that it was rare to see immigrations, sometimes they'd be at the station but you could hop off the train and walk around the station and avoid them, alot of times my visa would be expired and that suited me fine, then I'd walk across the bridge, if I got stopped there and asked for papers I'd tell them I just came over to buy a bottle of tequila. Anyway you can't do that anymore. Once coming from the states I was late for the train and I told them I need to catch the train before it leaves so immigration said well go catch it, I thought they would have me fill papers at the station but no one was there and I entered Mexico without a visa.
The worst episode happened I crossed from Laredo into Mexico and pretended not to understand Spanish to see what would happen, there was something noticably strange about the immigration agents, they all had homemade jailhouse tattoos and they were all cursing. I played a dummy, they gave me a visa and in English I asked, "where do I sign?"... "puse su chingada firma aqui" thay said. (Put your f....ing signature here). I pretended not to understand. signed it and got on the bus, a tattooed customs agent was telling an elderly mexican lady (around 75 or so), who had a small pocket transister radio...(in Spanish which I understood perfectly), "this is a very grave crime you have committed Señora, bringing contraband into the country" The old lady was crying,...but we can fix this.. you just pay me and you can get back on the bus. I was thinking, "What the hells going on?"
Later someone told me that Pres. Echeverria had allowed a group of Chileños into Mexico as refugees from Allendes downfall and let them work at the border. Luckily that didnt last long, He also passed a law that Americans were only allowed 30 day Tourist visas, but when hundreds of retirees started leaving the country the merchants raised such a cry of outrage that he reinstated the 6 month visa.
Things have definitely changed over the years,immigrations is friendlier back in the 60's I would read everday something about CIA interference or spying. Of Course it wasnt much better in the States back then, Tricky Dick Nixon was making lists of people to harass, people were getting clubbed and teargassed in Chicago by the fuzz.
If I was crossing by car nowdays I'd pick a place that had a toll road, you get less harrassment that way and you get free accident insurance with the toll ticket so dont lose it. Y'all have a good time ya heah !!

Comment by Barbie on January 2, 2010 at 7:01pm

Mucho Gracias MERCY! I will check out a route to Nogales from California, then onto Guadalajara, to Chapala in 2011 to deliver some furnishings!

Comment by Mercy Stirling de Duenas on January 2, 2010 at 6:32pm

I drive Nogales to Gdl quite often. It takes me about 20 hrs. I normally spend the evening in Navojoa - or Los Mochis and then on to Gdl. We have lunch in Mazatlan - and are on the toll roads the whole way. I do not spend any time in Culiacan! The worst part of the drive (most is very good) is between Mazatlan and Tepic ( winding and not a divided highway - so you get behind trucks some times!) Be sure to fill up a LOT because there is a stretch on the other side of Mazatlan (from Gdl to Nogales) that has almost NO Pemex stations! We had to get off at El Rosario and go into the pueblito to fill up!! took about 30 min. to do that whole maniobra!!

Comment by Barbie on January 2, 2010 at 6:24pm

What is the best border crossing to arrive in Guadalajara?

Comment by David Moulton on November 27, 2009 at 8:21am

Hello Everyone.... Tere and I crossed the boarder at Eagle Pass on November 11th. We used the 24 hour International Bridge. At 5:00AM WE paid our toll on the US side, crossed to the Mexican side ad we were on our way in 5 minutes and I was pulling a cargo trailer. A big time saver ofcourse was that I had gotten my Mexican Auto Permit at the Counselate in Denver. The best crossing we have had.

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