Vacationers are concerned about terrorism in the Baja, Mexico, region.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Friday, December 21, 2007

Violence in Rosarito Beach keeps O.C. folks home
Vacationers are concerned about terrorism in the Baja, Mexico, region.

By MARLA JO FISHER

The Orange County Register

News: Rosarito Beach violence leaves O.C. folks thinking twice before heading south | police, attack, rosarito, city, chief - OCRegister.com

The mayor of Rosarito Beach has asked for additional state and federal troops to deal with escalating violence there that culminated most recently in a paramilitary attack Tuesday on the town's police station, apparently an attempt to assassinate the police chief, a spokesman said today.

Tuesday’s commando-style attack killed one of the police chief’s bodyguards and injured four other people. It was only the latest in a string of violent commando assaults on police in Baja California, apparently by drug cartels.

“I definitely have concerns about going down there” said P.J. Schramel, who lives in San Juan Capistrano and has been vacationing on the scenic peninsula since 1969. “I have instituted my own personal boycott of Baja while all this is going down.”

Rosarito Beach, about 20 miles from the U.S. border, and the surrounding areas have been vacation and retirement destinations for Southern Californians for many years. The escalating violence has left some officials concerned, though tourism officials said people should not be unduly alarmed.

“We believe the police chief was the main target of the attack,” said Ron Raposa, city spokesman.

“Basically, we would say this attack is targeted to law enforcement because of increasing enforcement on organized crime. It is not going to have an effect on the average person; for the most part they will not even be aware of the situation.”

According to published reports in Mexican newspapers and the San Diego Union-Tribune, military police surrounded the police station Thursday while repairs were under way on the exterior damaged in the attack.

A funeral was being planned for the slain bodyguard; another is recovering from his injuries.

The city’s police chief, Public Security Director Jorge Eduardo Montero Alvarez, took office on Dec. 1 as part of a new city administration. He intends to continue to vigorously pursue “cracking down on the problems,” Raposa said.

During the attack, the mayor of Rosarito Beach was attending a meeting in Mexico City about security problems on the peninsula.

After the attack, the City Council issued a press release blaming the attacks on forces opposed to a crime cleanup launched by the new city administration.

“To the people of Rosarito, we want to express that these violent acts are the result of the job that is being done in Public Security areas, in coordination with the State and Federal Government, and which will not stop until we all live in a secure city,” the release states. “These actions will not stop measures undertaken by the government in Playas de Rosarito.”

The owner of Baja Safari, a tour and travel agency based in San Diego, said he canceled several tours this week in the wake of the attack, only one in a series he said was under way by drug cartels trying to “tell the government who’s in charge.”

“Their way of doing this is to go into public buildings in the middle of the day, break out their large-caliber weapons and shoot them up,” owner Mike Overcast said.

“We are recommending to the general public and our membership to avoid all travel to the Tijuana and Ensenada region for the next 30 days,” Overcast said.

George Perez, who works for the Irvine-based Corazon de Vida charity that provides food and shelter for 700 children in 14 orphanages in Baja, said he hopes the violence won’t discourage Americans from visiting the children’s homes they support and helping the youngsters, who receive no government funding and would otherwise be homeless.

“We’re just concerned about the children,” Perez said.

The U.S. Department of State has a travel advisory for Mexico that includes border towns and warns about increasing violence including daytime shootouts related to drug trafficking in cities such as Tijuana.

“Criminals, armed with an impressive array of weapons, know there is little chance they will be caught and punished,” according to the advisory.


“In some cases, assailants have been wearing full or partial police uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles, indicating some elements of the police might be involved.”

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

We visit Tijuana frequently because we have a lot of relatives living there. I agree that one should think twice before visiting the Tijuana/Rosarito area. It is easy to say that it is just warfare between the dug cartels but it does spill over to the general public. My nephew and I were driving down one of the major boulevards in Tijuana on a Saturday in the afternoon and we got caught in a shootout. Bullets were whizzing by our car as we got out of there as soon as possible. They were shooting across the street at each other. Fortunately nothing hit us. My niece's brother in law was kidnapped in Tijuana and they cut off 3 of his fingers. He was not involved in the drug business but owns a furniture store.

Some of our relatives have moved from Tijuana to San Diego because of the violence. Others have gotten passports with permits to visit the US so now they visit us instead of us going south. However, we still do go as some of them cannot get passports.

[jericap Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close jericap]

Oh my goodness, that must have been very scary!!!
Talk about minimizing the potential threat to everyone "We believe the police chief was the main target of the attack,” said Ron Raposa, city spokesman.

I guess it isn't because they went after your niece's BIL.

Thank you for the warning!!

[M. Henley Class President Find all posts View Profile Close M. Henley]

Not for Awhile...

Rita and I have exchanged into WIVC La Paloma for seven years, but chose not to go this year, and for awhile in the future. Maybe when the government feels the curtailment of tourista dollars they will really crackk down and stop this madness (or, maybe not, the decision is theirs).

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Wow John that is very frightening. Glad it all turned out OK.

We have heard stories from many of our friends about people they know getting robbed on the toll way between TJ and Ensenada. The situation seems to be getting even more out of control. We refuse to go anywhere in Mexico for many reasons and safety is the main one. That is why we go to Hawaii so often.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Oh my goodness, that must have been very scary!!!
Talk about minimizing the potential threat to everyone "We believe the police chief was the main target of the attack,” said Ron Raposa, city spokesman.

I guess it isn't because they went after your niece's BIL.

Thank you for the warning!!

These were two separate incidents. My nieces BIL was kidnapped several months ago. This stuff goes on all the time. A lot of it is never published.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Wow John that is very frightening. Glad it all turned out OK.

We have heard stories from many of our friends about people they know getting robbed on the toll way between TJ and Ensenada. The situation seems to be getting even more out of control. We refuse to go anywhere in Mexico for many reasons and safety is the main one. That is why we go to Hawaii so often.

You should be OK in the major tourist areas like Cancun and Puerto Vallarta as long as you stick to the mainstream and don't wander off by yourself. We are going to the Grand Mayan in Riviera Maya for 2 weeks in April then that will be it for Mexico. The worst areas in Mexico for violence and corruption are Baja California, Sinaloa, and along the Texas border. However there are many areas that I would be careful where I was going and what I was doing. That is one of the reasons why I do not recommend renting a car and driving around by yourself. My wife is Mexican and I am fluent in Spanish but we prefer to take the tours.

Most Americans do not realize how bad it is as the vast majority of the crimes are not reported to the police and are not published. Often it is the police who are the criminals.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

An associate at my brother's firm was kidnapped in Acapulco two years ago and ransomed back to his family after a harrowing experience. It is not as rare as you might hope.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Surf’s Up, and So Is the Crime Rate on Baja’s Beaches

Rosarito Journal
Surf’s Up, and So Is the Crime Rate on Baja’s Beaches

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/25/wo...=1&oref=slogin

By MARC LACEY
Published: December 25, 2007
ROSARITO, Mexico — Surfers talk endlessly about waves — their size, their intensity, their roll. And crime waves are no exception.

In surf shops, on bluffs and even out in the ocean while waiting for the water to crest, Baja California’s surfers have been rehashing a series of recent armed attacks on foreigners, many of whom had been frequenting the beaches here just south of Tijuana for years.

“It’s all we talk about,” said Doug Wampler, 55, who has surfed Baja’s waves since 1967. “We analyze each incident and we wonder if we’re going to be next.”

Pat Weber, 47, who runs the San Diego Surfing Academy, was attacked by two armed men in ski masks while camping with his girlfriend on Oct. 23 on a remote bluff near here. They fired shots at his camper to get them out, then put a gun to his head, sexually assaulted his girlfriend and made away with his laptop, camera equipment and cash.

Shaken, Mr. Weber, who estimates that he has brought 130 groups to Baja beaches on surfing trips over the years, has vowed never to return to Baja, where he said he had been surfing since 1984. The worst he had to put up with previously, he said, were occasional encounters with police officers demanding bribes.

“It’s the end of an era for me,” he said. “No more Mexico.”

A month earlier, on Labor Day, three surfers from San Diego said they were pulled over near Tijuana by a car with flashing lights. The attackers — who might have been lawmen, outlaws or, as is sometimes the case in Mexico, both — stole the surfers’ car at gunpoint, they said.

“I’m never going back,” said one of the victims, Roger, who allowed only his first name to be used because he fears retaliation from the assailants. He said he was made to kneel down and then a gun was put to his head. “It’s just unbelievable how bad it is down there,” he said.

In another robbery, on Sept. 16, three surfers, who were camping in the same area where Mr. Weber was attacked, reported being held up by two armed men.

“Until authorities get a handle on the situation, we urge anyone planning or considering a trip to Baja to be aware of these recent events, be careful and be safe,” the San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation told members recently.

“It could happen to anyone,” said Brian Ramirez, 37, of Mission Viejo, Calif., a surfer who was coming in from the water near Ensenada the other day, board in hand. But he said the waves were still worth the risks.

Mr. Wampler said that surfers are targets because they are becoming more prosperous, driving luxury vehicles and carrying wads of cash. “The surfing population is aging and they have gobs of money now,” he said.

Just how high the crime rate has risen is a subject of debate. Mexican officials call the recent crimes isolated incidents. A spokesman for the American Consulate in Tijuana told a local newspaper, “We’re still establishing whether or not this is a trend.”

But most officials acknowledge that the high-profile crimes have at least created a perception problem. “Security for tourists is one of my main concerns,” said Hugo Torres, the newly elected mayor of Rosarito and a prominent hotelier, who acknowledges a surge in crime but dismisses reports of a Wild West atmosphere in Baja as overblown.

Earlier this year, President Felipe Calderón sent troops to Baja California as part of his nationwide crackdown on the narcotics cartels that control huge swaths of the countryside. Getting to some surf stops still requires passing camouflage-clad soldiers, who search cars for guns and drugs.

“We need a safe zone from Tijuana all the way down to Ensenada,” said Mr. Torres, who as a mayor has little ability to quell the problem without federal aid. “We need tourist police who speak English and a 24-hour ombudsman to help tourists.”

Mr. Torres, who surfs, said he values the long connection Baja California has had with surfers. “The surfers have been visiting us for more than 50 years,” he said. “Surfers may be only 5 to 7 percent of our total visitors, but just about everybody who comes down here knows a surfer or has been one or likes to see them in the waves.”

Surfers have not been the only targets. Recent foreign victims have included fishermen and the crew for a participant in a road rally. Then there are the many residents whose encounters with criminals never make the papers.

“We have chaos here,” said Nancy Conroy, editor of the Gringo Gazette, a local newspaper geared toward expatriates. “It’s very dangerous.”

When Ms. Conroy’s paper reports crimes, she said she is criticized by those building and selling the luxury condominiums along the coast. Too negative, they say, and not representative of the tranquil lives most expatriates live in Baja.

Ms. Conroy said that an e-mail message circulated among the developers suggesting that one of the recent attacks was made up to scare surfers away from Baja and keep the crowds down. That message appears to be false, according to interviews, although that has not stopped many from believing it.

“If one of them was fabricated maybe all these stories were,” said Gabriel V. Robles, president of the Association of Tourist Developers of Baja California, who forwarded the e-mail message to his members. “One gets reports of a lot of stuff, but I can’t say how much of it happened. I’m not a cop.”

Mr. Robles said he was not trying to play down the crime problem. “Our point is that the authorities need to resolve it,” he said. “No one is trying to avoid it or pretend it’s not true.”

Mr. Weber, who reported his run-in with Baja’s criminal elements to the Ensenada police, said he was saving some evidence for those who doubt his story. He will replace his motor home’s shattered window but fill the bullet hole that pierced the vehicle with a wine cork, he said.

“It will be a reminder of what happened,” he said, “and a reminder that I’m lucky to be alive.”

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

There is a serious effort being made to get this violence under control--obviously, it can't be done with a snap of the fingers. All major U.S. cities, also, have areas no law abiding citizen would go into, and we never see crime in those areas reported; we just avoid those parts of town; unfortunately, now that the problem has spread to the toll road, that's not so easy for the Baja tourist to do. Just received the following:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 28, 2007



Baja City Police To Give Up Guns

And Undergo Screening As State

And Federal Agents Assume Patrols



ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Over a period of several weeks police in Baja’s five cities will turn over their weapons and undergo a screening process, Rosarito Beach officials said today.

The actions will be taken in different scales in Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, Rosarito Beach and Tecate, said Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres.

The process began at noon today when the 150 officers of the Rosarito Beach Police Department began turning over their weapons to military personnel, both for testing and to determine if they were legally issued by the military, said Torres.

All officers also will take a four-hour polygraph test and screening in Tecate to determine if they have engaged in any improper activities, Torres said.

That effort will be supervised by Baja’s State Preventive Police, headed by Daniel de la Rosa.

While this is being done, an equal number of state and federal police will provide law enforcement for Rosarito, under the direction of the city’s new Secretary of Public Safety, Jorge Eduardo Montero, a 41-year-old retired Army captain.

Such efforts have been undertaken periodically by the military, including in Tijuana about a year ago. The military is responsible for issuing all guns to police, but recent concerns with security and crime also prompted the action now, Torres said. “The governor knows that security is the main issue,” Torres said.

In the meantime, Rosarito has launched a number of other actions to make the city more secure and improve the police department.

As well as bringing in Montero, the new Rosarito administration will raise police salaries 15 percent Jan. 1, offer officers about a $250 monthly performance bonus and add 80 academy-trained officers over the next several months, about 24 as tourist police.

Rosarito also will seek more automatic weapons for city police.

“Crime is not rampant in Rosarito and we have many fine officers, but we realize that both city security and the quality of the police need to be improved,” Torres said. “We believe the state effort in combination with our actions will significantly help achieve those goals.”



MEDIA CONTACT: Ron Raposa

(619)948-3740

ronraposa@hotmail.com

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

You know that the tuggers are going to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallerta & Mazatlan on the cruise in early Feb. Is this something I need to really worry about as I am sure we will stay in a group? shaggy

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

No, the corridor from Tijuana to Ensenada is on the Baja Pen. and miles and miles away from Cabo. We live in Rosarito Beach, in the corridor, and we don't worry--but we travel in the daylight and don't go where we know we don't belong. Though from John's posts, it's obvious that isn't necessarily a protection.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

You know that the tuggers are going to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallerta & Mazatlan on the cruise in early Feb. Is this something I need to really worry about as I am sure we will stay in a group? shaggy

No, I don't think you have to worry, Shaggy. If you stay in the tourist areas, you are safe. We have never felt unsafe yet. Puerto and Nuevo Vallarta depend on the tourist trade and you will be taking a taxi most likely to any restaurant anyway. If you have a chance, go and have a drink at El Faro. It is the lighthouse at the marina which is not too far from where you arrive. They used to have a nice little Jazz band but that may have changed. No dinners there as it is just a bar but with a panoramic view over the area. We have taken several people there and everyone has liked it. You better check when they are open as they start late.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

BBC NEWS | Americas | Police disarmed in Mexican town

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

Not that it's wonderful that it happened at all, but bear in mind that it wasn't the police station that was attacked; it was a small "casita," a station with a couple of men stationed there.