The Truth About Unauthorized Checkpoints on Hwy 8

[PitiquitoRosy]

U.S. Consulate Warrant unsubstantiated, uncorroborated…and untrue!
While it is not unusual for the U.S. Consulate in Nogales, Sonora to release a travel advisory for parts of Mexico, the latest warrant, dated May 19, 2010, has left an entire community wondering where the Consulate gets its information.
Business leaders in Puerto Penasco, known commonly as Rocky Point, met on Monday to discuss the backlash of calls and emails received as a result of the warning that specifically mentioned dangers on Highway 8, the road to this popular beach resort town.
According to the director of Mexico’s Federal Highway Patrol, no incidents like those discussed in the warning have occurred. The AFI, which is like the American CIA, has also denied any knowledge of problems along Highway 8. Local police chief Erick Landagaray expressed surprise that the Consulate would issue a warning without so much as a thread of truth to it. The Attorneys General at the State as well as Federal level have also said there is no basis for the claims of violence on the road to Puerto Penasco.
Fausto Soto, Director of International Relations for the City of Puerto Penasco attended the meeting, where all agreed the highest priority should be in preparing travelers with the truth, regardless the economic effects on the city.
Nevertheless, in this case it seems the U.S. Consulate has violated their own policy not to rely solely on unsubstantiated rumors…and in this case, they got their facts very, very wrong, in the process harming an entire community, many of whom are Americans.
It would be naïve to think that the timing of this warning was accidental, coming as it did right before one of the biggest weekends for this resort community. That negative reports hit the media harder right before Spring Break or other important holidays for travelers is nothing new. What is new, however, is the participation of the U.S. Consulate’s complicity in unnecessarily scaring the traveling public and causing harm to many American-owned businesses south of the border.
The hope in Puerto Penasco is that those who know and love Rocky Point won’t stay away or cancel their travels plans without first verifying the veracity of what they’ve heard, even if the rumors come with the stamp of the U.S. government.

 

[Manny Sanchez]

[video=facebook;129276263756067]http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=129276263756067&ref=mf[/video]

 

[Cabo]

It is three thumbs up for me, I like the low key style.
Hope it gets picked up by the press as Wardens message was.
Anyone find out who the Warden of Nogales is?
Name? He should be interviewed.

Your explanation of the Sonora ad makes sense, but Hunting and a hunter to promote a fishing and beaches?
That ad company might not get the next job to promote a beach.
The ad that Florida put out was nice, saw it this morning and I said, "That is what RP needed". Very nice.

 

[ernesto]

If the media are responsible they will follow up and put a microphone in front of the head guy at the consulate in Nogales. Let him explain. See if he can top Slick Willy. "That depends on what the definition of is .....is." I loved that!

 

[Cabo]

Rosy, i posted this a couple of days ago, but who has the time to read 200 posts. : )

The US embassy trumps the Warden.
(which will need to be reprimanded, as will "the Sonora Turismo")

http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/eacs...ityUpdate.html

For the Month of May;

Nogales, and Hermosillo are the only real accounts of trouble in Sonora.

Notice how similar the account of the travelers from South Padre Island, several shots where fire when the vehicles refused to stop. That was in Nueva Leon. (You have to travel through MEX, to get to South Padre?)

Monterrey, and Juarez where also on the list.

April also all in Central Mex, see for your self.

Nothing to look here, lets move on. ><><><>



This is a copy paste from the US Embassy Website:

2010 - May
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
Two families returning in separate vehicles from South Padre Island, Texas were ambushed by gunmen who ordered their cars to stop on highway 54 just outside General Treviño, Nuevo Leon. Several shots were fired when the vehicles did not stop. A Mexican citizen was killed in the incident and an eight-year old American citizen boy was shot. The bodies of the victims were later taken by the assailants.

 

[Submarine]

And so of course, of course this kind of thing couldn't ever happen in the magical land of Hwy 8 to Rocky Point! It's sprinkled with magic pixie dust you see! No one ever gets carjacked, shot at, makes a cocaine deal, smuggles drugs or people, gets shaken down, murdered, mutilated, harassed or even looked at sideways in the wonderful special blessed land between America and Puerto Penasco!! This is why all the Policia in Puerto Penasco drive around in rainbow painted trucks, poised at the ready in the back in full Barney costumes to hand out cotton candy and fudgsicles to every foreigner who graces their land.

 

[InkaRoads]

Come on Sub!! you are starting to sound stupid, people is not saying that nothing, or as you seems to understand it ABSOLUTELY NOTHING happens in that road, yes c.a.c.a. happens just like in Fiji or anywhere but when things are said, people also wants to know if they are true or false and you are just going a little over board on how are you presenting your point of view, by now all of us here that know have seen a change on you that to me is quite surprising for some one that was such a RP lover!!

 

[Manny Sanchez]

Official press release from the OCV
Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) US/Mex Residents think U.S. Consulate Warden Message is unsubstantiated, uncorroborated...and untrue!

There was a recent Consulate Warden Message that was issued by the Nogales consulate office that, was based on rumors and conjectures with, no facts can be presented to support this notice. Through numerous phone calls and conversations with actual consulate staff, they have admitted that they have no proof for supporting the document that was issued.

The position of American and Mexican residents and business owners in Rocky Point is, that this is a deliberate sabotaging of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend holiday. In the Warden Message, it was said that there have been unauthorized check points setup and that people had been killed. Contrary to the Message issued, there has not been to anyone’s knowledge, any unauthorized checkpoints setup on the highway 8 from Sonoyta to Rocky Point and, there has never been anyone killed at one of these fictitious check points.

Although true that there have been check points setup by the government along highway 8 from time to time, they are there to protect the public by enhancing security. It has also become known that, the person issuing the original Message from Tijuana, was not employed by the Consulate office but, merely a private citizen operating as a volunteer.

Puerto Penasco, or better known to the North of the border residents as, Rocky Point, is and always has been, a small quiet fishing village with great beaches and amenities that support happy travelers, from all over the world. For many states in the US it is the nearest beach with warm waters and Western sunsets.

The opening of a new international airport and coastal highway, expands the position of the Mexican government that, this is to be the next Cabo San Lucas and is the fastest growing city in Mexico. Puerto Penasco has also been named the final step on the Nautical Ladder with a new cruise port planned with cruise ship companies, already committed to the first disembarkation in 2012.

The Rocky Point Convention and Visitors bureau is supported by the lodging industry and has been in existence for over 7 years.

 

[Manny Sanchez]

For some reason the Official press release from the OCV posted twice, sorry about that :|

 

[Stuart]

Uhhhh, there's lots of magic pixie dust around Penasco. I've been approached with offers to try it on many occasions. In fact, it's hard to walk down Calle 13 these days and *not* be approached by a magic pixie. A simple "No thanks, no drugas!" and the magic pixies go on their merry little way. And no, I don't hang out regularly on Calle 13, but I do occasionally get a craving for Gus Asadero tacos! A craving that cannot be denied!

I actually learned something from a local last trip that kind of killed my desire to ever eat along Calle 13 again. I asked mi amigo if he wanted to join me for tacos. He said sure, but not on Calle 13. I asked if it was because of the danger posed by so many magic pixies running around and he said no, it had nothing to do with it not being safe in that sense. He went on to explain that, whenever they get heavy rains like they had this spring, sewage often backs up and leaks on the street. Sun comes out and dries it all up, the cars run over it and turn it into dust and spread it in the air. He truly felt it was unclean to eat there. Sort of soured my tastebuds and I've been eating at Gus Asadero forever, that never even occured to me! Eh, I've probably eaten a lot worse, like "meat on a stick" from a 55 gallon drum with a fire on street corners in Brazil, etc. Ain't killed me yet!

Dang Sub... I missed the cotton candy! But there was a guy making fresh cut potato chips in a disco, flavored with fresh-squeezed lime. Kind of greasy, put pretty darned good for a buck!

 

[Stuart]

For some reason the Official press release from the OCV posted twice, sorry about that :|

No problem, Manny. Duplicate deleted.

 

[Roberto]

Anyone find out who the Warden of Nogales is?
Name? He should be interviewed.

.

The 'Warden' is a female and they will not tell you her name, nor will they tell you the name of her supervisor. I agree, the responsibility needs to be pushed towards the US Consular section, they are ultimately responsible.

 

[Submarine]

Although true that there have been check points setup by the government along highway 8 from time to time, they are there to protect the public by enhancing security. It has also become known that, the person issuing the original Message from Tijuana, was not employed by the Consulate office but, merely a private citizen operating as a volunteer.

I find this part particularly interesting. I suppose I should thank the OCV for 'officially' validating the presence of checkpoints, but then the message devolves into the 'shoot the messenger' response that has been the theme lately. From whom did 'it become known'? From the US consulate people who won't give their names? Seems fishy to me, as if anyone could just write a Message from the Warden and have it posted on the consulate website. I should write one saying she's throwing a kegger next Friday.

Speaking about checkpoints, when I come upon a U.S Border patrol checkpoint, there are at least two flashing signs identifying it as such from about a half mile a way. Then there's a bunch of cones an signs, it's well lighted, and there are many BP agents in an official green, but not threatening or military style, uniform. I'm sure they are armed but sidearms are not prominently displayed. Contrast this with the checkpoints I've come across on Hwy 8 where the first sign is slowing vehicles, then maybe a few cones, then lots of younger men in military fatigues carrying automatic assault rifles and light machine guns. No way to tell whether these checkpoints are official or not, or just former military soldiers who now work for a cartel. It's not a very comforting scene for your average American.

It would be nice if all this effort being expended by the RP cheer squad trying to discredit U.S. consulate staff was instead directed at Pres. Calderon in order to end the violence that is the real problem.

 

[Wood Spinner]

Has all of this information been sent to the TV media for follow up? I do not know how, but it needs to be done!

 

[MIRAMAR]

When we had 2 teenagers lost overnight on the sea in January of 2009, the U.S. Consulate office contacted me asking for a full report of what happened. Here is the person who requested the info, but I don't know if she's still there. Perhaps someone can email them to determine who sent out the "Unauthorized Checkpoints" message:

Susanna Gransee
U.S. Consulate Nogales
Consular Section
Phone: 01-631-311-8150
Fax: 01-631-313-4652
Gransee, Susanna M [mailto:[email protected]]

Here's the website for the Warden and the person who gave me the website:
http://nogales.usconsulate.gov/registration.html

Kaanta, IvonneA [mailto:[email protected]]
Ana Ivonne Kaanta
American Citizen Services

 

[Manny Sanchez]

Has anybody heard this 11-minute conversation/interview with Joseph Crook, Public Affairs Official at the US Consulate in Tijuana. This office is responsible for warnings for Baja California and Sonora. Specifically, Mr. Crook is the responsible party here: http://www.manticoregroup.com/misc/USRP2.mp3

 

[VacationVanessa]

Yes, Mr. Crook does a fine job of backpedalling doesn't he?

 

[Submarine]

Has anybody heard this 11-minute conversation/interview with Joseph Crook, Public Affairs Official at the US Consulate in Tijuana. This office is responsible for warnings for Baja California and Sonora. Specifically, Mr. Crook is the responsible party here: http://www.manticoregroup.com/misc/USRP2.mp3

Yes I have!
I think the interview would fall in the category of "ambush" and Mr. Crook responds as expected.
Mr. Crook is basically saying that they have received multiple reports of unauthorized checkpoints along Hwy 8 and that it was their duty to release this information.
Mel tries to pin Mr. Crook down as far as the U.S. investigating these reports, and he points out correctly that the U.S. has no authority to conduct investigations on Mexican soil.
It doesn't seem surprising to me that Mel alleges that he has been unable to find any Mexican official aware of these 'unauthorized checkpoints' because up to 85% of crime goes unreported in that country. If American citizens were stopped at unauthorized checkpoints, along Hwy 8 or elsewhere, I bet they would be crossing the border pronto without looking back and call the US Consulate later.
It seems unlikely to me that multiple citizens made multiple false reports, as Mel alleges, in order to harm the economy of Mexico. However, a simple Freedom of Information Act request would give you the ammunition you need to investigate these reports.