Wierd scene coming into Rocky Point today.

[Arizona2010]

I think promoting Rocky Point as a safe destination for Americans is dead now, as dead as the bodies strewn along the road to Sandy beach.
It's easy to look on the bright side from a distance, but not when there are dead bodies on your doorstep.

I think it is obvious the Mexican government knew who it was they were targeting in this raid, given the level of force that was used. If these were some low level smugglers instead of Macho, I don't think the government would go after them with helicopter gunships, air support, and in one of the resorts along Sandy Beach. I'm sure those connected with the drug trafficking organizations pass through Puerto Penasco all the time and it probably isn't a huge deal.

Now I am concerned when I go down there about the vehicle I take down with me as it is a nice black European car and don't want to get mistaken as being part of the cartel myself. If there were reports of nice vehicles and even a Rolls Royce, I'm sure the authorities will be keeping an eye out for cars like these as they are all on edge now. All of you guys down there and the people of Rocky Point are certainly in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[Terry C]

From one of the most trusted person in Rocky Point, Our Rosie Glover...

Situation under control in Rocky Point
Mayor Gerardo Figueroa Zazueta: Authorities acted according to security protocol
HERMOSILLO, SON; 18 DICEMBER 2013.- Rocky Point Mayor Professor Gerardo Figueroa Zazueta has informed that the situation is calm after a confrontation between Mexican Federal authorities and members of a criminal organization in the early morning hours in the area known as Sandy Beach.
In a press conference where he was accompanied by State Attorney General (PGEJ), Carlos Navarro Sugich, the Mayor assured the public that thanks to the rapid and strong response by all three levels of law enforcement, “the situation is now under control”.
“The residents of Puerto Peñasco can relax…as can tourists in the area where many condominiums are found. Security protocols were followed according to law enforcement regulations”, he said.
Figueroa Zazueta further explained that the operation is now one of vigilance in the city, meant to insure the safety and security of residents and visitors. He went on to thank Governor Guillermo Padrés Elías and Attorney General Navarro Sugich.
The Mayor pointed out that this is the first time this type of violent confrontation has occurred during his Administration, and that the incident unfolded in a dramatic manner and would surely capture public attention, despite more than a year of tranquility.
“Tourists living in or visiting the area should feel safe and take comfort in the fact that three levels of law enforcement came together to smother criminal activity, leaving only five dead…all of them presumed delinquent at this time.
“We understand the concern, but foreigners should know that this was a military operation specifically targeting those involved in organized crime who, unfortunately, resisted arrest”.

- RP is and will continue to be a safe tourist destination

- Today, Federal intelligence forces realized an operation that, among other things, sought to maintain that security and tranquility that we so enjoy

- During the operation, a group of criminals resisted arrest and were eventually quashed by federal forces aided by the Marines

- The safety of civilians remained at the forefront throughout the operation

- Although the operation was 100% Federal, it was done in coordination and with the cooperation of all levels of law enforcement

- The Mayor of Rocky Point saw to it that calm was returned to his city and personally guaranteed the peace and tranquility of all residents and their families as well as tourists and other visitors

- Mayor Figueroa Zazueta believes the intervention of federal forces should be seen as necessary for the protection of all within the city

- There is no curfew being imposed now that peace has been reclaimed

- Cooperation between three levels of law enforcement, as was evidenced today, is key to the tranquility of families

- Residents and tourists should take comfort in the fact that their safety is of primary importance in the State of Sonora

- Federal forces returned the peace of this community by acting rapidly and swiftly

- The State Government will remain alert and ready to protect the security and guarantee the safety of everyone in Rocky Point

- The message is clear: Neither Rocky Point nor Sonora have room for criminals and will make every effort to maintain this State’s status as the safest along the border

 

[Mexico Joe]

I think promoting Rocky Point as a safe destination for Americans is dead now, as dead as the bodies strewn along the road to Sandy beach.
It's easy to look on the bright side from a distance, but not when there are dead bodies on your doorstep.

It's still a safe destination but you can't defend it anymore. The bodies on the highway, the one off murders in the back streets that Jerry has been reporting, all of that you could say well it's really not happening in the tourist areas and tourists aren't the target, Rocky Point is safe, all of this stuff happens in America and more frequently but you still travel in America, bla bla bla. There is no possible justification for what happened today. It happened in broad daylight at the most popular resort/private residence in RP and the fact that it was 4 hours of small arms fire, and a helo gunship firing from above. There is nothing you can say to someone other than, this happened and say exactly how and why it happened and then follow by I will still visit RP however I'm fully aware that I can no longer brag or defend the place to people that ask. It is what it is. The reasoning before, well out of sight out of mind but now it's happened right at the damn POOL inside the resort. How can you rationalize that now?

To say that Rosy was great on 12 news is a stretch IMO. She was good with what she had but what she had was dog sh1t, so its hard to be good with that. Anyone that has any kind of understanding of interpersonal communication, non verbal body language would tell you that Rosy was clearly searching for what she wanted to say as she looked away from the camera several times. You could see her searching for words because she didn't know how to exactly go about telling people that Rocky Point is STILL safe. I do like the last statement she makes that makes me ever so confident. She says something like, these incidents have happened in RP but there's usually no innocent bystanders. That's reassuring, it's safe because fortunately up until today it hadn't happen at the Bella Sirena POOL.

If this was a Saturday and not a WEDNESDAY, I don't want to even think of the potential consequence.

 

[mis2810]

Do you think they (the Mexican military) would have handled it differently if it were a Saturday in June with a beach full of early morning walkers and runners? It isn't the Mexican military's job to oversee public relations, but I do wonder if it would have been different had there been civilians walking along the beach during high season right at the same hour that this started. I've been contacted by almost everyone I know today saying, "I thought you said RP was SAFE, huh?????" It kills me to hear that. Yes, I did say that. I even posted on here at one point that until there was a shooting on Sandy Beach I would still be coming down. Well there was a shooting on Sandy Beach and I'm still coming down. But no, I cannot defend RP like I once did. What am I supposed to say? I can defend that there was a shooting on Sandy Beach by bad guys, saying that bad guys shoot people in the US as well. But I have no defense for military helicopters firing into a residential neighborhood or condominium complex risking the lives of their local citizens innocently going to work, or the tourists who live and/or stay there. How do you defend that? Please write me a logical script and I'll be happy to regurgitate it.

 

[tequilatodd]

Interview by Rosy today on channel 12 (phoenix)...
http://www.azcentral.com/video/2948352154001

I too have noticed on various social media sites that the reaction is not as bad as I expected (ex. compared to previous incidents). Maybe its just that as a society we are numb to such stories or some are giving rocky point a pass as a singular incident (hopefully).

WAY TO GO ROSY!!!!!!

 

[Arizona2010]

Do you think they (the Mexican military) would have handled it differently if it were a Saturday in June with a beach full of early morning walkers and runners? How do you defend that? Please write me a logical script and I'll be happy to regurgitate it.

I don't know that you can necessarily defend what happened, the way it happened, but reading that it was a federal operation, I am sure they would be less likely to hold back force after thinking through all of the repercussions that could come as a result of the raid. If it were the State/Local authorities, I would probably bet they would have held back from launching the raid where they did. Clearly, this guy was a high-level target and the government did not want him slipping away before they could get him. Thank goodness it was not a Saturday. I imagine that given the moon was extremely bright last night when this operation began, it provided officers and soldiers a tactical advantage for sure.

 

[tequilatodd]

I will also continue to take my trips to PP. I will probably be more aware of my surroundings.
The one thing that I will not tolerate is the "I told you so's" Its my life and I will choose whats best for me.
My kids and some of my friends may no longer go....and thats ok with me.
Rick D'Amico....please keep your comments to yourself.

 

[PitiquitoRosy]

Melissa, despite what you've heard there was no helicopter shooting into a resort complex trying to pick off bad guys. There were shots fired at Bella Sirena once the military got there (on the ground) because they went after the bad guys who were entrenched there. Prior to that, the shooting from the helicopter had been directed at the bad guys in the desert.

 

[mis2810]

Melissa, despite what you've heard there was no helicopter shooting into a resort complex trying to pick off bad guys. There were shots fired at Bella Sirena once the military got there (on the ground) because they went after the bad guys who were entrenched there. Prior to that, the shooting from the helicopter had been directed at the bad guys in the desert.

Thanks, Rosie. I get what you're saying. But how do you explain that to a family with little kids? You know I'm not a nay-sayer scaredy-cat - the exact opposite, in fact. I would drive down right now, tonight and stay forever if I could. But just hearing that there was a helicopter shooting down in front of the resort in the desert is enough to make people think twice. I just hate that this is happening at all, and I'm just venting.

 

[tequilatodd]

channel 15......same story
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/national/4-dead-in-shootout-in-Rocky-Point-resort

channel 3 not much diff

 

[Panamahat]

There is one thing that I can not fault the military or the police for, The fact there were no civilian casualties. It does show a high degree of professionalism on their part, so kudos to all of for their bravery. I think one of them died if so my deepest sympathy for his family, a unsung hero.

 

[mis2810]

From Trip Advisor quoted from the Tucson report, courtesy of a forum member eyewitness - that they were firing into a densely populated residential development:

"An absolutely unreal experience,” said Stephen Heisler. "Whoever they were going after must have had a tremendous amount of power . . . To actually see a helicopter gunship firing into a dense residential area will haunt many for a very long time."

 

[PitiquitoRosy]

To say that Rosy was great on 12 news is a stretch IMO. She was good with what she had but what she had was dog sh1t, so its hard to be good with that. Anyone that has any kind of understanding of interpersonal communication, non verbal body language would tell you that Rosy was clearly searching for what she wanted to say as she looked away from the camera several times. You could see her searching for words because she didn't know how to exactly go about telling people that Rocky Point is STILL safe. I do like the last statement she makes that makes me ever so confident. She says something like, these incidents have happened in RP but there's usually no innocent bystanders. That's reassuring, it's safe because fortunately up until today it hadn't happen at the Bella Sirena POOL.

Lol! What you think is me searching for words is attributed to all of the following:

1. When interview started I was alone in the office. Three times during the interview someone walked in the door and I looked over each time and tried to signal them to be quiet.

2. The reporter swore she'd not ask about the incident (I didn't want to because the official statement hadn't been released) and then she kept mentioning the incident, which made me uncomfortable because I didn't have the info yet

3. Anyone who has spoken with me or heard my radio show knows that speech pattern is the way I speak naturally. I grew up as a stutterer and overcame it (mostly), but that's just the way I talk.

 

[dry heat]

We have a forum member that insinuated a helicopter firing into a residential area (one would assume a condo development). When then have another forum member saying that the helicopter was shooting into the desert area (one would assume a non residential area).

so which one is it? Both are very opposite of each other and it shows how dangerous it can be to report information that is incomplete. When a rumor or non factual story is started, it is hard to take it back. It is not often the best idea to be the 1st to report a story simply to be the 1st to report a story.

 

[playaperro]

From Trip Advisor quoted from the Tucson report, courtesy of a forum member eyewitness - that they were firing into a densely populated residential development:

"An absolutely unreal experience,” said Stephen Heisler. "Whoever they were going after must have had a tremendous amount of power . . . To actually see a helicopter gunship firing into a dense residential area will haunt many for a very long time."

And here he is saying it again.
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/video-american-rocky-point-resident-witnesses-shootout-killing-least-five/youtube_697b071e-681c-11e3-9d5a-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[tequilatodd]

To say that Rosy was great on 12 news is a stretch IMO. She was good with what she had but what she had was dog sh1t, so its hard to be good with that. Anyone that has any kind of understanding of interpersonal communication, non verbal body language would tell you that Rosy was clearly searching for what she wanted to say as she looked away from the camera several times. You could see her searching for words because she didn't know how to exactly go about telling people that Rocky Point is STILL safe. I do like the last statement she makes that makes me ever so confident. She says something like, these incidents have happened in RP but there's usually no innocent bystanders. That's reassuring, it's safe because fortunately up until today it hadn't happen at the Bella Sirena POOL.

If this was a Saturday and not a WEDNESDAY, I don't want to even think of the potential consequence.

Joe...I agree with you 100% on Saturday/Wednesday thing
Please dont say anything bad about Rosy.

 

[dmcauley]

To those of you who don't understand. Rosie does a great job of reporting but needs to be discreet as reporters who talk too much in Mexico don't have long life spans.
Keep up the good work Rosie. I believe RP is getting safer.

 

[mis2810]

I just receive an e-mail from the VP of the HOA at Las Palmas. They are saying that they have word from local government that there are still

We have a forum member that insinuated a helicopter firing into a residential area (one would assume a condo development). When then have another forum member saying that the helicopter was shooting into the desert area (one would assume a non residential area).

so which one is it? Both are very opposite of each other and it shows how dangerous it can be to report information that is incomplete. When a rumor or non factual story is started, it is hard to take it back. It is not often the best idea to be the 1st to report a story simply to be the 1st to report a story.

Exactly!!!!!!!!

 

[Arizona2010]

Having been assigned to an aviation unit in the Army and flown in Blackhawks many times, I can tell you what I heard in the video that was recorded by one of the people in the condo that sure did sound to me like a 50 cal. going off, and the guy even remarked too in the video on youtube the exact same thing. The gunner will be behind the .50 cal, which is mounted by the door on the side of the helicopter and the damage that weapon can do is incredible.

 

[PitiquitoRosy]

I was on the phone with Stephen at just after 5am and at various other times throughout the morning. Several times I specifically asked where the shooting was and always got the same answer: "in the desert". I'm fully aware the there was shooting at Bella Sirena, but that was ground forces who went in and shot the villa where the bad guys were. I'm not minimizing how frightening it must've been for people in the resorts, I'm just trying to keep facts from being distorted. Now someone even says the pool was shot up from a helicopter?? That's ridiculous. What the photos show is the blood where a wounded bad guy ran toward his villa's hot tub. You can each determine for yourselves whether to come to RP or not or whether to "defend" RP. I've always kind of preferred the skittish people stay home. Crime in the US continues to be RANDOM and in RP it is anything but. That means I at least have half a chance of mitigating the risk to me while here...something I cannot do when in Scottsdale.