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jerezano

Mar 17, 2010, 7:32 AM

Post #1 of 22 (13363 views)

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15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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Hello all:

Fifteen automibiles stolen at a false blockade

On Highway 15-D (the cuota) between Mazatlán and San Blas

The Sol de Zacatecas reported this morning the 17th of March 2010 the following:

Datelined Mazatlán the 16th of March it reports that at Escuinapa, Sinaloa fifteen vehicles were stolen at a false roadblock.

Officially only nine robberies have been reported because the other six owners had not yet filed official complaints.

The false blockade was on 15-D the cuota. Vehicles stolen ranged from a Honda 2008 through two Ford Lobo's, a Ford Explorer, a Ford 150 , a Chevrolet pickup, a Chrysler 300 and one other. Nothing yet reported on the others.

The article reports that the false police were wearing Federal Police uniforms.

No gringo names were included in the list of owners robbed.

I am reporting this on the General forum rather than the Travel in Mexico forum because I believe all of us should be aware of this event.

Hasta luego, Jerezano.

arbon

Mar 17, 2010, 8:34 AM

Post #2 of 22 (13323 views)

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Re: [jerezano] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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It was also in a Mazatlan news paper (but unconfirmed)

http://www.noroeste.com.mx/...ciones.php?id=565664
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jerezano

Mar 17, 2010, 12:50 PM

Post #3 of 22 (13229 views)

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Re: [arbon] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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Hello all,

As I stated earlier, the Sol de Zacatecas of this morning (the 16th) posted names of nine owners who had reported officially the robbery and the types of cars stolen. That seems to be pretty solid. The remaining owners are probably having difficulty with the Mexican paperwork as the robberies must be reported in the precinct where the vehicles were stolen, there in Sinaloa, and they are probably trying to get transportation back to there and fill out the necessary papers. I would suppose they all went home and those people not living there in Sinaloa would obviously have problems without a car.

I cannot believe this to be a rumor with the data given. I hope there will be a follow-up article or confirmation in some other national or international newspaper chain.

jerezano

(This post was edited by jerezano on Mar 17, 2010, 12:54 PM)

Brian

Mar 17, 2010, 1:10 PM

Post #4 of 22 (13214 views)

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Re: [jerezano] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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I get a lot of information from El Universal. They covered the story briefly but, at a minimum, I would discard any notion of it being a rumor:

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/666294.html

Brian

(This post was edited by Brian on Mar 17, 2010, 1:30 PM)

arbon

Mar 17, 2010, 1:23 PM

Post #5 of 22 (13207 views)

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Re: [Brian] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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I think it happened 3 days ago?, and was not reported on any Mazatlan "Expat forum".

PS. I think Brian has other News Sources available, as well.
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(This post was edited by arbon on Mar 17, 2010, 1:29 PM)

Brian

Mar 17, 2010, 1:34 PM

Post #6 of 22 (13194 views)

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Re: [arbon] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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I did Arbon but the link I just posted won't work for others. I use Google News from Mexico as my default. Everything comes up in Spanish of course. But when I send a link to anyone, it won't work if they have Google pointing to USA or Canada etc. Sorry. At least 15 or so other papers have carried the story but El Universal is the biggest and most reliable in my experience.

Brian

rockydog85251

Mar 17, 2010, 1:40 PM

Post #7 of 22 (13193 views)

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Re: [Brian] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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Yep, it was posted on Whatsupmaz.org:

"TRAVEL WARNING!"

Topic Start Sunday, March 14, 2010 @ 2:35:33 PM / Messages = 9 / Reads = 3582

Sort of buried within the thread........

More killings this morning at a car dealership on the carretera....4 killed, 6 cars destroyed...it's on Noroeste.com.mx
Willie

Vichil

Mar 17, 2010, 2:43 PM

Post #8 of 22 (13150 views)

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Re: [rockydog85251] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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For some reason lots of murders seem to be buried, too many to report... A friend of mine was attending an artisan fair in Mazatlan last Monday : she told me that two policemen were attacked with grenades and killed just outside the show, causing a panic inside. She heard two were dead and some other people were wounded but did not know what the final count was.
Did not see it on the news but when I checked the Mazatlan papers I saw that some 15 people were killed the same week and the article listed all the victims but I am not sure which event she witnessed..too many murders around the same day.

The stolen cars is worrysome but not nearly as all of these attacks with AK 47 and grenades..You can live without a car.

(This post was edited by Vichil on Mar 17, 2010, 3:52 PM)

rockydog85251

Mar 17, 2010, 3:20 PM

Post #9 of 22 (13129 views)

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Re: [Vichil] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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Well, today, mid-morning, there were 4 murdered at a used car dealership & 6 vehicles destroyed by a thrown granade.
Two more bodies found on the libre at the turnoff to El Quelite, a Pueblo Magico!

It is turning into a war zone around here.....most of the night clubs are nearly empty now on the weekends, restaurants are not doing well. It will remain to be seen what will transpire during Semana Pascua and Semana Sants, as well as Moto Week.

The economy is not doing well to start with and now all this!!!
Willie

Vichil

Mar 17, 2010, 8:58 PM

Post #10 of 22 (13040 views)

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Re: [rockydog85251] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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My friend told me that the Mexicans did not attend the show like they did in previous years because they were afraid to come out especially after dark but that the Americans (read foreigners) came in greater number than before because "they did not seem to be afraid" . She was delighted with the business she did from the show.

Peter

Mar 18, 2010, 12:02 AM

Post #11 of 22 (13028 views)

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Re: [Vichil] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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I'm not sure why this thread got moved over to this geographical region listing as I think WHAT is happening is more important than WHERE it is happening on this subject. Like Mexico media this site is also turning its back on the news and relegating it to local information when something of this magnitude is important to ALL of Mexico, its residents and tourists.

I do not read this geographical area listing very often as I do not live nearby or travel here much. If I were seeking information about spots of local interest, museums, hotels, or coffee klatch gatherings I would come to this site to find discussion or make inquiry. Perhaps the foreigners you mention didn't get the word about the dangers for the same reasons. In which case, if this was moved here to stimulate the economy then it seems to be working. Otherwise this discussion is really of interest to the whole of Mexico and belongs in those non-regional forums.

(This post was edited by Peter on Mar 18, 2010, 12:08 AM)

Marlene / Moderator

Mar 18, 2010, 9:35 AM

Post #12 of 22 (12982 views)

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Re: [Peter] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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This news and all the rest of the Mexico news is and has been readily available everywhere. It's been in all the newspapers. There is nothing hiding anywhere. Unfortunately by the time the "news" gets to the English forums it has been distorted and usually prefixed with "I heard......". Unless there is a LOCAL source link to accompany a story, it should not be considered too credible. Case in point and a good example...there has been unsubstantiated hear-say inserted into this thread. Relating embellished hearsay is not "news", it is rumor.

The murder of 2 policeman in the Golden Zone on the evening of March 8th at 7:30 pm was a targeted ambush. The two victims were killed by bullets from automatic weapons. A grenade was thrown inside the police car to make sure they were really dead. It went under the dash of the car and caused the hood to lift. There were ZERO other people wounded. It happened very quickly. How do I know there were NO other people wounded? I was right there in person, only half a block away, same block, when it happened. My husband was working a live show outside on a restaurant patio. When the getaway vehicles sped past (seconds after the incident) he approached the scene to make sure it was all over, to allow people to go back out on the patio. (He and a waiter had moved everyone inside when the sound of gunfire was heard). He was quite taken aback to find a crowd of foreign tourists already gathered to analyze the grizzly event. It struck him as bizarre. (His crowd continued to eat (I drank!) and no one left there either.) Throngs of tourists from restaurants nearby, passed by to go "see" what happened even though taxi drivers tried to take them out of the immediate area.

The incident on the highway yesterday at the used car dealership, also was not a random event, and from our knowledge of the situation, there was no one involved who was not part of the business. There is a lot more to this story, as with most others that we read about. It is an incredibly horrid way to settle scores, but this has been the way of life in certain circles here for decades. These are NOT random crimes. These types of "wars" are not exactly new in Mexico, either.

The incident mentioned in this thread, about the highway car robberies, was in the newspapers right away, as there were two Noroeste news reporters, traveling from Guadalajara to Mazatlan who were victims as well. It was a fake roadblock, and it apparently wasn't clear it was bad guys, at first. They were told to get out of their cars so everything could be searched and only as events unfolded did they realize these guys were not a Federal road check. (Road checks are really common here lately, so people are used to them..we drive through at least one or two every day, between our home and the downtown or Golden Zone). There have been many, many, many past incidents of robberies on isolated stretches of highways. People have regularly, and often, been told DO NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT! This happened after dark. Buses also get pulled over and it's drivers and passengers robbed, at night.

There are a lot of bad things happening everywhere, and nothing is a secret. There are news sources covering those events. What annoys me is when someone posts hearsay, that is clearly far from what really happened. A non-spanish speaking person is better off using a Google language translator to try to understand a story, than relying on hearsay via the expat community, to get the news. Someone's gardener or housekeeper heard from a friend at the corner store. Not reliable, especially given language barriers. We have a close relative working for a large local newspaper, in a capacity that requires him to be at the scene of these events. I consider him a reliable source.

If anyone is wanting news stories about any area in the North Pacific region, I have no problem posting links to them, but you can easily get them from the online newspapers.

(This post was edited by Marlene on Mar 18, 2010, 10:22 AM)

Marlene / Moderator

Mar 18, 2010, 10:00 AM

Post #13 of 22 (12968 views)

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Re: [rockydog85251] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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Quote

most of the night clubs are nearly empty now on the weekends, restaurants are not doing well. It will remain to be seen what will transpire during Semana Pascua and Semana Sants, as well as Moto Week

When was the last time you went out on a weekend in the Golden Zone? To name just a few I am familiar with, Heathers Place, The Purple Onion, and Las Zarapes are packed on all weekend nights, and have been for several weeks.

As far as International Motorcyle Week, The Discovery Channel is coming to film the event, so we expect it to be bigger than ever. That was in the newspaper a few weeks ago.

I doubt anything will keep the national Semana Santa crowds from the beaches, since anything happening in Mazatlan pales by comparison to MANY other areas of Mexico. (Acapulco, Zihua/Ixtapa for starters). That said, Semana Santa crowds have never really been a big draw for local restaurants. They just create a traffic snarl and no parking anywhere. This crowd tends to take coolers to the beach, filled with food and beer, and stay with relatives (we bought a small house for good reason!) or in places with cooking facilities.

Tab

Mar 18, 2010, 12:59 PM

Post #14 of 22 (12938 views)

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Re: [Marlene] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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How would one be able to tell that a road block is actually fake for future reference? Would you ask the "police" to see their badge maybe? Would one think that would potentially make the situation worse?

My husband and I are making the move in a little over 2 months from Canada to Mazatlan. While it seems like the wrong time to actually make the long drive, we have had it in the works for a while and are just going ahead with it (naturally with some fear these days).

Marlene / Moderator

Mar 18, 2010, 1:11 PM

Post #15 of 22 (12935 views)

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Re: [Tab] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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That's a very good question. They are counting on people believing they are real and they have flashing lights and uniforms of some sort. That incident was south of Mazatlan and it was dark.

Some people I know personally have run right past fellows trying to flag them over in the middle of nowhere. I think the moderator of a local forum posted that they had done that. It stated in one of the newspapers that a couple of people had run the one in question that night too.

It's happened around the free roads north of Mazatlan too, so it's not just the Federal highway. It's also happened numerous times on the Mazatlan-Durango Highway. Drive only during the day, and carry an activated cell phone in your pocket, in case you find yourself with no access to your purse. Keep alert and follow your instincts.

Peter

Mar 18, 2010, 1:20 PM

Post #16 of 22 (12926 views)

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Re: [Marlene] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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This news and all the rest of the Mexico news is and has been readily available everywhere. It's been in all the newspapers.
______

So you feel it is the "where" and not the "what" that is important and this thread unequivocably belongs in this region forum? That was the point of my previous post.

(This post was edited by Peter on Mar 18, 2010, 1:25 PM)

Marlene / Moderator

Mar 18, 2010, 2:20 PM

Post #17 of 22 (12910 views)

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Re: [Peter] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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Peter, my post was meant to be in response to your other comment.

To address your current question, I think region specific posts probably do belong in their rightful places, in order to keep the forum in good order. Another moderator likely made the decision to move this thread for that very reason.

Rolly

Mar 18, 2010, 2:32 PM

Post #18 of 22 (12907 views)

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Re: [Marlene] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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I did the dastardly deed for the reasons Marlene said.

Rolly Pirate

tonyburton

Mar 18, 2010, 2:57 PM

Post #19 of 22 (12894 views)

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Re: [Peter] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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Inevitably, it is often very difficult to decide where a particular thread really belongs. Fortunately, I don't have to make that decision very often, because Marlene, Rolly, Esperanza and the other moderators do such a truly splendid job of getting in there before me and making the appropriate choice!
It's much simpler for readers if longer, more popular threads aren't moved unless it's absolutely necessary. This explains why some threads, especially those which have changed direction or meandered from topic to topic, may not end up being in their ideal location, if such a place exists.
And, while I'm on general points, thanks, everyone, for keeping these recent discussions civil and non-personal, and also for not starting the same thread on more than one forum (this can give moderators a tough time to unravel or sort out).

Reefhound

Mar 19, 2010, 10:22 AM

Post #20 of 22 (12818 views)

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Re: [Tab] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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Real or fake? I'm not sure there is any way to tell as it is not just dumb gringos getting caught up in them but native Mexicans. Perhaps all the official checkpoints are making it too easy for the bad guys to do the same? If the feds were to say they were doing no roadblocks (or not without something distinguishing the bad guys could not reproduce) then you could tell a fake roadblock in advance and u-turn. I don't think asking for badges would be effective as once you're stopped it's too late to do anything about it. You could run it but risk getting fired at, real or fake.

robt65

Mar 20, 2010, 6:49 PM

Post #21 of 22 (12706 views)

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Re: [jerezano] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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Jerezano,

No mention of what happened to the occupants of these vehicles. Does anyone know what happened to them? Cars and trucks can be insured, but people can not be replaced.

Robert

jerezano

Mar 21, 2010, 8:29 AM

Post #22 of 22 (12628 views)

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Re: [robt65] 15 Vehicles Stolen on 15-D between Mazatlán and San Blas

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Hello all,

Robert asked:>>>>No mention of what happened to the occupants of these vehicles. Does anyone know what happened to them? Cars and trucks can be insured, but people can not be replaced.<<<<

Not stated anywhere but we can assume that nothing happened to the owners of those vehicles because nine of them filed official reports with the proper local authorities. The others? Perhaps they will report when they get around to it. Perhaps not. Are they dead or disappeared? I don't think so. I think the problem is that they live out of the area and without a car are having difficulty returning to file the reports.

I only posted the original of this thread to alert people driving north or south on 15-D from Nogales to Puerto Vallarta or points in between to be cautious and to be prepared for the unexpected. At least carry a bottle of water with you at all times, a cellular phone if you have one in a pocket, not separated from you (in your purse or in the glove compartment) and somehow hide emergency funds on your body or in your clothing somewhere. There have been no reports yet of body searches or of actual robberies of funds. Although that could have happened too.

Hasta luego, jerezano