# Laredo, TX: Which crossing? and Police



## GnJ.in.MX

Greetings All.

Which crossing in Laredo is preferable?
Also, what is the best time to cross to ensure a speedier crossing and less hassle (referring to traffic congestion, not customs agent hassle)?

With respect to police, I understand that sometimes they will stop you for no reason at all. Some folks have told us "just pay the amount of the ticket to the officer (a bribe?), or I have read that you lose your license until you pay the ticket at your local government office.

I have also heard some talk about being stopped by "fake" police. Any suggestions on that would also be helpful.

We just want to be prepared for everything.

Thanks in advance.
Julie


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## RVGRINGO

Just cross at Laredo in the daylight and continue south, watching for speed traps. If stopped, insist upon a ticket and ignore threats of confiscating your car. Ask for the officer's ID and his badge number. Have a pad ready to record those items. Insist upon the ticket and he will probably go away. In some states, they can hold your license until you pay the ticket. If they do, forget it and order a replacement. Don't fall into the bribery trap. Most tickets are dirt cheap if paid at the local 'redaudadora' office. However, they have no way to trace you, etc. Paying a bribe, or the officer accepting one is a felony in Mexico and you certainly can remind the officer of that fact. We've never done it and never will.
Yes, there are fake traffic cops; bandits, in fact. So, if you suspect one, don't stop until you get to a well populated place, a toll booth or other safe location. If you don't get to see a badge and official police vehicle, drive away quickly. If the policeman is wearing a mask, scoot! Never stop for anyone in a deserted stretch of highway for any reason. You wouldn't do that anywhere, would you?
However, your odds of having any unhappy incidents are pretty low unless you are driving this weeks most desirable vehicle, flashing money and wearing jewlery. You can't help it if your car is full of stuff, but you can keep it always in sight and in a secure hotel lot at night. We've never felt threatened on the road or anywhere in Mexico, but have heard of a few cases where naive people have made themselves vulnerable by being obvious or traveling in the dark.


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## BryansRose

I drove down through Laredo to San Luis Potosi a couple months ago for the first time. Friends back in the US asked me to tell them about all the strange and funny incidents I experienced on the trip. I had to say: " none at all". Watch for the cows and goats, though. 

A US citizen living in SLP emailed me a form to hand to any officer who stopped me for an "alleged" traffic violation. It asked for all the pertinent info, name, badge number, etc. She told me it usually made them go away.  If you want a copy, give me your email and I'll send it along. 

I was told, also, as RVGringo said, to cross in the daylight. Also, to do it on a weekday, not a weekend or holiday. There was no wait. We had a little trouble finding the place to get our FMT's and car permit, but in the end it was not a problem. 

We stopped only at the toll plazas. The worst we experienced was chicos who insisted on cleaning my windshield no matter how many times I said no. There are restrooms at the toll stops. If you haven't driven down before, it's good to know that the toilet paper is not in each stall, but is at the entrance. There may also be an attendant who will want a peso or two for using the washroom. Keep a roll of toilet paper in the car, just in case. 

P.S. You do know that you have to find a separate location for your car permit? And about 15-20 miles down the highway is another customs checkpoint?

There are a few women here who make the drive from SLP to Laredo alone. It's safe, as long as you use the common sense you would use in a large city in the US.


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## mexliving

i usually sleep in texas of the freeway 35/ there is a holiday inn (cant remember the name) but is about 15 miles from the border its the only visible building there. Free breakfast in the morning and i cross around 7 30 am.... the imigration office is usually empty. the highway is no more then 15 minutes leaving the imigration office. I have crossed with luggage on my roof rack and hitch luggage rack and never had a problem. i would say from past expirience that the transit police are the ones that will harrass anyone and get some "mordida". the toll roads and autopistas are patrolled by federal police wich are usually driving those 4 door dodge charger type cars , sometimes they drive the trucks. the traffic or speeding rules are, they confiscate your drivers license and they take it back to headquarters so when you pay your ticket you get your license back. so for most of us, it the headquarters is in the town we passes 3 hours ago , we really dont want the ticket.... better to pay some mordida (300pesos) you usually get stopped if you dont have a front license plate, if you are not issued a front plate, simply make a color copy and laminate just to avoid giving a reason to stop you.
i got stopped going 90 mph (not smart) in sinaloa and i was able to tell the officer i would watch my speed and that i really did not want to have to drive back to the station to pay the ticket..... he let me go...
they do use radar down here, it would be nice to know what type so that we can buy a radar detector....

the best tip is not to speed
driving at night is dangerous , some reports of people placing rocks on highway to make drivers get flat tire...... so if you drive at night, dont speed so that you have enough time to avoid any objects on the road.

when you cross the border into mexico, as you drive in through town to the highway puchase a mexico tell cell phone... you can buy one in OXXO (24 hour store ) i always write down the phone numbers on the tow trucks i see as i make my way through the towns... that way if i have a engine problem i know what number to call. there is also the 24hour tourist/traveler emergency number...... the best cell phone is the basic 400 pesos phone... dont get those fancy cell phones because the signal is weaker when you travel out of cities.


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## mexliving

*laredo fmt/car permit*

i cross in laredo jan 2008 and both fmt and car permit where in the same building. the building is rectangular and faces the river so when you cross the border you (i cant remember) make a left or right and back track towards the river. once you have your permits you simply make a right to exit parking lot and take that small road to highway.
in my opinion, because of the economy and the hotel/tourist industry shaken from the recent virus- i would not recomend handing a letter to any transit/cop , rather go along with their objective (mordida) just to eliminate any problems or escalate a situation into something more dangerous....

i was in mexico city and was not wearing my seat belt, 6 transit cops stood in front of my car and stopped me. i rolled my window down 2 inches and began to speak to the transit cop (tan uniform) while the others went around looking to see what i had in the back.... i speak decent spanish and after he told me there was a fine for not wearing my seatbelt i said "fine , lets go to the station" he became angry and began yelling at me that if he did not get his money that he would impound my car. i opened my wallet and gave him too much money 3,000 pesos. (because they where 6 of them). yes, i know most of you will think how stupid giving him that much... but the situation was excalating and i had paper plates/ not original plates with expired paper plate.
plus i had heard the stories of transit cops in mexico city impounding cars when mordida was refused..... not only tourist but mexican citizens.....


i always wear my seatbelt all the time .


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## RVGRINGO

Please, don't pay 'mordida'. It is a felony for you, as well as the recipient. Instead, start writing down descriptions, etc. Use the forms to report such incidents to the state and federal authorities, including the Ministry of Tourism. To pay mordida is only encouraging them. I have never heard of anyone experiencing any confiscation or violence when they refuse to pay.


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## El Toro Furioso

We now use the Columbia Bridge crossing exclusively. There is never any wait at all in our experience. The first time that we returned to Mexico through Nuevo Laredo, we were stopped for "speeding." They took my license and said that they would keep it until I paid the ticket. This was at about 8:30am, and they told me that the ticket office didn't open until 2pm. We would have lost a whole day of travel and been out another hotel night. So I paid a mordida of $1,000 pesos, down from the $1,500 that he originally demanded. These two officers didn't have to try to look mean and brutal. It was the right thing to do.

I don't know how anyone can say to just leave your driver's license with corrupt police. There are many horrendous stories of identity theft by doing just that. I got a duplicate license just for the purpose of leaving it in the hands of the police until a Mexican friend pointed out the error of that logic. Please don't put yourselves in that position.


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## El Toro Furioso

I just read on lamanzanilla.info that the Columbia Bridge crossing into Texas just west of Laredo is being converted to a pass-only-by-special-credit-card crossing. This is wrong. It has only to do with one lane after you have crossed the border into the US if you are going on the toll road instead of into Laredo. Don't believe this nonsense. Mexico replacing union workers with machines? Not.


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## bournemouth

El Toro Furioso said:


> I just read on lamanzanilla.info that the Columbia Bridge crossing into Texas just west of Laredo is being converted to a pass-only-by-special-credit-card crossing. This is wrong. It has only to do with one lane after you have crossed the border into the US if you are going on the toll road instead of into Laredo. Don't believe this nonsense. Mexico replacing union workers with machines? Not.


El Toro - it's not Mexico but the state of Texas that is making the change. It went into effect on 1st June - read here:

http://www.caminocolombia.org/


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## El Toro Furioso

Bournemouth, read my post again. I said virtually the same thing as you, that it is in the US, not Mexico and that the rumor is false.


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## sbd76

*Traddic violation form*



BryansRose said:


> I drove down through Laredo to San Luis Potosi a couple months ago for the first time. Friends back in the US asked me to tell them about all the strange and funny incidents I experienced on the trip. I had to say: " none at all". Watch for the cows and goats, though.
> 
> A US citizen living in SLP emailed me a form to hand to any officer who stopped me for an "alleged" traffic violation. It asked for all the pertinent info, name, badge number, etc. She told me it usually made them go away.  If you want a copy, give me your email and I'll send it along.
> 
> I was told, also, as RVGringo said, to cross in the daylight. Also, to do it on a weekday, not a weekend or holiday. There was no wait. We had a little trouble finding the place to get our FMT's and car permit, but in the end it was not a problem.
> 
> We stopped only at the toll plazas. The worst we experienced was chicos who insisted on cleaning my windshield no matter how many times I said no. There are restrooms at the toll stops. If you haven't driven down before, it's good to know that the toilet paper is not in each stall, but is at the entrance. There may also be an attendant who will want a peso or two for using the washroom. Keep a roll of toilet paper in the car, just in case.
> 
> P.S. You do know that you have to find a separate location for your car permit? And about 15-20 miles down the highway is another customs checkpoint?
> 
> There are a few women here who make the drive from SLP to Laredo alone. It's safe, as long as you use the common sense you would use in a large city in the US.


*Please email me the form mentioned in paragraph cut and pasted below. Much appreciated. 

[email protected]

US citizen living in SLP emailed me a form to hand to any officer who stopped me for an "alleged" traffic violation. It asked for all the pertinent info, name, badge number, etc. She told me it usually made them go away. If you want a copy, give me your email and I'll send it along. *:clap2:


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## BryansRose

Sent to your email.


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## El Toro Furioso

RVGRINGO said:


> Just cross at Laredo in the daylight and continue south, watching for speed traps. If stopped, insist upon a ticket and ignore threats of confiscating your car. Ask for the officer's ID and his badge number. Have a pad ready to record those items. Insist upon the ticket and he will probably go away. In some states, they can hold your license until you pay the ticket. If they do, forget it and order a replacement. Don't fall into the bribery trap. Most tickets are dirt cheap if paid at the local 'redaudadora' office. However, they have no way to trace you, etc. Paying a bribe, or the officer accepting one is a felony in Mexico and you certainly can remind the officer of that fact. We've never done it and never will.


I beg to differ a little on these points, especially if one is stopped in Nuevo Laredo or any other border town. We were stopped in Nuevo Laredo for "speeding." The two quite nasty policia took my license and said that I could pay the ticket after 2pm that afternoon. They wouldn't tell me where to go to pay it even though I asked them repeatedly. It was a little after 8am and we would have lost the day driving back to lakeside if we had insisted on the ticket. Getting a replacement license leaves one open to identity theft using the license you have forfeited. We paid the mordida of $1,000 pesos, kept my license and didn't have to pay for an extra night's hotel. Also, the police in Nuevo Laredo have been known to get violent if not bribed. They really aren't police officers at all, they are criminals, so taking down names and badge numbers (these guys didn't have their badges on, but showed them to me while covering up the numbers) may not be a reasonable nor safe thing to do.

This is the main reason we take the non-toll road to the Columbia Bridge crossing, no [email protected]#$ing Nuevo Lardeo police. A few miles north of downtown, get off of 35 at the "Red Roof Inn" exit (they have a huge sign). Go one long block west of the RRI and make a right. About a mile north is the non-toll road to the Columbia Bridge. The last time we went to Laredo, there was a sign for the toll road (which apparently requires an electronic "TexTag" or whatever to pay) but no sign for the other free road on 35.


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## VincentG

BryansRose said:


> I drove down through Laredo to San Luis Potosi a couple months ago for the first time. Friends back in the US asked me to tell them about all the strange and funny incidents I experienced on the trip. I had to say: " none at all". Watch for the cows and goats, though.
> 
> A US citizen living in SLP emailed me a form to hand to any officer who stopped me for an "alleged" traffic violation. It asked for all the pertinent info, name, badge number, etc. She told me it usually made them go away.  If you want a copy, give me your email and I'll send it along.
> 
> I was told, also, as RVGringo said, to cross in the daylight. Also, to do it on a weekday, not a weekend or holiday. There was no wait. We had a little trouble finding the place to get our FMT's and car permit, but in the end it was not a problem.
> 
> We stopped only at the toll plazas. The worst we experienced was chicos who insisted on cleaning my windshield no matter how many times I said no. There are restrooms at the toll stops. If you haven't driven down before, it's good to know that the toilet paper is not in each stall, but is at the entrance. There may also be an attendant who will want a peso or two for using the washroom. Keep a roll of toilet paper in the car, just in case.
> 
> P.S. You do know that you have to find a separate location for your car permit? And about 15-20 miles down the highway is another customs checkpoint?
> 
> There are a few women here who make the drive from SLP to Laredo alone. It's safe, as long as you use the common sense you would use in a large city in the US.



Would you please e-mail me a copy of the form you refer to? [email protected]


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## Mr.Chips

Colombia is (in my opinion) the easiest place to cross.No confusion...immigration/car permit all in one place.It is easy to get a Texas Tag online to use the toll road.Everytime I have crossed at Laredo (either way),its "dodge em" cars on the bridge.Coming north,the transito police hit me for a ticket (400 pesos) which I only had the energy left to knock down from 800 pesos. Just drive slow when you leave Colombia for the toll road south.


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## VincentG

Mr.Chips said:


> Colombia is (in my opinion) the easiest place to cross.No confusion...immigration/car permit all in one place.It is easy to get a Texas Tag online to use the toll road.Everytime I have crossed at Laredo (either way),its "dodge em" cars on the bridge.Coming north,the transito police hit me for a ticket (400 pesos) which I only had the energy left to knock down from 800 pesos. Just drive slow when you leave Colombia for the toll road south.


Thank you


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## RVGRINGO

That wasn't a 'ticket', it was a bribe and paying it is a felony just as much as receiving it. Tell them you know that and most of them will back off. Insist that they write a ticket (folio) and they'll usually send you on your way.


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## VincentG

VincentG said:


> Thank you


What is a texas tag?


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## RVGRINGO

Texas has some toll roads which require automatic reading of your vehicle's tag and the billing is to your account; a Texas Tag account, obtainable online with a credit card. You maintain a balance and the tolls are deducted from that balance.


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## VincentG

can you just pay cash on the toll roads?


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## Mr.Chips

There is no toll booth.I believe they will bill you by mail.


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## Loughs

BryansRose said:


> A US citizen living in SLP emailed me a form to hand to any officer who stopped me for an "alleged" traffic violation. It asked for all the pertinent info, name, badge number, etc. She told me it usually made them go away.  If you want a copy, give me your email and I'll send it along.


Hello,

I'm new on these forums and I wish I would have found them earlier. I'm leaving for Mexico on Friday and I could really use this form that is mentioned in the above quote.

Since I'm new I cannot pm anyone without making good posts, and I fear I do not have enough time to pack and make good posts. If anyone is listening, please send me this form as it sounds very helpful.

Thanks!

ps. Any other tips would be appreciated of course. I am crossing in Laredo.

I'm not sure if I can receive pm's either, but I'm reluctant to post my email on this open forum channel.


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## BryansRose

You can send me your email at [email protected] and I'll email back the form to you. Also, be wary in Nuevo Laredo. It's best to cross the border in the morning, and don't stop in town. If there were to be any gun battles, they tend to happen between 3 pm and 4 am, last I heard from the US Consul in Monterrey.


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## conklinwh

I think Columbia is certainly easier but hours not as good for FMM and permiso and rte 2 a real speed trap. We have gone back to using Laredo 1 and 2. The easiest is to take a right turn before crossing, I think Laredo 1 and route around a few blocks to a more local crossing. This also makes it very easy to get to immigration as is a right and then right. After immigration, I go the other way by taking a right and then left onto the Laredo bypass.


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## El Blanco Sol

My wife (she's from Saltillo) and I travel to the States every six weeks or so. If we're just going to Laredo we cross at the Neuvo Laredo/ Laredo border without hassle. During the week is better as the wait is substantially less. We have crossed back over into Mexico through Neuvo Laredo without incident. Daylight hours are safer. Make sure to have the car permit (we do) as we have been stopped several times in Monterrey and without it they will confiscate your car. We generally use the Columbia crossing if we're going elsewhere in the States as the wait time is much less. Same goes for the return if we have no business in Laredo. Wear your seat belts and watch your speed. We always take the autopista; a little more costly but safer and faster. Hope this helps.


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## Ken Wood

*Border crossing*

My wife and I drove Queretaro / Austin round trip this week. We crossed in Laredo both times with no waiting lines, no hassle. The speed limits just south of the crossing seem unreasonably low to me, but I stay close to them, fudging a bit at times if the flow of traffic demands it. I have driven this route many times, and have never had trouble. If you have GPS, it works well to get you out of Laredo and onto the toll road, though the road signs seem to be well placed and accurate also. One unique feature that is ever-present this time of the year, especially with the current weather pattern, is the ground fog around Saltillo. It can be dangerously thick, slowing traffic to a crawl. I try to always leave Laredo early morning so I can make a one day run to Queretaro, but the price I pay is negotiating the Saltillo fog.


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