# How are expats affected by drug violence in Mexico?



## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

A previous thread, 'What's the actual threat of Violence?' has been closed as it began to wander. I felt that it did not focus on the real questions regarding expats living in Mexico, the purpose of this forum, or even the effect upon travel by tourists.
As such, I've opened this new thread, where you may comment on those facts. It is simply too easy to drag up the conflicts and assassinations between drug cartels and/or the authorities. Let's avoid that and focus on how it affects us.
Thanks


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## moisheh (Jun 14, 2009)

Although we are still "pats" not "expats" The ongoing violence has escalated to the point where we did not go past Sonora this year.We had planned a trip via RV to Oaxaca but decided that would be a bad decision. I would imagine that those in the ****** strongholds would not be affected: SMA, Chapala, etc. These areas are not typical of the rest of Mexico and tend to be immune to those bad influences.

Moisheh


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## Demonio (May 17, 2010)

Chapala being immune from these bad influences is a bit over enthusiastic. The Chapala assistant chief of police was recently assassinated in broad daylight in the heart of the city. Later that day, three other men, including a police officer in full uniform who use to be the murdered assistant chief's body guard, were found murdered not too far away. How does this affect expats? Property values, quality of life, fear, etc., etc. True these things happen everywhere, but we're talking about MX here.


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## Queretaro (Dec 6, 2008)

I run a Spanish school in Mexico (soon to open a second in another city) and it definitely affects me. This year is not quite as bad (yet) as last year, in regards to the number of people asking about the safety, but it is still a concern from many. 

On a non-professional level, it has not affected me at all. On a day to day basis life goes on in Querétaro as normal. Even the recent kidnapping of Sevallos (which was not actually in the city) does not seem to have changed things.


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## Southbound (Sep 28, 2009)

Last weeks Guadalajara Reporter hinted that there could be a connection between the police murders in Chapala and Jocotepec. Has anyone heard an explanation of a possible police department connection? A month ago an assistant police chief in Guadalajara was also gunned down.
Could these killings be a message to the Chiefs of Police in these towns that the cartels have arrived full force and they could be next if they do not co-operate?
Just wondering if there a dots to be connected here and there...........


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

This is a rather common assumption, pure opinion on our parts and this is certainly not the place for us to discuss the possibilities, certainly not the political side. So, let's not connect any dots here. What is happening is not for our speculation on this forum.
I have six friends who have just made, or are making today, border crossings by car. All of them report no difficulties and perfectly normal trips in both directions. The only minor notes of interest are that there have been an extra checkpoint or two along the way. I only know of one usual visitor from Texas who was so frightened by the media hype that they cancelled a summer trip to our cooler climes.
So, if you know of any current travel difficulties experienced by expats living, working or traveling in Mexico, please report the facts and source quotations. No speculation please, and absolutely no re-hashing of things that may have happened in years gone by.


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## elchante (Dec 22, 2008)

because, like most ex-pats around lake chapala, i am of a "certain age," i don't do drugs anymore (although i certainly did in my youth) and therefore don't hang around places or people who might be involved in same. two years ago i drove down here alone from arizona and had no fears about doing so. now, i would think twice about it. and i do sometimes worry about my son coming down for a visit from the US. it's entirely possible that he might inadvertently or even intentionally wind up in a dangerous situation. 

frankly, though, right now i am more concerned about the fact that i have an arizona license plate on my vehicle. i live in a very small pueblo on the south shore of lake chapala, but have already been asked by one of my neighbors how i feel about the arizona law (SB 1070). and a couple of weeks ago noticed that the "local cops" drove by my gate twice and stopped to look at my vehicle with the arizona license plate. perhaps they were just "looking," but it definitely caused a red flag to go up in my awareness. 

all that being said, i still prefer to live in mexico than in the US where things seem to be going so horribly wrong in so many areas.


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