# Cartels, gas and safety



## luterdan (May 8, 2015)

Is Mexico getting more dangerous? Should it come off the list of my places to retire to?


Mexico’s drug cartels, now hooked on fuel, cripple the country’s refineries



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## luterdan (May 8, 2015)

luterdan said:


> Is Mexico getting more dangerous? Should it come off the list of my places to retire to?
> 
> 
> Mexico’s drug cartels, now hooked on fuel, cripple the country’s refineries
> ...


https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/mexico-violence-oil/


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Others from Alabama have done it and survived. Well...... I know of just one. You could try it, though. You are from Georgia, after all.


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

luterdan said:


> Is Mexico getting more dangerous? Should it come off the list of my places to retire to?
> 
> Mexico’s drug cartels, now hooked on fuel, cripple the country’s refineries


It's all relative. Is Atlanta safe? IDK, having spent only one day there, but my guess it's like any other big U.S. city: most neighborhoods are, some aren't, and a few are a combat zone at 2:00 A.M. Me, I spent a career working in South Central L.A. and saw more drugs, violence, and poverty than where I live now. But just to be a little safer, I stay away from competing with the Colima Cartel.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

luterdan said:


> Is Mexico getting more dangerous? Should it come off the list of my places to retire to?
> 
> 
> Mexico’s drug cartels, now hooked on fuel, cripple the country’s refineries
> ...


You could be correct about Mexico becoming more dangerous, here is todays copy of Mexico News Daily, have a read....

Record homicides in 2017; CDMX airport most costly; cops among kidnappers; bat sanctuary will be first; MX will fight US tariffs; film sweeps Oscars


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## modeeper (Mar 21, 2015)

* I spent a career working in South Central L.A. *

Have we met?

The theme is all about probability innit? 

There are people in their 80's smoking 2 packs a day .. people in their 20's dying from second-hand smoke.

Three members of my family have died in auto accidents. Not one in a shootout.

With a little common sense and a good conception of what is high-risk we can live in peace for a long long time.

I've seen the high crime map of Guadalajara. Blocks and blocks painted in red. I drove right through it on my way to work late every night for years. People conduct business there every day and night. But my biggest fear was driving to and from 50K on a motor scooter, 10PM to 3AM. I've had maybe 10 close calls both in the city and especially on the highway.

I say don't flatter yourself, cartels have no interest in you. Know what is high risk and do your best to prepare for it, stay alert as if you were behind the wheel, cause there is the real danger.

If you can't walk straight after a few, drink at home. Talk about something that'll make you a target to late-night thugs... Keep the probability ratio low. Even mice have the sense to avoid cats.

.


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## NCas (Sep 9, 2013)

I read about that a while back ago last I heard Pemex had improved security and gangs started going after trains with merchandise. I've definitely heard of the crime rate going up though fortunately I have not experience anything serious. I do feel that the administration in Mexico has been lacking when it comes to safety and corruption. I'm sure the topic of public safety will be a big issue after NAFTA for the upcoming presidential election.


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## luterdan (May 8, 2015)

Thanks, i know it's like real estate, location, location, location. You can be 2 blocks away from a very dangerous area, and never know it. i also know not to walk around with $100 bills hanging out of my pockets. Harlem, NY in the daytime is fine, but dont go there at 2am. The other thing is i am 2M tall and weigh 150kg, so most people dont mess with me anyways.


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

When I was in my 20s I, at times, walked - in the early morning hours - from the upper east side of Manhattan, through Harlem, across the GW bridge to my apartment in Fort Lee NJ. Was I foolish, maybe, but never had an ounce of trouble.

If you want to get an idea of crime in Mexico - perhaps check out the police page of regional newspapers. You can start with this link. Along the top of the page there will be a scrolling list of similar papers with police pages.

https://www.elsoldesanluis.com.mx/policiaca

We do not go out late at night - but even at 2PM - there seems to be a weekly attack on restaurants where 3-4 robbers steal the valuables of the patrons. Normally no one is hurt unless they resist. Where we live there are tons of smallish white buses (perhaps 40 passengers). I read recently that at least once per day one of them is held up - like old fashioned stage coach robberies. None of that has anything to do with the cartels. 

Perhaps once a week they find a dismembered body in our area. I'll bet those are related to the cartel wars. But that has noting to do with us - and I don't worry about that one bit.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

It is not cartels or gas thieves that tourists or expats have to worry about, it is the safety part...Everywhere you look is liquor / beer signs, every store, plastic chair, restaurant tables and billboards, booze booze booze...Had a friend, just finished a round of golf, drove out onto the highway and a drunk t-boned and killed him...Another friend I spent NYE with the next day went into his home and surprised a robber who shot him dead...Last friend tripped on an irregular sidewalk, fell hit her head and died......so don't worry about cartels or gas robbers, worry about the drunk drivers, meth heads robbing your home or you and the crappy Mexican infrastructure ..........


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## modeeper (Mar 21, 2015)

Yeah, the violent crime is brown on brown. And those cartel murders are cruel beyond belief. 

Here in this towncito there was a big bust, some cholos from San Diego were killed as they were on the run in TJ. The authorities went to the home of one of them just up the street. It was the home of one of the uncle of one of the murdered, hung from a bridge. They took control the uncle's house and his classic car collection stored in a nearby bodega. 

Go figure, the gangsters killed the two boys in TJ, then the police come to where he was staying 1000 miles away and took control of every piece of property his uncle owned. I was seen there at the house many times. He was the only person here who spoke English. I could have been caught up in all that but wasn't. I guess old Gringos don't fit their profile.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

If you don't advertise your wealth and aren't involved with drugs, you'll probably never have a problem. A friend of mine wore her gold chain everywhere. She's over 6' tall and doesn't seem like a good target. However, a guy on a bicycle came by when she was loading her car and snatched off that chain. An tiny older lady wore her best bling when walking her very small doggie in a good neighborhood at dusk. She was knocked down and robbed.

I've never had a problem here. I watch out for the cats. You'll probably be fine.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

modeeper said:


> Yeah, the violent crime is brown on brown. And those cartel murders are cruel beyond belief.
> 
> Here in this towncito there was a big bust, some cholos from San Diego were killed as they were on the run in TJ. The authorities went to the home of one of them just up the street. It was the home of one of the uncle of one of the murdered, hung from a bridge. They took control the uncle's house and his classic car collection stored in a nearby bodega.
> 
> Go figure, the gangsters killed the two boys in TJ, then the police come to where he was staying 1000 miles away and took control of every piece of property his uncle owned. I was seen there at the house many times. He was the only person here who spoke English. I could have been caught up in all that but wasn't. I guess old Gringos don't fit their profile.


Federal law states if an illegal drug is dealt or stored or any other involvement with drugs in a house or apartment [I presume commercial property/ranches as well] the property is seized. The owner of the property [ex: a landlord renting it to someone etc.] has to prove they knew nothing about drugs being in their property to get it back. 

This is sometimes very hard to do and it might take a year or more to go though the judicial system. If the uncle lived there I guess he knew and won´t be getting his house back, I presume. 

That is why we use a rental agent to rent out our property. It buffers us from some of the liability envolved in renting properties in Mexico and passes it onto the rental agent.


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

lagoloo said:


> If you don't advertise your wealth and aren't involved with drugs, you'll probably never have a problem. A friend of mine wore her gold chain everywhere. She's over 6' tall and doesn't seem like a good target. However, a guy on a bicycle came by when she was loading her car and snatched off that chain. An tiny older lady wore her best bling when walking her very small doggie in a good neighborhood at dusk. She was knocked down and robbed.
> 
> I've never had a problem here. I watch out for the cats. You'll probably be fine.


...


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

lat19n said:


> ...


Herb Cain used to write about 3 dot journalism ...


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

chicois8 said:


> Herb Cain used to write about 3 dot journalism ...


Cain or Caen? I also remember Herb Caen, the journalist, well know in a particular place and time. Is that him?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

perropedorro said:


> Cain or Caen? I also remember Herb Caen, the journalist, well know in a particular place and time. Is that him?


That was Herb Caen. Three dots were his trademark.


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## modeeper (Mar 21, 2015)

AlanMexicali said:


> Federal law states if an illegal drug is dealt or stored or any other involvement with drugs in a house or apartment [I presume commercial property/ranches as well] the property is seized. The owner of the property [ex: a landlord renting it to someone etc.] has to prove they knew nothing about drugs being in their property to get it back.
> 
> This is sometimes very hard to do and it might take a year or more to go though the judicial system. If the uncle lived there I guess he knew and won´t be getting his house back, I presume.
> 
> That is why we use a rental agent to rent out our property. It buffers us from some of the liability envolved in renting properties in Mexico and passes it onto the rental agent.


The uncle didn't live in the house, he's a retired serviceman NOB.

The point was that a narco gang killed the kid, unless cops hang suspects. I doubt his pockets were full of meth as he hung there with a chain round his neck. How did whomever took his body down know where he lived? Or how did the coroner know? He hadn't a driver's licence nor a passport. If he did his uncle's address wouldn't be on it. He had a cell (with my number in it). How did the cops figure this young cholo urchin was worth tracing down? Sure there are a lot of unforeseens. One is that while he was in captivity he offered the key to his uncle's classic car collection to the gang. But then why didn't the gang come here and take it? But they didn't, the cops did. Could it be the cops and the gang are blood brothers? Nah, impossible!


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## 4Lionsnbaja (Nov 12, 2017)

Is Mexico getting more dangerous? Of course it is, but the same is true for any number of countries.
Its the loss of moral values thats making our world more dangerous.
I might sound like a conspiracy theorist, but its everywhere, in the movies, music, news, they're corrupting our youth. In Mexico it goes beyond the cartels, it has to do with the narcoculture, its an epidemic, that is only fueled by all the narcoseries on Tv Azteca, Televisa, glorifying drug lords. On tv its all you see here, narco series, novelas which are basically soft porn, or news about corrupt politicians. Yeah there's still soccer and lucha libre on the weekends, but the youth doesn't care about sports anymore, they're too busy drinking and getting high while listening to narcoballads. Whats the result, a whole generation of wannabe sicarios willing to do anything to get recruited. And then you have all the exsicarios, left orphans when there boss was arrested or killed, that need to feed there drug addiction and pay off corrupt officers so they'll keep turning a blind eye, making our communities all the more dangerous.
I could just keep on going but I'll probably end up with a migraine and looking for a flight to mars.


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## bdesj (Nov 4, 2015)

luterdan said:


> Is Mexico getting more dangerous? Should it come off the list of my places to retire to?
> 
> Mexico’s drug cartels, now hooked on fuel, cripple the country’s refineries


Gasoline theft concerns? You are welcome to worry about anything you feel threatened by, but I don`t see the connection here. Although I`m familiar with that issue (getting much worse lately, but not new by a long shot), I didn't read the story you linked to, so maybe something in there ties fuel theft to personal safety worries. Just curious, not knocking you for the question or for the doubts it might provoke.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Wow, Chico, sounds like it doesn't pay to be your friend(s).....


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

If you are referring to expats I have known that are killed by drugged up house robbers or drunk drivers you are correct, so to save your life, lets not be friends...


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Well, OK, but only because you have suggest that we not. Can we still be pen-pals?


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Maybe but you have to answer 1 question, Is your name RICK or Richard or Fredrick or some other name with Rick in it?


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Richard be correct....


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Whether it's safe depends on how careful and lucky you are.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

and being aware of your surroundings , just like defensive driving...


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## Stevenjb (Dec 10, 2017)

I saw on CNN (the best fake news (smiley face)) - and a senator was discussing this 'FBI memo' thing when he turned the topic to Mexico - stating that the Cartels control 40% of Mexico - Poppy plant growth, production and distribution (drugs being trafficked to the US....) That Mexican officials are afraid (for their lives) to deal with the issue. 

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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Just a couple stories from this month:
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/a-bloody-weekend-with-25-assassinations/
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/at-29168-homicides-2017-worst-on-record/


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