[hrlydavison]

Probably Mexican army exercises that implement check points as training from time to time. Or maybe there were some tips about a large shipment or shipments of drugs from Central America making its way north?

Told this story before, I think, but...My Dad was on a trip in Mexico in the Seventies. He had a buddy with him, and at the time the buddies bike was down, so my Dad went on without him while he made repairs. They were to meet up on down the road. My Dad was humming along and saw a military jeep in the distance on the side of the road. When He got close, one of the guys jumped out of the jeep and stood in the middle of the road and pointed his machine gun at him. My Dad stood on his brakes and got the bike stopped within 10 feet of the guy. My dad just threw his hands up and froze. The guy walked up to him and pressed the barrel end up against my Dad's Helmet, needless to say my Dad thought it was all over. They were in the middle of nowhere. The guy held it there and screamed at him in Spanish and then pushed his helmeted head hard with the barrel end and then laughed. He then walked back to the jeep hopped in and they started up, did a quick U-turn, and sped off in the opposite direction. My Dad said he had to change his shorts when he finally reached the next town. He figured the guy was bored and told his buddy "Hey... watch me scare this gringo". Well it worked Big Time, he never did go deep into Mexico again.