Question about Checkpoints

[Skiptown]

While traveling by bus we went thru several checkpoints with many guys with automatic weapons in military dress and sandbagged bunkers . We went thru them once between Cancun and Valladolid, once between Valladolid and Merida, again between Merida and Campeche and the same on the way back. There seemed no ryme nor reason as to who got stopped and we were wondering what are they looking for. Is this just mostly a show of force and something to keep them occupied? If they were looking for drugs then why no drug dogs? One dog can do more than ten men. If there is really a problem then how often do you read or hear about them blasting someone away? I saw them going over a truck like ants on a candy apple.
Anyone know much about them?

[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.

[Dan-0]

Some checkpoints are permanent and some are set up on the fly. The only permanent checkpoint I know of on Hwy. 307 from Chetumal-Cancun is just south of Felipe Carrillo Puerto. They aren't only looking for drugs but also weapons, contraband, and unsavory characters who might be "bandidos". It's a deterrent. Remember, this is still a remote region of Mexico and highway bandits still occasionally work the roads. A few years ago, there were a string of robberies on a remote area of Hwy. 186 and the military stepped up their patrols and checkpoints and they subsided. If you're a tourist, you have nothing to be concerned about as far as the checkpoints. I go through them all the time.

[jeffandbecky]

We saw a lot of highway check points this March going to/from Rio Verde. They seemed to be interested in the semi's. The fact that they had machine guns is no big deal. The military and local police like to have more firepower on display than we are used to seeing up north.

[Sol]

This past winter, on our trip through southern Mexico, we passed through several checkpoints. Some were manned by local police and others by the military. We had our passports and car rental contract checked once and while going from Campeche into Yucatan, our ice chest was opened. It was no big deal and the individuals who stopped us were genuinely interested in knowing why we were visiting this area of Mexico which was so far from our home. Also, we were asked how we dealt with the cold weather. As others have mentioned, these checkpoints are to control drugs and weapons.

[FrankRN]

... and in my experience, the check points that exist now, at least in the area between Cancun, Valladolid, Tulum "triangle" are much less than we saw 10 or 15 years ago.

I remember when it was very common to see army soldiers patrolling the streets of PDC in large trucks and you'd nary ever see policia in town. These same soldiers would march up and down the beach area in groups of 3 or 4 in full uniform with rifles. There was even a small navy base (no boats ~ just personell) down near the pier. Of course now the policia are everywhere in PDC and you hardly ever see the military. But it was just the opposite not too long ago. I liked it better that way.

When you go to less populated areas of the Yucatan ... and probably all of Mexico ... this is still the case. For example, last time we were in Punta Allen there were certainly no policia ... but a fairly strong military presence (given the size of the population). Not at all what you are used to here int he US.

We have been stopped by these middle of the road checkpoints and never had a problem. As a matter of fact, it makes me feel a lot safer to know there is a military presence in areas where everyone knows there are no police patrols. We have never been unduly harrassed or detained. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

[MartyC]

Originally Posted by FrankRN

... If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

I have to agree with this statement.

[Susie Q Roo]

Between the border and here, I've been stopped several times. Many of the stops are permanent ones at state lines. Most of the time, they just wanted to make sure we didn't have any meat or eggs. (Maybe they were just hungry. )

Here are a couple shots of the one on the way out of Quintana Roo at the base of the peninsula. That bottom one kind of proves it's permanent. hehe

[JimmyMN]

The bulk of military checkpoints seem to occur when crossing from one Mexican state to another. My impression is that they're looking for guns or large shipments of drugs. I've never had them look in my ashtray or on my floorboard for ramnants of bud. Then again, not all the guys who look through your belongings are military... some are agriculture inspectors.

Besides the state lines, they seem to show up at major highway crossroads or right after crossing a key bridge. Places where you'd have to go way out of your way to circumvent them. Many times they're on key roads near a large city. I'll often see these closed adhoc temporary checkpoints, especially when driving between midnight and 5am. The ones that concern me though are the rare roadblocks... there were lots of them when we went through the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca during the unrest in the city of Oaxaca, a little over a year ago.

Have noticed that the military has a bigger interest in large trucks and especially buses... but not all buses. Certain bus lines are hassled more than others, so I'm guessing it's a territorial thing. When I know I have a standardized checkpoint coming up, I always sandwich in between the buses hoping to get lucky.

When I get stopped by local police or Federales, that's usually cause for concern. We got stopped once by the Federales for avoiding the checkpoints south of the US border near Matamoros. That was interesting...

I've clocked plenty of road miles in Mexico and would say that these checkpoints have been mostly a minimal inconvenience. Many times, they'll ask for donations for coffee... everyone needs their Starbuck fix, even in Mexico. The longest delay I've had was 35 minutes when a young soldier became fascinated with Jan...

As for the incident about the gun to the helmet... those stories seem to get larger each time they're told. Just my opinion.

Jimmy

[hrlydavison]

Originally Posted by JimmyMN

The bulk of military checkpoints seem to occur when crossing from one Mexican state to another. My impression is that they're looking for guns or large shipments of drugs. I've never had them look in my ashtray or on my floorboard for ramnants of bud. Then again, not all the guys who look through your belongings are military... some are agriculture inspectors.

Besides the state lines, they seem to show up at major highway crossroads or right after crossing a key bridge. Places where you'd have to go way out of your way to circumvent them. Many times they're on key roads near a large city. I'll often see these closed adhoc temporary checkpoints, especially when driving between midnight and 5am. The ones that concern me though are the rare roadblocks... there were lots of them when we went through the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca during the unrest in the city of Oaxaca, a little over a year ago.

Have noticed that the military has a bigger interest in large trucks and especially buses... but not all buses. Certain bus lines are hassled more than others, so I'm guessing it's a territorial thing. When I know I have a standardized checkpoint coming up, I always sandwich in between the buses hoping to get lucky.

When I get stopped by local police or Federales, that's usually cause for concern. We got stopped once by the Federales for avoiding the checkpoints south of the US border near Matamoros. That was interesting...

I've clocked plenty of road miles in Mexico and would say that these checkpoints have been mostly a minimal inconvenience. Many times, they'll ask for donations for coffee... everyone needs their Starbuck fix, even in Mexico. The longest delay I've had was 35 minutes when a young soldier became fascinated with Jan...

As for the incident about the gun to the helmet... those stories seem to get larger each time they're told. Just my opinion.

Jimmy

Well..I have heard him tell the story twice. My old man doesnt fish, and his word is gold. It happened just as he told it.

[JimmyMN]

Originally Posted by hrlydavison

Well..I have heard him tell the story twice. My old man doesnt fish, and his word is gold. It happened just as he told it.

Well, I wasn't traveling deep into Mexico in the mid-70's, so things were probably different then. And riding a motorcycle into Mexico then would have gotten you noticed for sure. In those days, I'd rarely drive further than Ensenada, Guaymas or Monterey.

Just riding a motorcycle here in the US in the 70s and 80s carried a hefty hassle factor!!

Jimmy

[Daddy B]

Originally Posted by Skiptown

While traveling by bus we went thru several checkpoints with many guys with automatic weapons in military dress and sandbagged bunkers . We went thru them once between Cancun and Valladolid, once between Valladolid and Merida, again between Merida and Campeche and the same on the way back. There seemed no ryme nor reason as to who got stopped and we were wondering what are they looking for. Is this just mostly a show of force and something to keep them occupied? If they were looking for drugs then why no drug dogs? One dog can do more than ten men. If there is really a problem then how often do you read or hear about them blasting someone away? I saw them going over a truck like ants on a candy apple.
Anyone know much about them?

Perhaps the army was guarding the drugs to stop anyone from impeding its progress northwards.
They're good a it, what with all the military aid the US sends down for the "war on drugs"; just look at the Zetas, a special forces unit trained with US money and technological know-how and which has been so extremely effective in the wars between rival cartels.

[hrlydavison]

Yeah...Balls over brains won out on that trip, I think. But he was a pretty big dude back in the day and pretty tough looking too. They thought they were invincible back then. I think that experience shook him pretty good, and wised him up to feeling mortal.