On the American Side

[Stuart]

Friday night, the US Border Patrol and Pima County Sheriff were stopping vehicles going into Mexico. Roughly a 1/2 hour wait. I think I flustered the young Border Patrol kid. He asked if we were American citizens. I asked him what difference that makes if I'm leaving the country? If I wasn't an American citizen, would you stop me from voluntary leaving the country and going into Mexico?

I think he realized he was just going through his standard routine used on the other side of the street and then switched to "Do you have over $10,000? Do you have any guns or ammuntion?" I told him if I had $10,000 I'd be flying to Cabo or Puerto Vallarta to fish for the weekend instead of going to Rocky Point and that I'm not stupid enough to take a gun across the border.

Meantime, the sheriff searched our vehicle and then searched my boat. Realistically, I don't give a crap about the search. I don't have anything I'm not supposed to have and I don't drink and drive (the sheriff made us open the Playmate cooler we had in the truck that had Gatorade and water in it, looking for beer). But, I do object to the fact that our tax dollars are being used to do what the Mexican agents are supposed to be doing when you cross the border! What in the hell is up with this? It's one thing to inspect me when I'm coming into the country -- but what authorizes them to stop and search you when you are leaving the country?

Crossing back on Sunday, no wait at 10:30 am. Drove right up, they threw the dog in the back of my truck, then we were quickly on our way.

[Seadweller]

Stuart that sounds like it was a comedy show... almost expect to see the Keystone Cops running around...

[JimMcG]

Friday night, the US Border Patrol and Pima County Sheriff were stopping vehicles going into Mexico. Roughly a 1/2 hour wait. I think I flustered the young Border Patrol kid. He asked if we were American citizens. I asked him what difference that makes if I'm leaving the country? If I wasn't an American citizen, would you stop me from voluntary leaving the country and going into Mexico?

I think he realized he was just going through his standard routine used on the other side of the street and then switched to "Do you have over $10,000? Do you have any guns or ammuntion?" I told him if I had $10,000 I'd be flying to Cabo or Puerto Vallarta to fish for the weekend instead of going to Rocky Point and that I'm not stupid enough to take a gun across the border.

Meantime, the sheriff searched our vehicle and then searched my boat. Realistically, I don't give a crap about the search. I don't have anything I'm not supposed to have and I don't drink and drive (the sheriff made us open the Playmate cooler we had in the truck that had Gatorade and water in it, looking for beer). But, I do object to the fact that our tax dollars are being used to do what the Mexican agents are supposed to be doing when you cross the border! What in the hell is up with this? It's one thing to inspect me when I'm coming into the country -- but what authorizes them to stop and search you when you are leaving the country?

Crossing back on Sunday, no wait at 10:30 am. Drove right up, they threw the dog in the back of my truck, then we were quickly on our way.

I couldn't agree more but I think someone already claimed on this forum that they had the legal right to piss our tax money away like that.:usa::-(

[Terry C]

They did that before to everyone looking at VIN #'s for stolen vehicles. My wife said do we have a problem, just doing our job he said.

[Roberto]

[QUOTE=Stuart;9352] I think I flustered the young Border Patrol kid. He asked if we were American citizens. I asked him what difference that makes if I'm leaving the country? If I wasn't an American citizen, would you stop me from voluntary leaving the country and going into Mexico?

I think he realized he was just going through his standard routine used on the other side of the street and then switched to "Do you have over $10,000? Do you have any guns or ammuntion?" I told him if I had $10,000 I'd be flying to Cabo or Puerto Vallarta to fish for the weekend instead of going to Rocky Point and that I'm not stupid enough to take a gun across the border.

QUOTE]


Stuart, you are such a trouble maker bothering those kids at the border:lol::lol:

[Stuart]

They did that before to everyone looking at VIN #'s for stolen vehicles. My wife said do we have a problem, just doing our job he said.

I thought at first that's what they might be doing. Or as the wife suggested, that perhaps there was an Amber Alert with someone running away with kids over the border. However, they never even asked for a registration or looked at the VIN #. The Sheriff's deputy just searched the vehicle and boat while the numbskull Border Patrol kid asked us questions.

I question where the "probable cause" is for them to conduct this type of search to each and every car heading into Mexico. Like I said, nothing to hide here, but just another hole in a dike already full of holes of diminishing rights against search and seizure in the good ol' USA.

[Leenie]

I expereinced that too on friday afternoon but it was only a 5 minute wait for us. The only thing I could think of was that I heard the mexican military had taken over the border crossing and the US was being extra careful.

It was a pain, and they also tapped on the side of my truck above my gas tank area. They wanted to know why we didn't have a cooler with us...."uh I own a house in RP and leave it there."

I hope its not permanent because 3 border stops by homeland security/imigration/border patrol is a little excessive. Once at the border coming back and after Ajo is enough.

[jerry]

This is more reason to check everybody's stuff before you head in. A guy I know and his pal from Kingman took his boat to Kino about 5 years ago. After they arrived that night a guy came over and took a few boxes the friend had loaded in the boat out. To my friends shock they were full of ammo (bird shot).They would still be in jail to this day if they got the red light!

[Kenny]

When Don and I came through back in June they were stoping people on the US side, but not everyone. They stopped Don though, and checked his papers on his Suburban, his license etc. You couldn't tell what the heck he had in his Suburban because it was packed tight from the top of the roof down.

[Dezracer]

They, Border Patrol, told us that they where helping the Mexicans by stopping the flow of cash and guns to the drug cartels...and that its happening at other Port of Entries.

[GringoZona]

So they have gun-sniffing dogs now? Unless they've got X-Ray scanners on the south-bound side of that pass that I can't see, seems like a big hassle.

And if they're looking for a specific type of stolen vehicle, why would they have to make everyone come to a stop? I guess a missing VIN strip is a red flag, but who would be that stupid? *sigh*

[dmcauley]

This happened to us also on Thursday night and I told the agent basically what Stuart said.
Friday morning my Mexican stepson was stopped in my caddie and immediately handcuffed. They called my insurance agent to find out if my car was reported stolen and my insurance agent called me. When I called Lukeville and asked why my son was being detained I was told that when they made their illegal search that they found a for sale sign and assumed the vehicle was stolen. My stepson said they never asked for credentials, just took his wallet and never noticed that he lived at the same adress as the car was registered.
Time to talk to our senators. All this is bull----. Let the Mexicans do their job.

[Roberto]

They, Border Patrol, told us that they where helping the Mexicans by stopping the flow of cash and guns to the drug cartels...and that its happening at other Port of Entries.

That's the idea that I heard also but it's stupid. They are not there all the time. If you drive up the the border and see them checking you can just pull into the parking lot and wait till they leave. If you've got $200,000 in $20's and a couple of boxes of ammo the wait is nothing. They should be back toward Why and run it like a DUI stop with backup down the road stopping anyone that turns around in line.

[fasteddy]

Are you allowed to bring beer in a cooler down? I do all the time and thought it was okay to do.

[rockyptjoe]

I would still like to know what "authority" they are referencing to do the traffic stops and searches....particularly the Sheriff's Office. When I went thru before Labor Day, there were only a few vehicles in front of me, and the only one that they had open the trunk was a Mexican plated car......

[Stuart]

Are you allowed to bring beer in a cooler down? I do all the time and thought it was okay to do.

It's not a problem IF you do not have the cooler in the cab of your truck or the passenger area of your car. In other words, anywhere you cannot reach the beer while driving is fine. Even if it is unopened, I suspect they would still hassle you about it.

We have a small Playmate cooler we always take with us for cold drinks while driving and set it right behind the console in my truck. It has water, soda, and/or Gatorade in it. No beers. Beers (if we take any with us) go in a separate cooler in the back of the truck. With the current DUI hysteria, I don't even want to give them the chance to question it. AZ has an open container law and no one in the vehicle is supposed to be drinking alcohol, even if they are just a passenger. It's a $700-800 fine for the driver!

[Stuart]

I would still like to know what "authority" they are referencing to do the traffic stops and searches....particularly the Sheriff's Office. When I went thru before Labor Day, there were only a few vehicles in front of me, and the only one that they had open the trunk was a Mexican plated car......

The same authority Sheriff Joe uses to pull over anybody that looks Mexican????

Just saying.

I still wonder the same thing. I suppose they can make up any stupid reason they want - DUI checkpoint, stolen vehicle checkpoint, whatever. I don't know of any authority the Border Patrol has to do this, let alone the local Sheriff, but they were indeed working as a team. The Border Patrol kid referred to the Sheriff as his "partner" which was also pretty damned odd. The kid asked me to wait for him to get off the boat and not take him over the border. I should have. That would have caused a real scene! Hahaha!

[Leenie]

I think they thought it odd that a bunch of americans would go to mexico and NOT bring a cooler with them. As if tourists always have a cooler since they go to Mexico to drink. I think that was why we were questioned about not having one. We stuck out I think from the average rocky point traveler.

[wendell]

When we come down in Oct we bring a couple of cases of wine since we will be there about 6 weeks--and that is obviosly over the limit of what you are supposed to take into mex. but we have never had any problem with the Mexicans. Should I be worried or take precautions to hide the wine?

[Stuart]

What's the worst they can do, Wendell? Make you drink it all before you cross the border? <hic!> :wink:

[gail]

It appears that the authorities can search us within 100 miles of the US border (where 2/3 of Americans live). The ACLU calls this "The Constitution Free Zone". See http://www.aclu.org/privacy/37293res20081022.html . Also this video is interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPOuj-WzAoA . So it may be wise to carry those passports with you when you're out and about in your neighborhoods. I live in Seattle and I'm in The Zone...

Several years ago I was a CPA for several Jewish Holocaust survivors that were receiving monthly war reparations from the German government. As I recall all of them were card carrying members of the ACLU because, I imagine, they had "been there; done that" so to speak.

That said, I doubt we have to worry about our wine.

[azbeachboy]

At 4:00 pm on Friday the check point was there but nobody was maning it. On Sunday at 3:45 pm they were checking cars.

[Bob Oso]

I would think the city's loss of reveune and property taxes has more to do with it than hasseling people. Gotta recoup that money somehow.

[Stuart]

Huh?

[ernesto]

After waiting for a bit because of the Customs stop going IN to Mexico, I asked the guy why they care about stuff going in , he smiled and said" just doing my job". I suggested that it might have something to do with impeding flow to Mexico to keep tourist $ in the US. He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

[dmcauley]

They figure if they can keep the cash and guns out that they might make a dent in the drug traffic

[Kenny]

They figure if they can keep the cash and guns out that they might make a dent in the drug traffic

I agree Dan, but who knows what effect it actually has? I look at it like we're at least trying to do something on our end. If you think about it, it shows respect to Mexico if nothing else.

[ernesto]

Yeah, I guess the US government is all about that.

[La Huerita]

It appears that the authorities can search us within 100 miles of the US border (where 2/3 of Americans live). The ACLU calls this "The Constitution Free Zone". See http://www.aclu.org/privacy/37293res20081022.html . Also this video is interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPOuj-WzAoA . So it may be wise to carry those passports with you when you're out and about in your neighborhoods. I live in Seattle and I'm in The Zone...

Several years ago I was a CPA for several Jewish Holocaust survivors that were receiving monthly war reparations from the German government. As I recall all of them were card carrying members of the ACLU because, I imagine, they had "been there; done that" so to speak.

That said, I doubt we have to worry about our wine.

Wow, gail, thanks for that link. I really had no idea!