I was glad to see the AZ Daily Star report was not PP bashing this morning. Decent artical. This will not change our plans for Christmas and New Years in Cholla Bay.
Reflecting on yesterdays events, I'd like to know if anybody feels the same way.
Granted I was not in Bella when the shots were fired, but here's my thoughts. What happened last year in Las Conchas scares me way more than what happened yesterday. What generally concerns me when traveling abroad are circumstances where tourists are being targeted. Agree? Disagree?
I feel the same way that you do. This was a situation where the govt choose the time and place. They were in control (though it could easily spin out of control). The decision to go into Bella was probably not made lightly. No doubt the time of the week and off-season was taken into consideration. I was at Bella in November so the video strikes a chord.
Like others here have said, this makes defending RP untenable for a good while. But like you, I am somehow much less rattled by this than several incidents in year's past. But the repercussions... hopefully there will be none. RP deserves much better.
Finally, a big thank you to all who contributed to this thread!
I remember coming back from Rocky Point and hearing the news about Gabrielle Giffords and others getting shot. Googling crime statistics I see Phoenix had more than 100 murders and more than 500 rapes in a recent year. Certainly Mexico isn't crime free but it seems to me Mexican violence is exaggerated. I seem to recall a blog entry from Jim Ringquist that linked to hard stats comparing violence in different nations and Mexico was surprisingly far down the list. Does anyone know the location of that blog? If so, please drop me a line at [email protected]
I remember coming back from Rocky Point and hearing the news about Gabrielle Giffords and others getting shot. Googling crime statistics I see Phoenix had more than 100 murders and more than 500 rapes in a recent year. Certainly Mexico isn't crime free but it seems to me Mexican violence is exaggerated. I seem to recall a blog entry from Jim Ringquist that linked to hard stats comparing violence in different nations and Mexico was surprisingly far down the list. Does anyone know the location of that blog? If so, please drop me a line at [email protected]
Anti Mexico travelers are always stuck on the what ifs.
they feel safe in the US only because they are protected by US laws. That is understandable. I always live by the rule act the same in Mexico as you would at home. As far as being in the wrong place at the wrong time.....I leave that up to GOD
He wants me to be happy. I am happy sipping on my chilled Tequila from the patio of my condo. :)
Anyone looking for positive spin material might want to cling on the following statement from a retired DEA agent (quoted in the Az Daily Star):
"At one point, Coulson said, Inzunza was causing problems for Rocky Point tourists — including robberies and at least one incident of rape, prompting Guzman to send people to tell him to calm down." If correct, that tells us the cartel thugs aren't free to rape and pillage in tourist areas lest they face sanctions from their own management. I'd always hoped that was the case, and maybe it is.
As for me, I can either lay around the house waiting for a piece of plaque to break loose in an artery, or I can go to Mexico where I'll be entertained while having an extremely remote chance of being shot. I'll take the latter. But that's just me.
No one can can guarantee that any location is absolutely safe whether in Mexico, the US or elsewhere. A better consideration might be whether Puerto Penasco is any less safe than anywhere else. No matter where we visit anywhere in the world, it is incumbent upon all of us to be aware of our surroundings and act accordingly. This incident will have no impact on whether or not I visit Penasco as I plan on coming down after Christmas.
It was only a few years ago that Carnival stopped porting in Mazatlan due to the heavy cartel presence.
I love it there and have some friends that moved down and live there now.
I had one scare there back in 2003 where I thought our tour van was being hijacked. Turned out to be some friends of the driver that were messing with him.
My friends say they feel safer there than they did in the US.
So I say lets all head down to Rocky Point :D
So how many of them lived 3, there's one being treated (DEA) at UA medical center, I wonder if they would of run if them knew gunships were waiting for them.
If that were the case, I believe the cartel would turn to other things to support their organization so as to continue their survival. Prostitution, vehicle thefts, robbery, human trafficking...
A bit, but just like the end of Prohibition in the U.S., the cartels would be greatly reduced. As long as you have humans, you will have appetite for drugs. It's the government's Prohibition that causes the problem.
So how many of them lived 3, there's one being treated (DEA) at UA medical center, I wonder if they would of run if them knew gunships were waiting for them.
DEA? One of our guys was involved? How do we know about the US involvement in this? Someone mentioned that Obama commented on it, but I never saw that - only stuff on local news. Can someone post a link?
DEA? One of our guys was involved? How do we know about the US involvement in this? Someone mentioned that Obama commented on it, but I never saw that - only stuff on local news. Can someone post a link?
Ditto. Anyone have a reference indicating direct US Fed involvement in this disaster? I recall seeing something somewhere but cannot come up with it today.
DEA? One of our guys was involved? How do we know about the US involvement in this? Someone mentioned that Obama commented on it, but I never saw that - only stuff on local news. Can someone post a link?
I guess my post came off as a misunderstanding, the DEA is holding one of the suspects injured here in Tucson, News 4 reported that. By the way The Fool had his own corrido, I guess he went out the way the song says.
Here is what I remember seeing. OK Joe, whaddaya know. Got he tape, got a reference ?
I apologize, I believe I read it wrong. It was at the bottom of this article that was circulating yesterday. However, ABC15 did say it was part of a federal investigation before they came on at 6pm last night. I assume that meant we collected information and shared it with Mexico. Or the more likely scenario is that Macho was becoming a liability and Chapo uses the CIA when he needs someone out of the crew. Like others have said, it was pretty well known that he was living there and everyone knew.
A video with a few more pics that I haven't seen. The silver truck now appears as though it is inside the front gate which means they were firing into the resort from the helo. The truck is on the BS cobblestone which means it's sitting in front of the gate or the truck is still on the inside of the resort.
OK so the Obama reference came from the Boarderlandbeat hysterical rumor mill and was stuck in the middle of a description of the event yesterday dispite the fact that Obama's comments were made in 2011 and you misunderstood and passed it along???
So since the Dog has clarified taht he was NOT referring to a US DEA agen in the hospital in AZ, there is no indication at all that the US was involved in any way as far as we know.
“Macho Prieto” is the plaza boss for that whole desert area, said Anthony Coulson, who headed the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tucson office until retiring in 2010.
If he was the person targeted by Mexican authorities, Coulson said it had to be a well-organized effort. And, he noted, the apparent use of the Mexican navy indicates U.S. government involvement.
If Inzunza was killed during the operation, Coulson doesn’t expect to see a fight for power because everything is well controlled by nation’s most-wanted drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, he said.
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know the location of said military base in or near PP. From the Google earth view.
Just wonder how close it is to Sandy Beach and what is looks like
A video with a few more pics that I haven't seen. The silver truck now appears as though it is inside the front gate which means they were firing into the resort from the helo. The truck is on the BS cobblestone which means it's sitting in front of the gate or the truck is still on the inside of the resort.
It's starting to sound like the Kennedy assassination all we need is a grassy knoll.
Just kidding.
A clip on that site mentioned that Macho Prieta eluded the cops by stealing US plated cars. Hence the reference to California plates on the car.
Another clip said they are really going to step up efforts to ensure this will not happen again as the tourists are to important to the local economy.
I have a suggestion not sure if it is practical. Have one security control on the road to sandy beach covering all the resorts.
Naval base is on the NW side of the harbor entrance. You can see a small patrol boad moored there. Marines may be stationed there, not sure. They have a small hospital off Benito J near the harbor. There has been a large encampment out at the base of Sierra La Pinta but I believe they are army. Marines were out at Ejido Lagrimis but moved to an unknowned location months ago.
I think it's that huge 4 or 5 story orange building right by Reggies.
Nope, that's Army married housing. Seldom trucks or equipment there. Next to that to the west is Naval married housing, lots of small homes walled and gated with guard gate. Again you do not see equipment there.
Property manager just got back in Bella. I knew my front door had been broken down. I just found out they were using my balcony for gun fire. Tomorrow they will clean up and fix my unit. No one knows if my insurance will cover that. My friends in Oregon think I live a very exciting life.
It's starting to sound like the Kennedy assassination all we need is a grassy knoll.
Just kidding.
A clip on that site mentioned that Macho Prieta eluded the cops by stealing US plated cars. Hence the reference to California plates on the car.
Another clip said they are really going to step up efforts to ensure this will not happen again as the tourists are to important to the local economy.
I have a suggestion not sure if it is practical. Have one security control on the road to sandy beach covering all the resorts.
I have another suggestion a bit more far out.
We barricade Sandy Beach and hoist the American flag.
We all don coonskin hats.
We man the barricades with shouts of "remember the Alamo"
Property manager just got back in Bella. I knew my front door had been broken down. I just found out they were using my balcony for gun fire. Tomorrow they will clean up and fix my unit. No one knows if my insurance will cover that. My friends in Oregon think I live a very exciting life.
Puerto Penasco "Come for the tequila stay for the excitement" God it writes itself.
Sorry to hear mary. Hopefully the repairs go smoothly. I am sure the situation is more intense for you. Unfortunately some use this as an opportunity to attempt jokes that are truly not appropriate or even funny.
A bit, but just like the end of Prohibition in the U.S., the cartels would be greatly reduced. As long as you have humans, you will have appetite for drugs. It's the government's Prohibition that causes the problem.
Substitute murder for drugs and you could say the same thing. That's how stupid it sounds.
I have spoken to three Bella Sirena residents who were there yesterday when the poop hit the fan. All three are in agreement that at no time did a helicopter fire into the resort. Two of them consented to taped interviews to be played on Saturday's Rocky Point Ramblings. The copter did fire at bad guys in the vacant area between Bella and the Sonoran Sun...could that have looked like "shooting into a densely populated area"?
Vent all you want. I get it. I just want to keep things as close to the truth as possible. Someone else on here says the shots he heard were from a helicopter. I've pointed out that the helicopter was shooting INTO THE DESERT. The shots could clearly be heard in the condos. In the video, where the shots ring out...please note you cannot hear copter rotors nor is there movement in the bushes to indicate the rotors are near.
With all due respect, did you witness this? My wife and I did, as I had gone out our backdoor to see what all the helicopter noise was - it was hovering somewhere around the Cholla Bay Rd but we couldn't see it as no lights were on.
However when the gatling gun revved up, then started firing it was most definitely in the direction of the Sonoran Spa. The sound of bullets hitting metal and ricocheting all over was not something we would have made up. They were using 'tracers' and there is no doubt that they were firing towards the condos - maybe a bit further down the road - but towards the condos nonetheless. They were obviously closer to us than the Bella Sirena.
This gatling gun firing continued for a couple of hours on and off, and when dawn arrived we could see the choppers. Automatic weapon fire continued on and off for another 2 hrs with sporadic small arms fire as well.
We eventually found a notice online from the US Consulate warning us to stay inside until we got the all-clear (which never came). Then I found this forum.
You can spin this anyway you would like, but the bottom line was we were in fear of our lives, and didn't have a clue what was happening. We sat on the floor of our bathroom for awhile, every time I cam out to see what was going on, firing sent me back. My wife was hysterical and I couldn't calm her down - she was convinced they were shooting at us.
The security guards were scrambling for cover as well (don't blame them as they are unarmed) but at no point in time did anyone check on us or our well-being. We later saw an elderly lady wandering around the Spa lot looking like she had 'lost' it but we didn't want to leave the condo to help her.
You can say "great job, they got the bad guys" but unless you experienced the sheer terror of having a military grade weapon firing so close to you you will never understand. It was surely as intense as any military operation in a theater of war.
Good on the military for getting them, and that apparently no tourists or workers were physically hurt - but this should have never happened the way it did - even at a time when the complexes are sparsely populated.
We have safely left Mexico, but the emotional scars will last for awhile. And by the way, if you want to call me a 'wuss' - go ahead - I'm a retired cop - and in all my years never saw anything like this and was never scared so much. If you are military trained you should be able to cope with gunships firing near you in the theater of war - but not as a tourist hoping for a quiet holiday in a safe, hassle-free destination.
Up to Wednesday morning we enjoyed ourselves, but it's not likely we will be back to Mexico anytime soon, and certainly not PP.
Take that conclusion any way you want - signing off...
I have spoken to three Bella Sirena residents who were there yesterday when the poop hit the fan. All three are in agreement that at no time did a helicopter fire into the resort. Two of them consented to taped interviews to be played on Saturday's Rocky Point Ramblings. The copter did fire at bad guys in the vacant area between Bella and the Sonoran Sun...could that have looked like "shooting into a densely populated area"?
Rosie does an English language radio show every Saturday on 106.1 Sol FM (the radio station in Penasco) called Rocky Point Ramblings. You can stream it over the internet on Tunein.com. I listen to it almost every week.
Channel 12 news in Phx had some additional close-up higher-res photos of the villa. (not posted on any of the sites I checked yesterday).
There was a combo of .223/5.56mm, 30 cal. and a larger caliber rounds used on the villa. The door frame showed both
.223 and 30 cal holes in the door frame. (I am a shooter and use different caliber rounds so I can tell the difference)
Not that this matters, just for clarification.
I was amazed at the bullet proof glass in the silver truck/SUV.
There was some serious firepower used for this, was it over done, that will be debated for a long time.
Hopefully the result of this is that remainder of the cartel people/families staying in RP will re-locate elsewhere. Wishful thinking! :)
Sorry to hear mary. Hopefully the repairs go smoothly. I am sure the situation is more intense for you. Unfortunately some use this as an opportunity to attempt jokes that are truly not appropriate or even funny.
I am sorry you find my lame jokes inappropriate. I was trying to use some humor to kind of defuse what has been a very stressful event.
I had no intention of offending anyone. I also was here when it happened. In fact I started this thread. I have tried to contribute useful info as well as get the views of others.
If anyone was offended by my somewhat lame humor I apologize.
With all due respect, did you witness this? My wife and I did, as I had gone out our backdoor to see what all the helicopter noise was - it was hovering somewhere around the Cholla Bay Rd but we couldn't see it as no lights were on.
However when the gatling gun revved up, then started firing it was most definitely in the direction of the Sonoran Spa. The sound of bullets hitting metal and ricocheting all over was not something we would have made up. They were using 'tracers' and there is no doubt that they were firing towards the condos - maybe a bit further down the road - but towards the condos nonetheless. They were obviously closer to us than the Bella Sirena.
This gatling gun firing continued for a couple of hours on and off, and when dawn arrived we could see the choppers. Automatic weapon fire continued on and off for another 2 hrs with sporadic small arms fire as well.
We eventually found a notice online from the US Consulate warning us to stay inside until we got the all-clear (which never came). Then I found this forum.
You can spin this anyway you would like, but the bottom line was we were in fear of our lives, and didn't have a clue what was happening. We sat on the floor of our bathroom for awhile, every time I cam out to see what was going on, firing sent me back. My wife was hysterical and I couldn't calm her down - she was convinced they were shooting at us.
The security guards were scrambling for cover as well (don't blame them as they are unarmed) but at no point in time did anyone check on us or our well-being. We later saw an elderly lady wandering around the Spa lot looking like she had 'lost' it but we didn't want to leave the condo to help her.
You can say "great job, they got the bad guys" but unless you experienced the sheer terror of having a military grade weapon firing so close to you you will never understand. It was surely as intense as any military operation in a theater of war.
Good on the military for getting them, and that apparently no tourists or workers were physically hurt - but this should have never happened the way it did - even at a time when the complexes are sparsely populated.
We have safely left Mexico, but the emotional scars will last for awhile. And by the way, if you want to call me a 'wuss' - go ahead - I'm a retired cop - and in all my years never saw anything like this and was never scared so much. If you are military trained you should be able to cope with gunships firing near you in the theater of war - but not as a tourist hoping for a quiet holiday in a safe, hassle-free destination.
Up to Wednesday morning we enjoyed ourselves, but it's not likely we will be back to Mexico anytime soon, and certainly not PP.
Take that conclusion any way you want - signing off...
The Canuck
I feel for you and your family, what a nightmare you went through.
I guess my post came off as a misunderstanding, the DEA is holding one of the suspects injured here in Tucson, News 4 reported that. By the way The Fool had his own corrido, I guess he went out the way the song says.
Once again Roberto, I apologized. I was doing ten things at once and I'm on drugs so I think it's understandable that I misread what I was rapidly reading. I went back and looked and I misread it. It was written confusingly and I misread that in 2011 Obama designated Macho to a list of people in Northern Mexico that they wanted to nab. I didn't see that in the paragraph before it said in 2011. I thought it was reporting that Obama had designated this recently and it even had a quote from his administration. MY BAD.
Rosie does an English language radio show every Saturday on 106.1 Sol FM (the radio station in Penasco) called Rocky Point Ramblings. You can stream it over the internet on Tunein.com. I listen to it almost every week.
The HOA, Seaside and the insurance company are doing a great job to reassure us everything is okay. My neighbor went in and checked my unit. We have good people in Penasco. After Vietnam and cancer and being old, I only look forward to coming down in Jan to wonderful 'Rocky Point and all the good people there. We all need to reflect on the positive and not let some scummy people put down what we have all worked for so many years to make great. PROMOTE RP! STAND UP AND CHEER!
Mary
The security guards were scrambling for cover as well (don't blame them as they are unarmed) but at no point in time did anyone check on us or our well-being.
Ditto It was everyman for himself. There was not a soul around when I got up, very eerie, no security whatsoever, no one in the complex at all. I had to piece together what was happening by coming to this forum.
The takeaway from this is that resort security is a joke.
By the way when they did reappear, no one bothered to inquire how I made out.
The security guards were scrambling for cover as well (don't blame them as they are unarmed) but at no point in time did anyone check on us or our well-being.
Ditto It was everyman for himself. There was not a soul around when I got up, very eerie, no security whatsoever, no one in the complex at all. I had to piece together what was happening by coming to this forum.
The takeaway from this is that resort security is a joke.
By the way when they did reappear, no one bothered to inquire how I made out.
In defense of the security guards, they aren't trained or equipped to deal with a situation like what happened. I'm sure they were afraid for their lives as well. They have families at home also, and I'm sure all they were thinking about was not losing their lives either.
Word down here is that this was a very well planned, surgical strike on a very bad guy and his people that have moved into penasco. When they came in to take him, he radio'd for outside support and his other people came in with an arsenal. That is when helicopters became involved, shooting at the entourage showing up or fleeing with big ammo. To my best understanding, there was no helicopter shooting at condos or villas, only fleeing bad guys. Shooting from condos was the bad guys. The big bad guy that they got was a REALLY BAD GUY and removing him and his people from Penasco was a really really good thing for all people here, americanos and locals. I was out walking my dogs around Pinto Pt when this all went down. I am pleased they did what needed to do and did it on an off day, an off hour and ZERO innocents were harmed. Btw, it has been said that the US DEA was present (without arms) suggesting this was a very orchestrated effort. I for one, am all for getting rid of bad guys. Seems like quite a few were taken out of commission. Clap Clap. Happy to be in Cholla Bay yesterday, today and tomorrow.
I totally agree that a little humor to de-fuse the situation is great as long as it isn't aimed personally.
When tanks were rumored:cool: to be headed to Cholla, I posted,
"Tanks, We don't need no Stinking Tanks in Cholla!!
That didn't even slow the responses to this thread one bit, I am sure it was ignored.
I think it is time to get back and enjoy, our little town with some hick-ups lately. :)
I totally agree that a little humor to de-fuse the situation is great as long as it isn't aimed personally.
When tanks were rumored:cool: to be headed to Cholla, I posted,
"Tanks, We don't need no Stinking Tanks in Cholla!!
That didn't even slow the responses to this thread one bit, I am sure it was ignored.
I think it is time to get back and enjoy, our little town with some hick-ups lately. :)
ha ha , i know, when i read tanks in cholla bay i was laughing out loud! i was in cholla the entire time and there were no cars going in or out... let alone tanks!
24 hours later, I'm surprised, and also very happy to say that I haven't heard much negativity at all from people I know. Only one "I told you so!" today and the guy that said it is an idiot on an everyday basis anyway. Most people asked me if I had heard, and of course I said yes. I didn't try to defend or make excuses. Most said they really couldn't say anything bad, considering all the crazy shooters, pedophiles, car jackings and other everyday activities that go on in the US. That makes me happy. I'm so glad that so far I've been wrong in thinking that the incident yesterday was just going to bury our town. Is it a symptom of people becoming numb to violence in the world in general? I don't know and I really don't care. I hope RP continues to prosper, but it's not my job to convince anyone how to live their lives just as I don't want anyone telling me how to live mine. I will continue to come to RP every chance I get and let circumstances speak for themselves. The more times I go without anything happening to me, the better chance it will convince other people without me having to talk myself blue in the face.
I feel this needs to be stated. If you are a drug addict/user YOU are partly responsible for what happened yesterday. Without users they have no business and there is no cartel.
And, if you did not drink ALCOHOL during prohibition, there would be no mafia in the US!
As you can tell he looks hung over as hell, was on vacation and did not receive a call till 5 45 am to tell him to provide police help so the workers could make there way to the condos. Side steps every question, caught completely off guard. JMHo
It was a federal action, and had nothing to do with the local, or state government.
My wife translated this here are a few key points [paraphrased]
The Mayor is very concerned about this incident and it's effect on tourism.
He said Puerto Penasco is a safe place. The problem is people coming from other parts of Mexico. They do not have the resources to check everyone coming to town.
He is proud of the job the police and military have done.
He is concerned about reprisals stemming from this event.
They will be stepping up efforts to police people coming here.
He hopes that the friends of the people killed will think twice about coming here.
Blah, blah, blah! The local administration has no authority over the Sinaloa Cartel. It's the other way around. However, tourists are basically safe. Fortunately, there have been on innocent casualties in any of these altercations.
I feel the same way that you do. This was a situation where the govt choose the time and place. They were in control (though it could easily spin out of control). The decision to go into Bella was probably not made lightly. No doubt the time of the week and off-season was taken into consideration. I was at Bella in November so the video strikes a chord.
Like others here have said, this makes defending RP untenable for a good while. But like you, I am somehow much less rattled by this than several incidents in year's past. But the repercussions... hopefully there will be none. RP deserves much better.
Finally, a big thank you to all who contributed to this thread!
It is naive to hope that there will be no repercussions. However, since the local authorities were not responsible for, or a part of the recent action, it is reasonable to assume that they will be free from repercussions.
OK so the Obama reference came from the Boarderlandbeat hysterical rumor mill and was stuck in the middle of a description of the event yesterday dispite the fact that Obama's comments were made in 2011 and you misunderstood and passed it along???
So since the Dog has clarified taht he was NOT referring to a US DEA agen in the hospital in AZ, there is no indication at all that the US was involved in any way as far as we know.
"as far as we know". How about Operation Fast and Furious, delivering thousands of guns, not available in gun shops in the US, into the hands of the drug cartels? The US administration has been discouraging US tourism to Mexico for many years. Various State Department warnings is testimony. Anyone crossing into or returning from Mexico is aware of US BCI agent intimidation as a reward for visiting Mexico.
Word down here is that this was a very well planned, surgical strike on a very bad guy and his people that have moved into penasco. When they came in to take him, he radio'd for outside support and his other people came in with an arsenal. That is when helicopters became involved, shooting at the entourage showing up or fleeing with big ammo. To my best understanding, there was no helicopter shooting at condos or villas, only fleeing bad guys. Shooting from condos was the bad guys. The big bad guy that they got was a REALLY BAD GUY and removing him and his people from Penasco was a really really good thing for all people here, americanos and locals. I was out walking my dogs around Pinto Pt when this all went down. I am pleased they did what needed to do and did it on an off day, an off hour and ZERO innocents were harmed. Btw, it has been said that the US DEA was present (without arms) suggesting this was a very orchestrated effort. I for one, am all for getting rid of bad guys. Seems like quite a few were taken out of commission. Clap Clap. Happy to be in Cholla Bay yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Get real! There were only 4 or 5 killed. They are only an insignificant tip of the iceberg in Penasco. The Sinaloa Cartel is in total control of Penasco. It would be far worse if we had other cartels fighting for territory with the Sinaloa Cartel. If there were no drug routes to the US, and our border was under control, there would be no drug cartel activity in Penasco. Tell that to Obama!
It's game over for the bad guys fact is we haven't had one violent death in past 6 months while inPhoenix we havent had one in about 6 minutes. You want to compare apples to oranges or bitch about how your government would not lie to you I suggest you have on the next flight to the moon. Leaving every 20 minutes
Get real! There were only 4 or 5 killed. They are only an insignificant tip of the iceberg in Penasco. The Sinaloa Cartel is in total control of Penasco. It would be far worse if we had other cartels fighting for territory with the Sinaloa Cartel. If there were no drug routes to the US, and our border was under control, there would be no drug cartel activity in Penasco. Tell that to Obama!
The HOA, Seaside and the insurance company are doing a great job to reassure us everything is okay. My neighbor went in and checked my unit. We have good people in Penasco. After Vietnam and cancer and being old, I only look forward to coming down in Jan to wonderful 'Rocky Point and all the good people there. We all need to reflect on the positive and not let some scummy people put down what we have all worked for so many years to make great. PROMOTE RP! STAND UP AND CHEER!
Mary
"...not let some scummy people put down what we have all worked for so many years..."
If that is the best you can come up with in response to those folks who went through this, my sympathies. Next time you are in fear of dying, let me know so I can insult you back.
And to other posters, the gunship was firing towards the condos as I said - not at the condos - but we believed at the time they were firing at something on or near the Hut - but in the direction of the condos - not into the desert. I assumed because of the ricocheting bullets they weren't firing into sand either.
Canuck, as someone that used to fire a 50cal off the top of an armored vehicle for a living many years ago, I understand where you are coming from.
Those guns are VERY loud and it would have scared the shit out of me as well.
Only you know what you saw, and of course angles can be deceiving, it sounds to me like they were shooting at guys running away in vehicles, headed away from the condos, instead of at or towards the condos. If they were flying on the north side of the cholla road, it makes sense. 50cal's can be pretty accurate, even when moving through the air, with proper training that is. However I was not there, and I don't blame you for not wanting to come back to Penasco anytime soon, and you are welcome to have your own opinion, even though people here don't always see it that way. It won't change my monthly trips down south though.
The media is always warning people to stay away from Mexico, warning us how unsafe it is; however, I have literally seen nothing on the news about this incident?
All the Phoenix local channels ran a story the day of the event, basically the same story on all stations. Now they have moved on to the continuing USA daily violence stories.
All the local stations ran a little something on the day it happened, but not the coverage you would expect
Agreed, I feel like this hasn't gotten as much attention as I thought it would. I think a line was drawn in the sand a few years back between people that will come down here, and others that won't. The people that are scared were already scared to come down and this just re-affirms it. Now, if an American or Canadian tourist was killed, well, then it would truly be RIP for Penasco.
Agreed, I feel like this hasn't gotten as much attention as I thought it would. I think a line was drawn in the sand a few years back between people that will come down here, and others that won't. The people that are scared were already scared to come down and this just re-affirms it. Now, if an American or Canadian tourist was killed, well, then it would truly be RIP for Penasco.
It would definitely change PP as far as tourism is concerned.
But if there was a similar event near or at Disneyland, you can bet it wouldn't slow them down much there.
It would definitely change PP as far as tourism is concerned.
But if there was a similar event near or at Disneyland, you can bet it wouldn't slow them down much there.
Correct, but fair or not, PP is always going to fight an uphill battle due to the fact that it's in Mexico.
"...not let some scummy people put down what we have all worked for so many years..."
If that is the best you can come up with in response to those folks who went through this, my sympathies. Next time you are in fear of dying, let me know so I can insult you back.
And to other posters, the gunship was firing towards the condos as I said - not at the condos - but we believed at the time they were firing at something on or near the Hut - but in the direction of the condos - not into the desert. I assumed because of the ricocheting bullets they weren't firing into sand either.
Ahhh, the spin doctors trying to work their magic! Gotta love it! Radio this morning (KFYI), the Governor of Sonora - "Don't cancel your Christmas plans, c'mon down, everything is safe now." Followed by the same ol' lame excuse "Violent crimes can happen anywhere." Was I wrong to laugh out loud? Nope.
Why you ask? Well... let's look at it this way. You're sitting in your nice home/condo in Scottsdale and awake to gunfire, helicopters firing mini-guns and this goes on for a couple of hours. WTF?? This would be major news and you'd never hear the end of it - it's unacceptable (and illegal) for the military to enforce civil law here in the U.S. That's part of the reason we've seen such a militarization of local police forces -- most departments now have armored vehicles and SWAT teams/hardware that would rival that of many military units.
In Mexico? All bets are off. Corruption permeates the police at local levels, despite ongoing efforts to reform this. It's often impossible to tell the good guys from the bad guys and sometimes, they are one and the same. Hence the report earlier in this thread of them corralling the local police force during this event. So, the military becomes the weapon of choice because they are the only ones that can be trusted.
But we're still talking the military here. These guys are trained in heavy weapons and tactics. They are NOT trained in preventing civilian casualties, they're trained to shoot to kill, as any military should be. I wasn't there, but reading the reports, looking over the pictures, reviewing every piece of information I could get my hands on, this was a military operation from the get go. They went in knowing they were facing a firefight and they brought heavy firepower. Yes, you can truly call it a war zone because weapons of war were being used to enforce civil law.
Some bad guys were taken down. Am I sad? No, I'm not. That's the only positive outcome of any of this. But I honestly question the tactics and strategy of blasting a civilian resort to hell like this. If indeed the DEA was involved/orchestrated and they KNEW Macho was there, why not lay low and wait him out and do the take down after he left the resort. These bad guys move around a lot and it wouldn't have been a long wait to take him out as he made a move somewhere else, perhaps out of town. The fact they that went in guns and helicopters ablazin' was overly macho bullshit and showmanship designed to send a clear message about who's in charge and what lengths they will go to in order to stay in charge.
That would never be acceptable on this side of the border. In Mexico? Just another day, nothing to see here, move along, all is safe -- until next time.
Canuck, as someone that used to fire a 50cal off the top of an armored vehicle for a living many years ago, I understand where you are coming from.
Those guns are VERY loud and it would have scared the shit out of me as well.
Only you know what you saw, and of course angles can be deceiving, it sounds to me like they were shooting at guys running away in vehicles, headed away from the condos, instead of at or towards the condos. If they were flying on the north side of the cholla road, it makes sense. 50cal's can be pretty accurate, even when moving through the air, with proper training that is. However I was not there, and I don't blame you for not wanting to come back to Penasco anytime soon, and you are welcome to have your own opinion, even though people here don't always see it that way. It won't change my monthly trips down south though.
"it sounds to me like they were shooting at guys running away in vehicles" - that makes sense given what we saw.
But the firing was without any doubt from north to south, in what appeared to be near the Hut. The tracers were coming down at about a 30 degree angle, then there was flak flying around from whatever they were shooting at.
But there is no question that the ricocheting bullets, based on the tracers, were travelling from north to south at about a 30 degree angle up, then disappeared to the west of the Spa.
This is what we saw, but we will likely never hear the whole story. Bottom line is that this operation was conducted without little concern for the local residents, tourists or staff - no matter the reassurances that no one was in danger - it was too close for comfort.
I tried to upload some pics I took, but continue to get error messages. One of them from 11:00 am shows two marine trucks with machine gun mounts in the rear patrolling the lot of the Spa - clearly they still though someone was on the loose.
"it sounds to me like they were shooting at guys running away in vehicles" - that makes sense given what we saw.
But the firing was without any doubt from north to south, in what appeared to be near the Hut. The tracers were coming down at about a 30 degree angle, then there was flak flying around from whatever they were shooting at.
But there is no question that the ricocheting bullets, based on the tracers, were travelling from north to south at about a 30 degree angle up, then disappeared to the west of the Spa.
This is what we saw, but we will likely never hear the whole story. Bottom line is that this operation was conducted without little concern for the local residents, tourists or staff - no matter the reassurances that no one was in danger - it was too close for comfort.
I tried to upload some pics I took, but continue to get error messages. One of them from 11:00 am shows two marine trucks with machine gun mounts in the rear patrolling the lot of the Spa - clearly they still though someone was on the loose.
It would be nice to see those pics, if you can get them uploaded. And agreed, you won't ever hear the full story. However, no locals or turists got injured, with thousands of bullets flying in all directions. I cant agree with your statement
little concern for the local residents, tourists or staff -".
In defense of the security guards, they aren't trained or equipped to deal with a situation like what happened. I'm sure they were afraid for their lives as well. They have families at home also, and I'm sure all they were thinking about was not losing their lives either.
I agree and if I were one of those security guards, I would have took off fleeing too like they did as they had no means to defend themselves against semi-automatic weapons. They absolutely did the right thing and should be commended for the risk they take every day, as anyone can drive right up to their gates and do them harm.
I am reading rumors/reports about Macho Pieto was killed, but now there are reports that his body is missing. Can anyone confirm this, or point to a credible article on this?
I spoke with my buddy in Cholla who should know, and water trucks owner hasn't spilled the beans yet.
The other water truck drivers have heard nothing either, just rumors, I won't get into that.
I was surprised that in 1 photo it the water truck was ok and the next one it was on fire.
I spoke with my buddy in Cholla who should know, and water trucks owner hasn't spilled the beans yet.
The other water truck drivers have heard nothing either, just rumors, I won't get into that.
I was surprised that in 1 photo it the water truck was ok and the next one it was on fire.
Let's not go overboard on congrats for the security guards who acted as lookouts for the narcos for the last year. Several at Bella Sirena were taken away by the federal police.
Let's not go overboard on congrats for the security guards who acted as lookouts for the narcos for the last year. Several at Bella Sirena were taken away by the federal police.
I spoke with my buddy in Cholla who should know, and water trucks owner hasn't spilled the beans yet.
The other water truck drivers have heard nothing either, just rumors, I won't get into that.
I was surprised that in 1 photo it the water truck was ok and the next one it was on fire.
Raphael's water truck was stolen and driven into the desert and is now in pretty bad shape. Not known if it is related to the other events.
Let's not go overboard on congrats for the security guards who acted as lookouts for the narcos for the last year. Several at Bella Sirena were taken away by the federal police.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Uh-oh......Was that from this operation or a previous incident?
okay, my thinking is that the guy whose body was stolen is actually still alive and somewhere in Penasco which means there is danger of another firefight....am i correct in thinking this? I don't want my grandkids coming down if this is the case. I'm not trying to say "Yay Rocky Point" when obviously we're in the middle of a war...I don't care how much money people have invested here, if it's foolish, I don't want to bring young children into this situation...what's your opinion guys?
Use the picture resize tool here, after you have it installed right click a pic and change the size to medium or small. Pics that are in the 100 kb size range seem to upload without getting the error message. http://imageresizer.codeplex.com/
would you bring your grandkids down here....? I'm saying we shouldn't and my wife is saying we should. I don't think our children are following the news, so they don't know this happened, and we haven't told them. We should inform them, right ? The plane tickets to Phoenix have already been purchased, but what could be a worse circumstance than this?
would you bring your grandkids down here....? I'm saying we shouldn't and my wife is saying we should. I don't think our children are following the news, so they don't know this happened, and we haven't told them. We should inform them, right ? The plane tickets to Phoenix have already been purchased, but what could be a worse circumstance than this?
Yes I would, in fact my kids and grandkids will be there for a week right after Christmas. I will be more aware of my surroundings and what is going on around us but we will all be there at the Sonoran Sea Resort.
I agree and if I were one of those security guards, I would have took off fleeing too like they did as they had no means to defend themselves against semi-automatic weapons. They absolutely did the right thing and should be commended for the risk they take every day, as anyone can drive right up to their gates and do them harm.
The guards do not carry guns. Their job is basically to monitor who comes in and out, they make sure that residents follow the HOA R&Rs, etc. - and I'm sure that the Federal authorities in this operation immediately attempted to get them into a safe, secure (or as much as possible considering the circumstances) location. I am quite sure that they would not have been allowed to roam around, knocking on doors to check on people - that is just using common sense. And in using common sense, they were probably told to stay out of sight and keep their heads down by the authorities.
As far as I am aware, they handled themselves in a professional manner and should be commended.
would you bring your grandkids down here....? I'm saying we shouldn't and my wife is saying we should. I don't think our children are following the news, so they don't know this happened, and we haven't told them. We should inform them, right ? The plane tickets to Phoenix have already been purchased, but what could be a worse circumstance than this?
Do your grandkids still go to the movies, or the mall, or school, etc., etc., etc?
Don't lie to them and do not hide the facts, but is it truly "safe" anywhere?