Border Delays?

VegasDude

Active Member
Heading south this weekend. Anyone have any problems going through the border or sonoita? Is everybody getting a red light or is it hit and miss? Any mexican marines out and about. We snail crawl through sonoita so we haven't run into any cops before.
 

brokenwave

Well Known Member
Last week everyone was getting the red light when we went through on Thursday.
Searched a couple of things and sent us on our way.
 

Queen of Kings

Well Known Member
Last couple of months going thru, red lights for everyone. Quick check/search. Mexican marines both going in and coming out. Hit and miss on the searches with them. Keep crawling thru Sonoyta and you should have no issues with the local police.
 

VegasDude

Active Member
Appreciate the info. Las year when we made reservations we had no idea it was going to be Super Bowl weekend. If its not soccer I don't believe the mexicans care much. Wonder what impact it'll have on RP as to traffic?
 

dirtsurfer

Well Known Member
Forum Supporter
Just watch out for the extremely cooked cops a the south end of Sonoita, especially when returning an heading North. These cops pull you over for any BS thing they can come up with. We are encouraging everyone to now their encounters with these cops and post them on as many social media sites as possible.
 

VegasDude

Active Member
Yup on the cops. Found that they were hanging near the red cross "checkpoint". We switch the speed o meter over to kilometers and crawl through there. I noticed we usually get passed by a lot of arizona plated vehicles but to each their own. I need my money for shrimp and tequila.
 

richwi

Well Known Member
Just a hint. If you drive though Sonoyta a lot get a dashcam with a GPS that records your speed (less than $100). We go back and forth to Arizona a couple times a month and the two times I was pulled over I ask them to watch the dashcam video and they didn't bother to either time, they just sent us on our way.
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
Appreciate the info. Las year when we made reservations we had no idea it was going to be Super Bowl weekend. If its not soccer I don't believe the mexicans care much. Wonder what impact it'll have on RP as to traffic?

I've been in town the last two Super Bowls and it's pretty quiet honestly. You have to figure, Phoenix Open is same weekend so that draws a ton of Phoenicians many of which would normally be down in Rocky Point and the super bowl itself opens the schedule up for home parties and whatnot. Just my 2 cents. I like super bowl weekend. This will be our third year watching the super bowl at the Boo Bar. Leaving Phoenix super early tomorrow morning. Super bowl at the Boo Bar and then Monday is the Boo Bar Poker Run if you have an off road capable vehicle it's a good time.

People keep saying Mexican Marines... I thought the guys at the border were the new National Guard?
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
Yup on the cops. Found that they were hanging near the red cross "checkpoint". We switch the speed o meter over to kilometers and crawl through there. I noticed we usually get passed by a lot of arizona plated vehicles but to each their own. I need my money for shrimp and tequila.
40KM/hora is the speed limit through Sonoyta. That's 25mph American. I usually do 15-18mph. Still waiting for these assholes to pull me over and tell me that I can't go that slow amigo.
 

dirtsurfer

Well Known Member
Forum Supporter
I've been in town the last two Super Bowls and it's pretty quiet honestly. You have to figure, Phoenix Open is same weekend so that draws a ton of Phoenicians many of which would normally be down in Rocky Point and the super bowl itself opens the schedule up for home parties and whatnot. Just my 2 cents. I like super bowl weekend. This will be our third year watching the super bowl at the Boo Bar. Leaving Phoenix super early tomorrow morning. Super bowl at the Boo Bar and then Monday is the Boo Bar Poker Run if you have an off road capable vehicle it's a good time.

People keep saying Mexican Marines... I thought the guys at the border were the new National Guard?
Right after the crossing in to Mexico at Lukeville and right before crossing back in to the U.S. what I call Federales have additional checkpoints. I usually just get a nod and wave to move on but have also had every single thing in my truck looked at and opened.
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
Right after the crossing in to Mexico at Lukeville and right before crossing back in to the U.S. what I call Federales have additional checkpoints. I usually just get a nod and wave to move on but have also had every single thing in my truck looked at and opened.
The guys in camo on the Mexican side are supposed to be the new Mexican National Guard and their main job is border security. It was created by Pres Obrador unless I'm mistaken. Roberto can pry confirm this. They are also the ones that have been taking money while searching vehicles right after you cross into Mexico. They never stop me. I have gotten the red light every damn time now however.
 

VegasDude

Active Member
Thanks, Already have a dash cam. Every year, its a bit different. We'll just do our normal stuff and take it as it comes. Friends crossed yesterday with no problems. They got stopped, a few questions. He doesn't speed in sonyoita and neither will we this morning when we cross. Thanks for all the info.
 

CheddarBob

Well Known Member
Just a hint. If you drive though Sonoyta a lot get a dashcam with a GPS that records your speed (less than $100). We go back and forth to Arizona a couple times a month and the two times I was pulled over I ask them to watch the dashcam video and they didn't bother to either time, they just sent us on our way.
You can also change over to kilometres on your GPS going through Sonoyta
 

VegasDude

Active Member
Crossed over yesterday southbound. We waived at border guards and then the mexican marines and drove right through. Both our friends behind us each got stopped and about a minutes worth of 'inspection" , we were on our way. Saw sonoita cops out and about . One of them had grabbed a northbound traveler at the red cross stop. They sit right there cause ya can't seen them until your there. So the answer for us was as usual. Drove under the speed limit all the way to Rocky Point. For those that think its ok to pick up the speed after leaving the city , ok, but yesterday we saw Federales in their dodge challenger out and about . They weren't city cops. Thanks all for your responses
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
Crossed over yesterday southbound. We waived at border guards and then the mexican marines and drove right through. Both our friends behind us each got stopped and about a minutes worth of 'inspection" , we were on our way. Saw sonoita cops out and about . One of them had grabbed a northbound traveler at the red cross stop. They sit right there cause ya can't seen them until your there. So the answer for us was as usual. Drove under the speed limit all the way to Rocky Point. For those that think its ok to pick up the speed after leaving the city , ok, but yesterday we saw Federales in their dodge challenger out and about . They weren't city cops. Thanks all for your responses

I think we need to start clarifying these descriptions of Mexican uniformed personnel. They are NOT marines. They are the new National Guard. Secondly, you were correct in your assessment of the Federale. That is a Mexican Federal Police officer. Highly doubtful that guy gives 2 shits about speeding but I have seen it ONE TIME in my 20 years. February 2004 I went down with my then GF at the time for Valentines and a FEDERALE was standing in the middle of the road in the middle of the desert between Sonoyta and RP. He held out his hand to stop as we got closer and showed me the radar gun telling me that I was going 125kph.... Which was pretty accurate because I was going about 70 or 75mph. He said that I had to pay the ticket in NOGALES!!!!! I was like no chance brother. Used the basic ignorance method that ALL Americans should learn and utilize. No sir, no spanish, no, I didn't know I couldn't do that sir. After a few minutes of acting like the dumbest American this guy has ever tried to communicate with he let us go with warning. Never saw anything like that again. Only other incident with a FEDERALE was when one in the last ten years flashed his lights at me because I was pry going 80mph or something. He was going the other way. I considered it to be one of those universally understood signs to slow down a little. Other than that, the Mexican Federal Police pry have better things to do. Not saying it can't happen but driving 80KPH all the way to Rocky Point is a little overkill IMHO.

We came through the border Southbound at 750am Super Bowl Sunday. We were right behind this old timer and his wife. AZ plates. Two older white folk. I'm sitting here telling my girlfriend to watch this guy do all the wrong things right now. At that moment we were discussing the stories on the forum about how dumb people are. So the guy gets the red light they ask him something, look in the back and then say ok. He pulls up about 45 feet to the orange cones and STOP sign for the NEW NATIONAL GUARD solders in CAMO. Whom, by the way are freezing their asses off standing over by the building not even tending the STOP Sign check point thing. We get the green light SOMEHOW??????!!!!!!!!!!! Shocked the hell out of me. We pull forward and this old timer is now sitting at the cones stopped waiting for NOTHING!!!! Like buddy, do yourself a favor. Nobody was even standing there to ask this guy to stop. You could clearly see the NATIONAL GUARD solders did not give a F#ck that morning. So the guy was about to bring on unnecessary interaction with people who have been accused of stealing shit from peoples cars during their "inspection". So I tell my girlfriend look at this guy, can't even help himself. Like dude, keep driving!!!! Nobody even asked you to stop. Just over here volunteering to get taken advantage of. So then the old timer finally realizes they do NOT care and he finally pulls away. Now we're both starting to pull away from that aduana building area where one arm gets his change..... I start to do the Sonoyta crawl at 18mph my preferred anti THEFT speed.... This old timer must have got COMPLACENT, complete shocker right? He starts doing like 40 mph and sure as shit, a mile down the road the Sonoyta policia come flying out of one of their bat holes and boom, got this guy pulled over and we drive by and I'm just sitting there telling my girlfriend how these Americans have their heads so far up their own HOLE. All in span of 3 minutes, this guy volunteered him and his wife to a search and possible seizure that NOBODY asked him to do and then a minute later hes ignoring Mexican speed limits getting pulled over undoubtedly now paying some kind of bribe.... SMH. It was pretty funny.

Lesson of the story. Please . For the love of god DO NOT STOP at the NATIONAL GUARD CONES that are set up right there. In the last year (10 trips) I was only ASKED/REQUESTED to stop ONE TIME. The other 9 nobody specifically requested me to stop and I don't volunteer for that kind of harassment so I KEEP DRIVING every single time. It is not a problem. Also, everyone. Not sure if you've ever noticed but Kilometer marks are also included on AMERICAN SPEEDOS. LOLLLLLLLLLL It's not like you have to guess what 40KPH is. It says it right on your dash!!!! SMFH!!!!!!!!! WAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKE UP!!!!! LOLOLOLOL
 

Roberto

Well Known Member
Well you are all old hands and in the know. Have a little empathy. The old guy prolly had to pee bad !! For the uninformed it can be worrisome. An old guy from Shamokin Pa. ain't used to seeing men in uniform armed with automatic weapons standing in the middle of a highway. I recall way back when the airline hijacking started, getting off a plane in Rome to face a guy with an Uzi. Got my attention real fast.
 

mondone

Whitecaps
Not rocket science. Multiply posted kph speed limit in your head by 0.6 to convert to approximate conservative equivalent in mph. 20kph=12mph, 40kph=24mph, 60 kph=36mph. 80kph=48mph, 90kph=54mph. Actual speeds convert to 12.43, 24.86, 37.28, 49.71, and 55.92mph.
 
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