Mexican cop bust on me. Long but please read newbies.
What Karma....I just posted on the dangers of buying in Mexico and wouldn't you know...several days later I get popped. And I am no newbie to this. Been going down to TJ for ten years. By the way, any of you in Tijuana Tues, Dec 21st that saw a big American pinned up against the wall by FIVE Mexican cops, yes that was me. A ten year veteran of the game. However even the old timers learn something every day. What I did not know, was that there is a new unit in Tijuana called "city police" that are plain clothed, undercover cops. All they do is sit outside of various pharmacies and wait for gringos to come out with a bag. In the past, the Mexican law was that any police officer had to be in uniform and have identifying features. Since I had been doing this a long time, I was going by that previous law, not knowing the law had changed recently with new mayoral elections. What would happen in the past, is that you had a bunch of off duty, rogue cops who in plain clothes would flash their badge and hustle Americans for money, claiming they could arrest them. Newbies got scared and paid, and vets told the guys to **** off or take them to jail, making the thugs run away.Tonight, since these guys were in plain clothes, I just ignored them and when one put his hand on my arm I almost threw the guy into a wall. However immediatly FIVE separate officers appeared and threw me up against the wall. They got on their walkie talkie and a REAL police car came. I was frisked, handcuffed and the whole nine. Given that I had too much gear, I was told it was a felony, and this would have to be taken up with the D.A. after I was taken to prison. Having done this for so long, I still felt that these were hustlers, so I said the old "can I just pay the fine here and go? I have cash." When the cop said, "No, we have to take you in" I knew this was a different Tijuana that I was used to and even I was seriously ****ing scared ****less. Because I've been down there so long, I dropped a couple of names of business owners and local people that knew me,etc. They said that I could call them and prove I knew them and were friends with them. The guys I knew came down and vouched for me, talked to the cops and we all walked over to a bench to sit down and talk. The cop said since I was known and everything I could pay $150 and he'll just let me go. So I paid it, but even then the cop was nervous that I would say something. He not only had me promise up and down that I would never say anything about this because he is supposed to take me in under new guidelines, but he and the five other officers personally walked me all the way back, across the bridge and to the border where they made sure I went back to the states and couldn't rat on them. Again, anyone that might have been down there, I was a big dude in a white sweater being walked by FIVE dudes back to the border who were undercover cops. This night really changed things for me. Mexico, at least Tijuana is really dangerous right now. These cops sit outside pharmacies just waiting for a gringo to walk out with a bag. This really makes me reconsider a lot of things. Tonight was a real turning point for me. God when I was pinned up against that wall and everyone was staring at me, watching the arrest, it just was so **** horrible. After many years, It might be the end of my Tijuana days and I'll just have personal use stuff sent to me by low key guys. Man this night really got to me. Anyone going to Mexico, particularly Tijuana, please be careful. Please. I should not even post these kind of details about myself, god knows who is reading. But I'm just doing this to help anyone else out there who wants to buy in Mexico. Just watch out. And please no one ask me any questions about who I am, where it happened or anything. I just want this whole thing to go away.