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I Got in Trouble on the Mexican Border
allen griggs
Member Posts: 35,229 ✭✭✭✭
Last year I was down in El Paso delivering a load. I got talking to the shipping clerk at the terminal, and I asked him about the Rio Grande.
He said, the river was just 20 feet wide, and was contained in a concrete ditch.
I thought the guy was nuts. I have crossed the border many times, not in El Paso, but in Laredo and Brownsville, on vacations. It is a big river, about a half mile wide.
I decided to go see the river. I had some time to kill, and I drove down the road that said "International Bridge." I parked the big truck in a good spot about a half mile from the border and I walked down there. I had my camera in my hand.
This was a big border crossing, 4 lanes going into Mexico, and 4 lanes coming out. There was a sidewalk and many Mexican people were walking along, headed back into Mexico after a day of shopping, or visiting relatives, whatever. I was walking with these Mexican people.
I did stand out. These Mexican people are about 5 foot 4, and the women are shorter than that. Here I was a big 6-3 Gringo.
As I got near the border, there were about a dozen US border cops checking cars. Right then, I could see, sure enough, a concrete ditch about 20 feet wide with water in it. Damn, that clerk was right, that had to be the river! I was about 100 feet away, too far to get a good pic.
Just then an American cop saw me. He walked over and asked what my business was, going into Mexico. I told him that I wasn't going into Mexico, I just was going to go about 50 more feet, get a pic of the river, and turn around and go back.
He started to go Marine Boot Camp on me. He said, "You have entered the Mexico Entry Zone. You cannot go back to America. I order you to proceed to those stairs, approximately 300 feet from here, and go up to that station, and explain your situation to the Mexican authorities."
This guy was telling me that I had to cross into Mexico. I saw that there was a catwalk, about 30 feet high, and there was a Mexican immigration office up there on a platform. About 150 people were standing in line.
These were Mexican people who were trying to get into America. This cop was ordering me to cross into Mexico, climb those stairs and get into line, in order to re enter into America.
Well, there was no way in hell I was going to walk across into Mexico.
I have been in those border crossing stations before. They are shakedown operations. If your papers are in order, they get you for a $10 bribe just to get through. If your papers are not in order, well, good luck.
I could see how that interview would go:
Mexican cop "Senor, how long were you in our country?"
Allen: "One minute."
Mexican cop: "Sir, what cities did you visit in our country."
Allen: "None."
Mexican cop "Senor, I need to see your papers and passport."
Allen: "I have no papers or passport."
Then it is off to jail for Allen. It is a shakedown! I know people who it has happened to. They have you in that cell, and next thing you are sending a telegram to relatives back in Georgia, begging them to wire $5 grand to get you out of jail. It is like the Warren Zevon song,
Send lawyers, guns and money
Dad, get me out of this!
I'm the innocent bystander
But somehow, I got stuck
Between the rock and the hard place
And I'm down on my luck...
I'm hiding in Honduras
I'm a desperate man
Send lawyers, guns and money,
The **** has hit the fan!
That song was running through my head at that time.
I told the American cop, "I have not entered Mexico and do not intend to."
He replied "I order you to proceed to those stairs, and to explain your situation to the Mexican authorities. Do you understand."
I said "Yes, I understand."
There was no way in hell I was going to walk across that border. I figured, better to stop right here, get arrested in America, than to cross that river and get arrested in Mexico. I wasn't sure how I was going to get out of this pickle. I wanted to turn around and run run right back into my country, but I have a titanium knee and cannot run. If I had been a 21 year old soccer player, as I used to be, I just would have bolted.
Just then, thank God, the German Shepherd alerted on a car. The American cops were going to tear the car apart and look for drugs, or something. They yelled at my cop to come help them. He turned around to go help his buddies.
The instant he turned his back on me, I did 180 and started walking fast, back to the loving embrace of the Great State of Texas. I figured, what was the guy going to do, shoot me in the back?
He said, the river was just 20 feet wide, and was contained in a concrete ditch.
I thought the guy was nuts. I have crossed the border many times, not in El Paso, but in Laredo and Brownsville, on vacations. It is a big river, about a half mile wide.
I decided to go see the river. I had some time to kill, and I drove down the road that said "International Bridge." I parked the big truck in a good spot about a half mile from the border and I walked down there. I had my camera in my hand.
This was a big border crossing, 4 lanes going into Mexico, and 4 lanes coming out. There was a sidewalk and many Mexican people were walking along, headed back into Mexico after a day of shopping, or visiting relatives, whatever. I was walking with these Mexican people.
I did stand out. These Mexican people are about 5 foot 4, and the women are shorter than that. Here I was a big 6-3 Gringo.
As I got near the border, there were about a dozen US border cops checking cars. Right then, I could see, sure enough, a concrete ditch about 20 feet wide with water in it. Damn, that clerk was right, that had to be the river! I was about 100 feet away, too far to get a good pic.
Just then an American cop saw me. He walked over and asked what my business was, going into Mexico. I told him that I wasn't going into Mexico, I just was going to go about 50 more feet, get a pic of the river, and turn around and go back.
He started to go Marine Boot Camp on me. He said, "You have entered the Mexico Entry Zone. You cannot go back to America. I order you to proceed to those stairs, approximately 300 feet from here, and go up to that station, and explain your situation to the Mexican authorities."
This guy was telling me that I had to cross into Mexico. I saw that there was a catwalk, about 30 feet high, and there was a Mexican immigration office up there on a platform. About 150 people were standing in line.
These were Mexican people who were trying to get into America. This cop was ordering me to cross into Mexico, climb those stairs and get into line, in order to re enter into America.
Well, there was no way in hell I was going to walk across into Mexico.
I have been in those border crossing stations before. They are shakedown operations. If your papers are in order, they get you for a $10 bribe just to get through. If your papers are not in order, well, good luck.
I could see how that interview would go:
Mexican cop "Senor, how long were you in our country?"
Allen: "One minute."
Mexican cop: "Sir, what cities did you visit in our country."
Allen: "None."
Mexican cop "Senor, I need to see your papers and passport."
Allen: "I have no papers or passport."
Then it is off to jail for Allen. It is a shakedown! I know people who it has happened to. They have you in that cell, and next thing you are sending a telegram to relatives back in Georgia, begging them to wire $5 grand to get you out of jail. It is like the Warren Zevon song,
Send lawyers, guns and money
Dad, get me out of this!
I'm the innocent bystander
But somehow, I got stuck
Between the rock and the hard place
And I'm down on my luck...
I'm hiding in Honduras
I'm a desperate man
Send lawyers, guns and money,
The **** has hit the fan!
That song was running through my head at that time.
I told the American cop, "I have not entered Mexico and do not intend to."
He replied "I order you to proceed to those stairs, and to explain your situation to the Mexican authorities. Do you understand."
I said "Yes, I understand."
There was no way in hell I was going to walk across that border. I figured, better to stop right here, get arrested in America, than to cross that river and get arrested in Mexico. I wasn't sure how I was going to get out of this pickle. I wanted to turn around and run run right back into my country, but I have a titanium knee and cannot run. If I had been a 21 year old soccer player, as I used to be, I just would have bolted.
Just then, thank God, the German Shepherd alerted on a car. The American cops were going to tear the car apart and look for drugs, or something. They yelled at my cop to come help them. He turned around to go help his buddies.
The instant he turned his back on me, I did 180 and started walking fast, back to the loving embrace of the Great State of Texas. I figured, what was the guy going to do, shoot me in the back?
Comments
I can still see the Police Cars with Policia painted on Them with a Brush,I wonder Who's Car it used to be.We were also told that the American Consulate was useless and the Mexican Attorneys would bleed Our Families for everything They could get before We would be released.
Why Anyone would want to go there is a mystery to Me.
At the small hamlet border crossings, there was usually just one or two Federales who routinely waved road traffic right on through. Of course, about a hundred yards into Mexico, an official vehicle of some sort would pull out and block the road, and someone in a uniform would ask for a 'donation' to help support the community's emergency services - which amounted to an entry fee, but which at least generated a friendly atmosphere in which nobody tore your trunk apart. Exit procedure was usually regulated by no one on the Mexican side, and by someone who often looked like a Constable on the U.S. side, who usually just gave a wave. But these guys were not asleep, because on several occasions, I came across vehicles which had obviously crossed the border ahead of me, who were surrounded by U.S. Agents who seemingly appeared from nowhere.
But times seem to have changed.
I have a good friend that is CBP down in Eagle Pass Texas, I posed this question to him. I'll get back with you on his response. "So how far does the border extend into US territory? If I walk up towards a border crossing station, at what point is it that I am forced to cross over, and why can't I just turn around as an American if I am still on the US side of the border?"
It sounds like a frightening situation. More examples of the police state. [V] So now it is a violation to walk up to a border crossing and not actually cross? They create a funneling system so that once you enter that funnel you have "implied" your intent to cross the border and are committed to making the crossing? You don't have the freedom to change you mind and turn around. So I wonder how far the "border" extends into US territory?
I have a good friend that is CBP down in Eagle Pass Texas, I posed this question to him. I'll get back with you on his response. "So how far does the border extend into US territory? If I walk up towards a border crossing station, at what point is it that I am forced to cross over, and why can't I just turn around as an American if I am still on the US side of the border?"
Very good questions which beg for answers...
He tried to explain to me something along the lines about the US border. But my stance was if you're still in the US (Arizona) who the Hell needs their pass port to travel in that state?
Here's an informative link about the Rio Grande River which has its headwaters in SW Colorado, and the dams and diversions it has:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande_dams_and_diversions
Here's a link to a picture of one of the dams on the Rio Grande:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_Butte_Dam
..The U.S. border Nazis are a bunch of punks with badges and guns. I'm sure that's the exception, but that's what I ran into.
..When they have cash registers set up to collect the fines and issue receipts, something is very wrong.
So the cop, with a gun, was in Mexico, as well. If his words were "you can't go back to America," you both were already in Mexico.
No, that is what is so weird. This was an American border cop, and we were in Texas! We were 100 feet from the border.
This guy knew that I would be entering Mexico with no documents, and he knew that I would catch hell in that Mexican station, trying to re enter the US.
quote:Originally posted by shilowar
It sounds like a frightening situation. More examples of the police state. [V] So now it is a violation to walk up to a border crossing and not actually cross? They create a funneling system so that once you enter that funnel you have "implied" your intent to cross the border and are committed to making the crossing? You don't have the freedom to change you mind and turn around. So I wonder how far the "border" extends into US territory?
I have a good friend that is CBP down in Eagle Pass Texas, I posed this question to him. I'll get back with you on his response. "So how far does the border extend into US territory? If I walk up towards a border crossing station, at what point is it that I am forced to cross over, and why can't I just turn around as an American if I am still on the US side of the border?"
Very good questions which beg for answers...
my friends response:
You can stop anytime before the line but it can be confusing. I went into Mexico accidentally in 2005, so it can happen, especially if you are not aware of the area.
In 2005 he wasn't a BP Agent. I copied what you said happened and sent it to him so we'll see what he says.
https://www.google.com/maps/@31.7473267,-106.4870864,360m/data=!3m1!1e3
Believe it or not, that is the Rio Grande in the middle, in that concrete ditch.
The top half of the pic is the US, and the bottom half is Mexico.
Here is my song:
.
..Try coming back to the U.S. from Canada if your prescription meds are not in the original bottles, but in one of those "old folks" daily dose plastic boxes. I've told of that nightmare here before. All the Canadians care about is how much alcohol and smokes you're carrying.
..The U.S. border Nazis are a bunch of punks with badges and guns. I'm sure that's the exception, but that's what I ran into.
..When they have cash registers set up to collect the fines and issue receipts, something is very wrong.
Wife and daughter went to Vermont for
a funeral from TEXAS couple weeks ago.
Took a road trip to alotta places including
near the Canada border where they were told
to delete cell phone pics while still in
the usa from the Canada border patrol. Yes
they were that close, wife said "are you really
that silly?" and drove off.
nunn
quote:Originally posted by tapwater
..Try coming back to the U.S. from Canada if your prescription meds are not in the original bottles, but in one of those "old folks" daily dose plastic boxes. I've told of that nightmare here before. All the Canadians care about is how much alcohol and smokes you're carrying.
..The U.S. border Nazis are a bunch of punks with badges and guns. I'm sure that's the exception, but that's what I ran into.
..When they have cash registers set up to collect the fines and issue receipts, something is very wrong.
Wife and daughter went to Vermont for
a funeral from TEXAS couple weeks ago.
Took a road trip to alotta places including
near the Canada border where they were told
to delete cell phone pics while still in
the usa from the Canada border patrol. Yes
they were that close, wife said "are you really
that silly?" and drove off.
..Cell phone pics, really? What possible reason could there be? Somewhere, I have a record for "illegal importation of a controlled substance". For one Xanax tablet that wasn't in the original bottle, therefore, I couldn't prove that I had a prescription. I was with my Pops and a bunch of older guys in their 60's to 80's, fishing in Northwest Ontario.
..The BP guy acted like a movie southern sheriff type, tapping his pencil on his desk, saying, quote: "You're in a lot of trouble, boy". Couple hours and $90 later, they turned me loose.
..Once home, I sent them all the paperwork to show that they'd made a mistake. All to no avail. Jerks..[:(!]
I had heard that Mexico was dangerous.
As I crossed the border at Brownsville/Matamoros, US cops just waved me through. The Mexican cops were going to search, question my papers etc.
I gave them the standard $10 bribe, and suddenly, my papers were just fine.
Drove all around the country for 6 weeks. No problems.
Sold the gun to Mexican guy for $35 down on Isla Mujeres, the day before I headed back to Matamoros.
That is what you call "young and dumb."
Very interesting thread Allen!!
Capt. Jack Sparrow.