[DB-Baja]

There has been a trend for increasing crime north and south of the border for the last 2 or 3 years and San Felipe has been affected too. I have seen an increased number of car, motorcycle and UTV thefts as well as general crime reports.

Some say the cartels are now using that port to offload drugs heading north and others are saying that the cartels have taken over the illegal trade of Totoaba swim bladders from the waters off San Felipe.

I have a close friend with a place there and he tells me that crime in San Felipe as always been a problem but was mostly non-violent in nature (car thefts / burglary) but over the last few years has been escalating with a number of homicides including the American a few months ago where they stole his van and some high profile armed car jackings that were reported earlier this year south and west of San Felipe.

[andyp]

What do you think, is it more drugs or the swim bladder trade that’s fueling the recent increase in violent crime?

[MikeyD]

The primary attraction for the cartels was control of the smuggling routes across the gulf where hundreds of kilometers of Baja’s remote coastline makes it easy for them to land undetected. I believe the Tatoaba swim bladders were an unexpected bonus that they took advantage of to help finance their smuggling ops. They make a lot more money off the drug trafficking.

[andyp]

That makes sense

[josechu]

Thanks for your retrospective & heads up. While absolutely stunning travel, beach-side camping, dreamy water time, and time with wonderful Mexicanos and expats, we sensed the enveloping uncertainty from Rio San Luis Colorado Sonora all the way to Agua Verde during our April 2022 sojourn. The San Felipe-Gonzaga-Bahia Los Angeles-corridor felt clearly “amenazado”. So much not being said in the deeply caring warning “mucho ojo”. For us the Hwy 5 – 1 drive echoed the Columbian Tayrona National Park-Barranquilla corridor circa 1989, where we’d traveled during those cocaine fueled conflict years. Similar cartel fused economic violence to what I read here. Qué tragedia! Learning about these murders, car jacking’s, etc is a colossal shame for the Baja California economy and society.

[carloshc]

The war on drugs for the last half century accomplished only one thing, to convert the cartels into private armies who bribe corrupt officials in my country to get out of jail and even cooperation to move their drugs. We will never defeat the cartels. The US drug market represents too much money for them to just ignore and walk away from. Stomp out one cartel and two new ones appear.

The only solution is to legalize drugs and put all that money into drug treatment and counseling.

Until that happens, it’s best to avoid the remote areas along the north Sea of Cortez because the cartels are in control there.

[DB-Baja]

Remote areas anywhere today have all become much more dangerous. Wilderness camping in the states now is something you can only do with a gun close by and sleeping with one eye open. A quick Google search will list hundreds of reports of campers attacked, raped, robbed and even murdered in US wilderness areas over the last 20 years. The US has lots of drug crazed sickos we have to deal with and in Baja you have to stay clear of the cartels. The difference is the cartels would mostly prefer to avoid interaction with tourists where the drugged crazed sickos actively seek them out in places where they are most vulnerable. It’s all about staying well informed, be aware of your surroundings and manage the risks. Otherwise you’d best just stay home and limit your travels to Disneyland and Sea World.

[mx-rider]

The cartels don’t concern me as much as the small time thief who is looking to steal my truck and/or motorcycle. San Felipe has a growing problem with vehicles being taken while parked at your hotel as well as out on the highway north and south of town.

[BajaBundo]

I love the northern gulf region in the cooler months and over the years we have spent a lot of our winter vacation time in San Felipe. We had often camped along some of remote beach areas south of town but in 2008 our campsite was raided, taking everything including our tent, sleeping bags, spare clothes, personal items in the tent, cooking gear and everything else.

But we didn’t give up and started spending more time heading south to Puertecitos and Gonzaga and since 2012 we started exploring further south of Gonzaga to some of the remote fish camps along the gulf. But no more.

The first several years we always got a very warm and welcome feel when we would venture into a remote fish camp south of Gonzaga and established some good friendships with some of the old timers who have lived and worked there for decades. On our return trips we would bring along several boxes of canned goods, boxed milk, coffee, sugar and cigarettes as well as a couple of 5 gallon containers of gasoline to leave with them which they always welcomed. In return they would let us camp for a several days, take us out fishing and cook some amazing meals for us.

These last couple of years however have been different to the point where we have felt increasingly unwelcomed and during our trip last winter we found all of the familiar faces were now gone. They were replaced by mostly younger, unfriendly men including one who openly carried a gun in his waistband. They seemed to be sizing us up as potential victims and needless to say, we quickly got out of there.

Heading back north we stayed the night at Alfonsinas where a local told us that for the last several years the cartels have been slowly taking over the gulf coastline from San Felipe to Bahia de Los Angeles.

We are thankful for the years we were able to enjoy that region of Baja but have decided that we will now stick to exploring down the Pacific side. We are planning to spend this winter in areas around San Quintin, El Rosario and Punta San Carlos. If we have time, we might sneak down to Cataviña with a side trip out to maybe Punta Canoas. And for the winter of 2023/24 we are thinking about further south to Bahia Asuncion, La Bocana and Abreojos maybe.

It pains us to say goodbye to San Felipe as we have so many great memories from that area but at least now we will get to discover and spend time in other areas of Baja.

Sending our condolences to the families of those police officers.

[andyp]

How unfortunate and disappointing! We once visited a small fish camp down there (Calamajue?) maybe 12-or 13 years ago and recall the people there were extremely friendly.

[MikeyD]

I believe it. There’s another small fish camp south of Calamajue where some friends stopped last summer. I had been there about 5 years ago but it was vacant when we passed through. Apparently this time there were several vehicles at the camp including 2 very new looking SUV’s but the people there made it quite clear that they’d best turn back around and leave. Befor ethey left they did see a panga covered with a tarp with a guy who appeared to be standing guard right next to it. It was probably drugs.

[mx-rider]

Your report corroborates a lot of what we have been seeing happening along there over the last couple of decades. The small time thieves stick mostly to the populated areas where it’s a “target rich environment” and out in the more remote sections it’s more likely to be cartel related. A few times over the past several years we have crossed paths with them but never had any trouble, we just kept moving on and minded our own business.

[screeski]

Oh man, that sucks. We love riding through that area but yes, having your stuff getting ripped off is happening more and more there. And then there was that recent carjacking right on the highway near Gonzaga where they took 3 vehicles in one swoop!

Coco warned us on our last trip through when we stopped to see him.

[andyp]

How would you compare the risk there vs other Baja locations on the Pacific side?

[MikeyD]

All of Baja’s remote coastline is a potential sweet spot for smuggling activities.

Having said that, the cartels seem to be picking areas as far away from larger cities and military bases as much as possible which make the gulf coastline south of San Felipe so enticing. If you look at a map of the military bases in northern Baja they are all centered in Tijuana, Ensenada and Mexicali with one base in San Quintin that’s charged with covering all of the rest of the state to the 28th parallel.

That leaves the Pacific side south of Punta San Carlos and the gulf side from San Felipe heading south with hundreds of miles of coastline easy pickings for the cartels with only an occasional military patrol to worry about.

The cartels don’t fear the local police too much but they do fear the Mexican military and why I believe that San Felipe today is probably more dangerous than Rosarito Beach, Ensenada and San Quintin.

[andyp]

I hadn’t thought of that. So the military coverage in Baja California is focused primarily along the border and the Pacific coastline from the border down to San Quintin? You would think a military base around Jesus Maria could provide some good coverage to both the Pacific and gulf sides for the southern regions of the state. I suppose they couldn’t justify it due to so few people living down there and the cartels probably know that already.

[ralph]

Large Army post just a few miles south of Jesus Maria in Guerrero Negro.

[MikeyD]

And they have zero impact on the crime in Bahia de Los Angeles. Their mission is to stop drugs moved from south to north and cash and guns from north to south.

[ralph]

San Felipe has a navy and army base

[MikeyD]

The small Navy base at San Felipe is mainly to control illegal fishing, they don’t have sufficient sailors or vessels to stop drug smugglers in the northern gulf and much less all of the waters south to Bahia de Los Angeles. The navy there have no impact at all in stopping crime on land in San Felipe. I didn’t know about the army base at San Felipe so I messaged my cousin who is a captain assigned to the base in Tijuana. He told me that San Felipe has a small garrison, but it’s not fully staffed. He also said that there is talk of may be moving more troops and patrol vehicles to the garrison there before 2023 and they would cooperate with national guard to make joint patrols. That would be a very good thing for San Felipe.

[MikeyD]

This would happen to respond to a request for help from the Baja California governor.

[mikel]

That does seem to make sense.

[enchirito]

We love San Felipe and while crime is probably worse today – like it is everywhere else – we have always felt pretty safe there, although we do make sure we park our SUV in a secure area and never leave anything inside to encourage a break-in. I do think the safety situation is still better than Rosarito Beach or Rocky Point across the gulf.

[andyp]

Really? That’s encouraging to hear. What do you make of all the recent reports of violent crime?

[MikeyD]

Have you noticed any difference since the military dropped their checkpoint near Gonzaga? How many expats have been murdered in Rosarito lately? Compare the violent crime stats commited on tourists/expats based on per capita of tourists/expats in Rosarito (a lot) with San Felipe (fewer) and Bahia de Los Angeles (even fewer).

San Felipe being safer is just an illusion. Don’t get me wrong, I still go there but I am much more careful today than I was just 7 or 8 years ago.

[trekker]

We aren’t “safe” anywhere today and what is happening in San Felipe is the same thing that is happening all over right now. Sorry to hear that little town is having to deal with this as there’s a lot of really good people in that town and I would imagine this news isn’t going to help whatsoever.

Our neighborhood up here in the states has seen a lot of crime recently and home burglaries have skyrocketed since we first moved here. Everybody is putting in security systems, extra outdoor lighting and getting bigger dogs.

Seems like it’s just the world we live in now.

[andyp]

We’ve seen crime increase out here where we live in the high deserts outside of San Bernardino these past few years and about 20% just in these last 12 months, however violent crime has only gone up less than half that much supposedly. I am aware that in Mexico they report a lot more of the local crime that goes on so people are very in tune to it compared to here where we only hear about major crime events mostly. But it does seem to be getting worst in San Felipe and as was mentioned above, it could be related to a lack of any significant military presence.

[MikeyD]

San Felipe is a relatively quiet little town on the Sea of Cortez where most visitors and even residents who don’t speak much Spanish may have no clue as to what is really happening with the Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) cartels said to be trying to take control of the illegal Tatoaba fishing in the area as well as the smuggling routes across the gulf from the mainland of drugs heading north. That includes Bahia de Los Angeles where crime has also been on the increase including several American retirees who have been kidnapped/killed in just the past few years – 4 that I can think of.

[andyp]

Thanks for all of your insight, it seems to fit with what is happening right now down there along the northern gulf side of Baja.

[mikel]

We have some long time friends who have lived in San Felipe for over 15 years who swear that it’s safe. They built one of the first homes in El Dorado and while we have never seen anything happen out where they live, we have gotten to the point that we are afraid to leave our vehicle parked anywhere downtown and have watched over the years as the town has lost some of its friendly, welcoming vibe that we felt when we first visited there probably in 2005.

Bahia del Los Angeles unfortunately has suffered from the same problem. Our last 3 or 4 trips there we have noticed that people there seem more afraid of something/someone with a lot more people now putting up fences and bars on their windows. When we talk to someone who lives there about the recent murders of American expats they seem to know who did it but are also afraid to talk about it much.

I can only assume that the criminals have eyes and ears everywhere in that beautiful area and it’s a real shame how things have changed from the days back when it was the Diaz store and not much else in BOLA.

[MikeyD]

It looks like help could be coming. The Baja California governor has requested military help and more army troops and patrol vehicles may be sent to build up the garrison at San Felipe to make joint security patrols with the National Guard in San Felipe. I hope that AMLO approves the request.

[enchirito]

Very good news – now let’s hope that it gets approved!

[offroadrage]

Why wouldn’t he approve it unless he is is in bed with the cartel?

[mikel]

I have read that in Mexico the president will at times cut a deal with one cartel and target the rest. Some some it’s a pragmatic policy but in the end it’s still corrupt.

[MikeyD]

The cartels have a lot of politicians in their pocket.

[six-one-niner]

The problem with that region (San Felipe to Bahia de Los Angeles) it’s a long and remote coastline that is too easy for smugglers to cross in both directions with drugs, guns, money and people. And there are tens of thousands of square kilometers where they can safely hide on land. San Felipe needs a battalion at minimum with a much larger naval presence. Bahia needs a garrison with a naval base large enough to provide support in coordination with San Felipe to be able to cover so much water area. Anything less is just a game of whack a mole and why the cartels are in control of everything that moves in the northern gulf. Mexico City knows this which makes me think sometimes that this was a deal with the Sinaloa cartel made by the federal government.

[amandae]

We love San Felipe in the winter time and we used to see a lot of military patrols but these last two trips very few. We wondered if perhaps that coincided with the removal of the military checkpoint on the 5?

[maxmo]

San Felipe does have a small army base and a very small navy base but if you look at all the territory they are supposed to cover it is of little surprise that the cartels are in control. From San Felipe south to Bahia de Los Angeles and the gulf region? The military would need 10X more elements to be able to properly patrol and control what goes on there. What is there now is looks to be just for show, to be able to say we are doing something. It’s a joke and this federal government knows it.

[screeski]

It’s a catch-22, what many of us love about Baja is being able to explore and enjoy the wide open, remote areas and that’s the very thing that the cartels take advantage of to move drugs and hide. I guess each one of us has to decide how much we are willing to give up the one for safety from the other?

[MikeyD]

That is what it all comes down to.

[SolSeeker]

San Felipe still feels relatively safe to me overall but with this news of the cartel attacking the police, the situation does seem to be changing. I had met Allen and Ruth just a few days before he was shot dead trying to stop car thieves from taking his van and it really has made me think about whether to buy a home here in in San Felipe or look elsewhere, I will admit.

[screeski]

Your concern is something a lot of us think about. After this news of the murders of local police in addition to the recent highway carjackings and all the vehicle thefts in town that have plagued San Felipe in recent years, a percentage of dirt bike riders are beginning to think twice now about the area.

[SolSeeker]

Which areas do you consider safer down here right now?

[BajaGringo]

San Felipe Expats Staying Home?

According to this news article out today, Expats living in San Felipe are now staying home out of fear from the recent news of violent crime and the police officials shot dead. and the impact is being felt by the local bars, restaurants and stores.

Due to fear based on the recent news of violent crime in San Felipe, foreigners living in the area are staying home inside their expat communities and is being felt by businesses in the port city, creating a negative economic impact, said Anabila Galván, president of the San Felipe Economic Development Council (CDESF).

Last Tuesday, two officers of the municipal police force of the city were shot to death and where the police chief, Ramón Valdez Salas, was also shot but survived.

Fear Persists in San Felipe Expat Community

The president of the CDESF commented that in the days since these shootings, expats in the area have stopped going out to the local bars and restaurants out of fear.

“American residents here tend to be early risers; they get up early and go out for breakfast, do their shopping and in the afternoons will spend time at a bar and have dinner at one of our local restaurants. Now that has stopped,” said Galván.

She explained that part of the problem is due to the fact that no in-depth study was performed to determine the public security requirements for this new state municipality, both in terms of public safety and economics and recalled that at the beginning of the current administration, the CDESF proposed carrying out such a study.

She added that such an in-depth study is needed due to the fact that the local fishing based economy has dropped off substantially and is now seasonal like tourism, requiring other alternatives be considered to help spur the local economy but a request for financial support for the study was flatly rejected by the president of the San Felipe Foundation Municipal Council.

A local state representative, Juan Manuel Molina García, promised to help secure funding for the study from the state Congress but to date, no funding has been offered, according to Anabila Galván.

https://www.lavozdelafrontera.com.mx/local/persiste-miedo-en-residentes-extranjeros-de-san-felipe-8941377.html

[MikeyD]

No big surprise

[DuckDive]

What do they expect?

[mikel]

Precisely. I would be staying home too right now if I were living in San Felipe. Instead of trying to convince residents that things are “okay”, they should be working to make sure things actually are okay and safe in the area.

[MikeyD]

The authorities are used to people believing them when they say its no big deal and are trying to figure out why the gringos living there don’t just go along with it. I applaud them – it’s the only way to get government in Mexico to take action..

[Christo]

Just got back from SF and the Malecon was definitely showing the effects of people staying home or not visiting SF. Didn’t see any expats of tourists in the restaurants. We ate at the always crowded Taco Factory and there was only one other group there, on a Saturday.

The rest of town looked normal, the Calimax was crowded and business at the gas stations was brisk. Didn’t see any additional police presence. Our place is on the south beaches, so we don’t spend much time in SF

[BajaGringo]

Thanks for sharing that.

I got a lot of private mail on this topic including a few from folks really angry for me, claiming I was “trying to scare people away from San Felipe.” Nothing could be farther from the truth and much of the mail I received seemed to agree with your comments @Christo , basically saying there were less people downtown and along the beach with more people staying home or in their neighborhoods lately.

And then I also got a few messages from people telling me that everything was already back to normal and insisting that downtown bars and restaurants are FULL of people. Who knows, maybe a few of them are?

I am a numbers guy and prefer to go with what the majority of the responses are telling me…

[BajaBundo]

I have been reading a lot of posts from people questioning travel to San Felipe recently. The mayor needs to get together with the governor and roll out some new security measures to help calm people’s fears, this is going to just go away.

[JuanSoler]

True, this didn’t just happen over night. I know of several riders who no longer are comfortable leaving their bike parked alone in San Felipe with so many thefts in recent years. The town has a problem and it appears to be getting worse. Worse yet, some in the Morena government believe this crime news tied into cartels is making them look bad and recently have begun saying these stories are made up or exaggerated – calling them propaganda by the opposition political parties.

With that scenario, don’t expect for things to get better any time soon if they aren’t even willing to accept what is really going on.

[BajaGringo]

The Police Chief just resigned in San Felipe…

https://www.lavozdelafrontera.com.mx/local/renuncia-director-de-policia-municipal-san-felipe-8950645.html

[JuanSoler]

plata o plomo

[mikel]

This is not a comforting sign and only feeds the narrative that the cartels are taking over San Felipe. But I don’t blame him after what just happened.

[cabodream]

Some friends spent last weekend in San Felipe and shared that it seemed more like mid-week, with very few people in the bars and restaurants where they visited and very few tourists on the beach, in spite of the great weather. They stayed at a vacation rental at El Dorado Ranch and the property management advised them to stay indoors and not to go out at night, the first time they had heard that after years of travel to San Felipe.