A friend went to TJ this week. Bought a couple Viagra at the pharmacia, and went on to find entertainment. Shortly after, he was surrounded by five TJ cops who demanded his wallet and basically roughed him up.
The "Probable Cause" was apparently the Viagra. So watch out, there may be a pharmacia/cop link with some kind of lookout people, designed to find unsuspecting gringos to mess with.
By the way, even with a Mexican doctor's prescription, don't try bringing things over the border. It can be confiscated by the American cops at the border. They'll give some bullshit excuse, but unless you really want to tangle with them right there, you'll probably have to give up your stuff.
Keep it safe, amigos.
Tijuana is dangerous, there's muders, muggins by cops and total mayhem.
If you've never been to TJ, don't go!
The bars are so crowded with hot looking latinas, you're better off staying on US soil to look for hot girls.
sorry to hear your friend got busted.
best to hide money all over the place, in your shoes, socks and other pockets.
Worst place is to keep your whole bankroll in your wallet.
Most TJ cops are honest, it's just the few that make it bad for all of them..
I know you always come unglued when someone casts a shadow on TJ. I was not saying to avoid it, I was letting people know about a scam that goes on there. Basically, watch out for getting shit at the pharmacy. I've been going to TJ since 1980. Got beat up once. Got a watch stolen once. Cops have been really good for the most part, I agree.
I've been ripped off more in SD than TJ. Just watch out with the drug thing down there is all I'm saying.
Actually, Freefall, if you search, you'll find that rockhard responds to any disparaging remark about TJ with this exact message. Then he will say that you should join a TJ pay site. It happens so often that the recruiting effort has become pretty transparent. If you think the Arizona providers' marketing posts are a bit much, this is pretty similar, kind of a broken record. He does have some good info though. I quote:
"yeah, some of the streets were bad and get flooded out but the rain is actually good.
Kidnappings aren't too common and they have to know your family to get a ransom....think about it.
If you join Juan's he'll ask where you found out about the site and mention my name, Rock.
I get some brownie points if I get a guy to join...
You'll find tons of info and some good pics to find the good chicas...
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there are 2 good pay sites on TJ
Juans and club hombre.
I used to be a member of redsnake, the first TJ board. When it closed down, guys went two different directions; Juans and Hombre.
Juans has a lot of guys that either live in TJ or live close by and visit several times a week. Info is current and there are quite a few pics to recognize the chicas in the Zone.
I could hang at either board and chooose Juans. Lots of good trip reports..."
I get lots of PM's from guys that want info on TJ and I try to help them out but even more, I don't know everything there is about TJ
Granted, I've been going to TJ for over 10 years to play.
But there are many resources on the Net that have tons of info.
Juans, Hombre, Amigos and many more.
In the past, I've posted links but a while back this discussion board was heavily moderated and posts with links to other sites were deleted.
It seems that now the policy is either more lax or the Mod is lazy.
Guys want info, that's what TER is all about and why we post stuff here.
BUT the info here is a drop of water in a pool when it comes to info about TJ.
As I said, I've been going to TJ for a long time, yet there are guys who have a lot more info than I do because they are in the Zone every week or every day since they live in TJ.
You can all me a Pimp to Juans site and I urge guys to join up there. For the price of membership and what you get, the other sites can't compare.
You'll find specifics on how others have dealt with cops that are looking to shake you down. Guys will put up their own personal experiences.
[I posted what happened to me, it happened to me last year]
And you'll find so many more pointers on getting the most out of your trip to TJ.
Many of you guys know me here since I've been posting since the TJ board was created.
I'm not going to let one cretin ruin it for the rest.
So yes, you can accuse me of being a pimp for the TJ site or a broken record, but the info you get in a TJ membership site is much more than any one here can give you.
I really, really doubt there is a pharmacy/cop consiracy. If you gave me the name and location of the pharmacy I could give an educated guess as to what happened.
This is nothing new. It happened a lot last year before Jorge Hank became mayor as the outgoing administration gave up policing the police while they were out to build a retirement nestegg.
This type of incident often happens near the Sentri drop off point. Which--in addition to better prices--is why I buy medications in places tourists don't flock.
When I buy medications, I first check to see that no cops are loitering in the area. I don't leave the pharmacy with meds in hand, where any cop can see what I bought. (I put them in my pocket, etc.) I also buy a coke, so there is an apparent reason for my entering the pharmacy.
The system in Mexico is different in the US. In the US, a pharmacist needs an Rx to sell you drugs. In Mexico, you need an Rx to buy (category three) medication (which are most meds). You are breaking Mexican law if you buy Viagra, etc. without an Rx from a Mexican physician.
(Granted, there is a lot of selective enforcment. BTW, many people in the third world are too poor to see a doctor, so they get medical advice from the parmacist. Hence a law governing Rx that doesn't make sense to most gringos.)
Elsewhere I've posted about Dr. Romero. He and other physicians will write a Mexican Rx for a small fee. Mexican Rx = no problems with cops.
There are no US cops at the border. There are hired secutiy guards for line control and US customs officals.
I have always declared medications I buy in Mexico to the customs officals. Almost never do I have an Rx from a US physican, but I've never had the medications confiscated. (Once in a while I get a lecture about needing an Rx next time.)
I think your fear of bringing meds (unless they are something with a high black market value, like valeum) is overblown.
I know there are not US cops at the border. I was talking about Customs. I always declare. I always get a Mexican doctor RX, and I've been lectured at customs and pretty much forced to pitch the pharmaceuticals, which have not included triplicate prescriptions.
This friend most likely did not have a prescription, just bought a couple Viagra before an expedition to Adelitas, and someone was watching. Which led to the cop shakedown. So someone's getting a little mordida here.
One thing I thought was cool was that when they asked for his wallet, he took the money out, put it in his pocket, then gave them the wallet. I thought that was priceless. Made them reveal their motives.
My main point was that, when you're in a grey area, including pharmacy, or public drunkenness and fighting on Revolucion, it's a big red flag. Opportunists can see this as "probable cause" to pull you aside, then you're on your own. Best to stay clear of these activities.
I am a gringo who spent the past 40 years going to Mexico. TJ is a cespool and 85% to 95% of the cops a bandits with badges. It is a get place to have a lille fun but don't be foolish, when you cross the border you are a target for every hustler with a line of shit. BE CAREFUL don't trust anyone especially the cops.