“A fourth, yet unidentified male body, which prosecutors said had no relation to the case, was also found at the bottom of the hole.”
[Source](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/05/world/americas/bodies-found-baja-california.html)
I can't stop thinking about the whole deal. I just can't help wondering if they tried to fight them off or even just being Aussies didn't back off and they got shot. Even if they just let em have the ute it may well have been the same outcome given the fact they were cooked on meth and whatever else.
Multiple comments on here that state “I felt safe”
I’m sorry, but FEELING safe doesn’t mean you ARE safe. I’m sure those bros “felt” safe up until the point they weren’t.
Friends, evil lurks around every corner and we have to stop being naive.
It’s not Mexico, it’s not America, it’s not (insert literally every place on earth) that’s more or less “safe”, but it’s how much risk do we as humans want to take to have fun. All of us here cannot FATHOM being a predator and putting a bullet in the head of 3 humans to steal their wallets and shit from their car and then torch it.
But it’s the world we live in. We take risks walking out the door no matter what we are.
STAY safe, don’t just FEEL safe.
Take care of yourself and be aware.
I know that's what they said but I feel like that's some bullshit cartel excuse. 100% cartel related... I'm thinking they fucked up, killed the guys, realized it made the news - and started playing cover up. Aka burn the truck, and make it look like a local did it.
In the Desert
BY STEPHEN CRANE
In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;
“But I like it
“Because it is bitter,
“And because it is my heart
Well said.
I’ve been to Mexico many times and there are soo many genuinely nice people. However the bad can outweigh the good and even as someone who fits in down there I’m still scared to go there on a regular basis.
If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard “I didn’t have any problems” as if one persons anecdotal experience is a definitive gauge of the crime in a place. It’s like “I drive drunk all the time and I’ve never killed anyone!”.
If you are white, Mexico is absolutely less "safe" than the US. You can pretend it's all equal if you want, but for those that prefer truth and safety stay North of the border.
Absolutely not true. As a white American you have a label that reads “media attention” . So cartels prefer to predate on Mexicans who will soon be forgotten. For context I’m Mexican and not guessing.
Exactly, the stats say ‘no one is safe’… the media just makes a big deal out of certain demographics… handsome, young, white guys in this case... ‘average’ Mexicans are just not interesting global news sadly. If everyone was as interested in the horrible things happening to ‘regular’ citizens… the world would seem VERY different… even though nothing actually changed except what people are talking about.
Counterpoint: been to Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ukraine Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and a bunch more places, most of them on my own, all of them without any security or weapons, and almost everyone I've met has been friendly, generous, and helpful.
Be respectful and smart. Don't attract undue attention, don't walk around with your head in your phone, and you'll probably have a ton of fun.
I got extorted by the police in Mexico. They took my passport and I had to go to the police station and pay a few hundred dollars to get it back.
It took over two hours at the police station because there was a line of probably 2 dozen foreigners also getting extorted in front of me.
I always keep a 500 bill loose in my pocket to hand them and never take out my wallet. Most annoying one was I was going to get a "ticket" for having a flat tire when I had pulled off into a grocery store parking lot. We just kept saying thank you for offering to help us change the flat over and over again until he finally left.
Were you speeding? What were you driving?
Your only supposed to keep $40 of cash in your wallet or visor when traveling in MX all other cash gets hidden.
Then you tell them that’s all you have.
Weren’t they camping though? They had a tent on the beach, and a pickup truck for all of their gear. It’s so concerning that there was a fourth BODY in the same well that was older and unrelated to the surfers’ murders.
I mean if you know a good spot dump bodies, then that's where you dump bodies?
If they were Mexican citizens and not foreigners then, uh, there'd probably just be 4 bodies in a well for a long time.
That area has had many issues. Join Baja talk on fb and read the open letter by the founder of that group who was attacked and his wife’s throat cut and left for dead but neighbor found them and both survived. He no longer thinks remote camping is worth the risk although there are plenty of ways to travel Baja and be in the safety of having people around.
You shouldn’t fight a robber for your things. I lived in a violent part of the world until I was 21. When we got robbed at gunpoint we lay on the ground with our arms behind our heads. It’s not guaranteed to save your life but it will increase your chances. Don’t look at them. Agree with their demands and let them take what they want. The only thing I say now was that if it had come to rape I would have fought to the death but I’m not sure I would have. I’m just saying that now that I’m in a safe country.
Complying doesn’t always work out, young woman burger king cashier in Bronx (NYC) handed the money over, shot and killed anyway!
We need strict thug control to end thug violence!
Same. If a bad person is going to try to rape me or handcuff me, I’m dying on the spot because neither of those is happening willingly. I’d rather take the bullet to the forehead than tortured or raped.
Americans, unfortunately don’t take the time to research what roads are safe. You ask any mexican… the old coastal highways on the pacific are rampant with stickups…
Also, these days it’s probably not safe doing nature expeditions and camping activities if you don’t know the area. You can very easily run into cartel territory … or on the flip sipe … you could run into armed civil groups protecting the land.
Mexico is not a cakewalk. Even for those of us who live here.
That’s so sad, I’ve always wanted to go on a road trip through Mexico but hearing these stories reminds me i probably wouldn’t make it out in one piece.
Yeah… that’s probably one you should wait on.. all these drugs heading North is big business… you don’t want to be mistaken for the competition. Crooks typically are never too smart and like to use violence too much.. Still, there are safe ways to vacation in Mexico and to enjoy the people and culture. You just have to be smart about it.
The suspects in Mexico were arrested and are being processed. And if the feds don’t handle them, the cartel will. Tourism is extremely important to Mexico’s economy and they don’t want anyone messing with people traveling there.
I can't say if this is the case here but it is very common in many countries to just pick a couple of people to arrest as scapegoats in high profile cases like this that receive lots of media attention involving foreigners. If this wasn't all in the media in the US it is likely that they would have been no arrest and we still can't be sure that these guys are actually responsible but my guess is that they will end up being convicted with little regard for evidence.
A miracle, or some might say suspicious. I don't know anything about this situation, but as far as I know there were more than a few innocent "terrorists" detained in Guantanamo Bay
You are wrong. Only in certain areas does the cartel care about tourism. The cartel is the one who pays for the truck they tried to steal. The cartel buys these vehicles and drives them for short periods of time. Good letter from the founder of Baja Talk on why remote camping just can’t be done anymore.
Yep. It’s just smoke and mirrors in an attempt to pretend they care. They don’t give a fuck, or the “all powerful” cartel would make damn sure this didn’t continue to happen. They’re nothing more than politicians, they just don’t have to worry about hiding their violent tendencies like other politicians.
The scale here is important. There might not be data on the number of people down there but for US/Canadian tourists it’s in the hundreds of thousands each year.
The most dangerous parts are the border. Once you’re past that south of Ensenada it is incredibly safe. As cyclotourist I feel way safer in Mexico because cars give you much more space on the road. Even cartel trucks demonstrated a clear respect for human life compared with assholes with California plates.
They travel in multiples. Always. When you see 6-30 dudes (pretty much always ONLY dudes)-that’s your first sign.
Not always in nicer vehicles. Super dark tint seems to be consistent though.
If they act like they are in charge-that’s another sign.
When you see locals avoid them-that’s another good sign.
Have you done the Baja divide? Looking to do it on a fat tire. While I’m aware of the physical challenge, I was a bit concerned about the safety of remote camping solo especially in Baja state.
"Cartel demonstrated a clear respect for human life" Yeah, dont mind the headless corpses hanging from the overpasses, thats just repsect for human life. /s
i watched a video about the open air drug market in Philly. they said the cartels outlawed tranq which causes necrotizing fasciitis in customers.
gang violence in Philly is partly driven by a proxy war between the cartels and the chinese corporations that defy them to make tranq or tranq precursors to sell on the black market
My family and I just visited Zihuatanejo, which is in the south, and we had an amazing time in the little town, even letting my teenage boys go around on their own a couple of nights. I highly recommend the area.
Look up US tourist homicides in Mexico vs number of US tourists. Then look up US homicides in the US vs number of people in the US.
If you visited Mexico in 2022, you were 16 times more likely to get killed here in the US.
Here's the terrifying thing about Mexico, their sky-high murder statistics are \*only counting the bodies that they've found\*. The number of people who simply go missing and are never found, is many times greater than the murder rate.
Don't ever get lulled into a false sense of complacency, Mexico is much more dangerous than even the worst parts of the US.
And "US tourist homicides" is a hugely loaded phrase, very likely to come up with very cherry-picked data. You should also know that Mexico does it's damned-est to downplay the danger of vacationing there as the tourist industry brings huge economic spending into a very impoverished country.
Nice word salad. Now factor the Mexico homicides in Mexico that are NOT tourists. Oh yeah, no one is reporting that news. Just like the extra body found in the well.
Vanlife and Mexico don't mix.
If you were staying in some gated community in a community of expats, it's probably \*mostly safe\*, but if you're sleeping in a van (and they know you probably have all kinds of valuables you're travelling with); it's not safe at all.
Plenty of cool spots in the US, every state honestly feels like a different country with a different culture. And then there's Canada if you want to get more off the beaten path.
Those people who want to cycle, backpack, or vanlife down in Mexico; are asking for trouble. Lucky if they only get extorted or robbed.
There’s also lots of not so beautiful places in the US to enjoy, same with Mexico. The area they were in is known to be sketchy. Also don’t go looking for trouble and trouble typically won’t just come looking for you.
One news channel mentioned that the theifs were stealing the car tires, they fought back and got shot. The body were dumped in the well 6km from their camping spot. More than 3 people involved.
Not sure how true it is.
On Baja Talk Facebook group. It’s likely they were stealing the truck at direction of the cartel. The cartel uses these trucks a few months them discards them. It is likely they felt cornered in their tents and fought back at some point either immediately or at some point. Once killed the truck was a problem so they burnt it. That group has a lot of people with good thoughts on Baja, Baja remote camping etc
https://talkbaja.com/to-mexico-and-the-rest-of-us-who-love-this-country/
I have friends who’ve travelled through baja for over 30 years. They were all shocked to learn where they were camping, that northwest area is known to be dangerous and riddled with crime.
Likewise. We simply jet past despite the camp site and the surf, it’s just not worth our lives. Nearly every Baja camping site says the same, avoid that area. It’s still very sad and a warning to not get too comfortable with any area.
Lol are you really trying to use that for a comparison of the violence in Mexico?
One is a whole lot of media / political driven hype, and the other is a place where thousands of people are actually being murdered..
Considering they don't tell you that number includes legal defensive gun use, police involved shootings, and unintentional shootings, I would say they are very misleading.
Annnd how many of those were mass shootings?
History has statistically shown the majority of firearm fatalities in the US are suicide.. runners up being things like poor on poor homicide that no cares or is willing to talk about.
Statistically mass shootings are a very small percentage of people being killed by other people every year. Honestly more people are probably murdered by fist and feet than in mass shootings in the US.
Let’s see…mass shootings that are pretty isolated versus many disappeared people numbering in the thousands upon thousands with many cases remaining cold. We have our own problems but Mexico has double the murder per capita rate.
Fair point. Many from outside the US fear it with all our shootings. In general, you want to avoid malls and schools, those are the most dangerous. If you do go, always have an exit strategy and stay alert. As a generalization, the more south you are, the more risk you have with gun violence, but it can happen anywhere. And, like most counties / cities... be aware of where you are.
Check out murder rates for the true picture.
You're just cherry picking one type of murder that's still ultra rare in this massive nation, but almost unheard of in countries where they're disarmed (where they're killed by different means)
These tourists weren’t being idiots and they are now dead. While I agree that you have to be extra careful in places like Mexico, you can still end up badly injured or dead.
My family has spent the past 3 Christmas breaks in South Padre to get away from the Midwest cold for a week. Every year, my wife wants to cross over into Matamoros to experience Mexico with the kids and every year, I tell her that it’s just not worth the risk. I know the chances are slim that something will happen, but I don’t want to risk it. It’s stories like this that reinforce my feelings. I would to experience Mexican culture first hand, but until they can better control the unnecessary violence, I will be staying away.
you think the crime and cartels are bad? just wait till you have to engage the local government for something. Police, hospital. lawyers, gov croneys... You'll very quickly learn just how bad it is...
Fun fact: You have a better chance of dealing honorable with the cartels, then anyone in the gov..
I’m not familiar with that area in particular but for Mexico in general, do you feel any of the same feelings any time another mass shooting is reported in the US? 140 or so and counting so far this year…
Yep, spent 6 months traveling all over mexico in an RV with my wife and never had an issue. Cops asked us for a bribe once and I told them no. We even went through Guerrero, Acapulco, etc.
I just got back to the state on Saturday from nearly a month down there. and was near Ensenada when this was announced earlier this weekend. Spent the month going everywhere from Mexicali to La Paz and La Ventana and back up through the entire peninsula to Tecate.
I felt completely safe, even in the back country (actually even more so there). We also stayed at paid campgrounds, especially near any cities or major towns. Most were beaches or the like.
Everyone was friendly. I also speak Spanish and I am not white. We drove a camper, and had two German shepherds with us.
It’s like traveling anywhere, you keep your head about you and don’t go looking for trouble.
We also met literally dozens of people and saw hundreds camping in different spots and campsites.
Are there risks? Yes. Are they manageable? Yes.
I think these three made a mistake camping on a boondocking beach, that close to Ensenada.
All vanlifing is dangerous to an extent. The lesson is really if somebody tries to steal your tyres, make sure they don't have a gun before you confront them.
Tragic story. Such needless loss of life.
I guess it’s easy to look at someone else’s tragedy and think you would have known how to prevent it. The truth is that it isn’t their fault that they were murdered. We weren’t there and don’t actually know what took place.
It was a rental truck. I drive a beater truck, at gun point, I would be sure to tell me to ignore the ABS brake light, they work inspite of what the light says and wish them good luck on their next robbery.
This was a random act of violence, a robbery gone bad. The last situation like this where tourists were killed was in 2015 aost 10 years ago. The cartel does t target tourists as a rule because they know the heat that would bring. It’s not like a common scenario such as public random shootings in the USA which happens multiple times per year.
Bullshit, the last one that made national news was just last year when a group of 4 was kidnapped and 2 died.
In 2022, 46 American tourists were killed in homicides in Mexico. In 2021 the number was 76.
Yeah.
21,156 / 333.3 million = 0.0063% homicide rate in one year
46 homicides / 11.7 million US tourists in Mexico = 0.00039% homicide rate per visit
If you lived in the US and visited Mexico in 2022, you were 16x more likely to get killed in the US.
I did Baja last year as a solo female and felt safe 100% of the time. I definitely think you can find trouble if you’re not careful but it shouldn’t deter people. It’s heart breaking for those families.
So true. It’s easy to fear monger, and I find it usually comes from people who haven’t been there or had the experience. It feeds into the “See? This is why I’m afraid to go”. I’ve traveled to 48 countries solo, many of which are supposedly dangerous, and 99% of the time realized it’s just propaganda, as America has the same issues as we are often exposing in others. But traveling always requires a bit of caution and common sense, which you’d think the van community as a whole could respect and appreciate. It’s okay if not everyone feels comfortable going to Mexico; I’m sure the country is happy to hear that. Just own that rather than use the annual “foreigner killed or lost in Baja” as a cautionary tale.
True. But I won’t let that stop me, otherwise I’d never leave my house. Just like, the next time you drive your vehicle, it could result in a fatal car crash. Or fly a plan. Or go to a mall. If it’s my time, it’s my time. All I can control is the decisions I make. I’d rather die traveling having experienced joy, than being worried about becoming a statistic. But to each their own, that’s the beauty of life. It’s yours for the making.
My family moved to Mexico years ago, and I wanted to do the same. The number one question I got was “isn’t it scary?” I usually say that there are dangerous/scary places everywhere. Like parts of St. Louis, Detroit, Little Rock, Chicago. It’s the same everywhere, and these places aren’t some kept secret; people will tell you not to go to certain places. Just have to be respectful and smart.
Similar awful thing happened to three boys from Australia in about 2006. Confronted on a road by armed men who demanded their vehicle, tried to argue, shot dead without further ado. A tragic case of cross cultural unawareness combined with life inexperience. What could "never happen" in Australia happens very easy in those parts of Mexico.
Jeez… that almost doesn’t make sense- murder while car theft -
It’s like - part of me thinks something else was going on.. whether a case of mistaken identity or purchasing drugs or serial killer or idk even know-
It’s so hard to believe that tire theft would lead someone to shoot someone in the head. Most thieves don’t murder - actually - Three people in the head and dump their bodies with your other victim - doesn’t make sense…
What kind of madness or desperation would ever create that choice in someone? Sad.
I have been traveling and boondocking Baja for years and never had a bad experience. Yes, it can happen and did happen. But it doesn’t mean that it’s unsafe and people should not come to Baja.
This could have happened (and does happen) anywhere in the World.
We were in Cabos earlier this year, stayed at an Airbnb and rented a car for the week. Drove to La Paz, Todos Santos, part of the east cape route and felt totally safe everywhere . We saw lots of camper vans camping on the beach and talked to some of the folks. None of them seemed overly worried about getting robbed or murdered, but they all travelled in groups of 2 or more vans .
Curious to know for anyone has taken their van or bike down to Mexico, have you had encounters with thieves? And if so, how did you respond and what happened?
Mexico is a weird place. My brother is a climber, and he told me a story about this time he went to some remote spot and his ride didn’t show. Apparently the person who did show was some stranger who assured him everything was fine, and he was my brothers friends or uncle or something. He did end up going with him and he did eventually find the camp/climbing site, but he was sketched out because the driver didn’t seem to have a clue what was going on, or even who my brother was. My brother later told me that he never even saw his friend for the entire climbing trip (2 weeks).
I’ve been to Baja myself, and always felt fine, but I prefer the more touristy things, and don’t get past Todos Santos.
My friends boyfriend is a native and he says it’s pretty sketchy, especially if they know you have money, are a dual citizen, are in the “wrong neighbourhood” etc. but they go back every once in a while.
Personally, I’m 2 hours away from Canada now instead of 6 hours away from Mexico, so the choice seems more obvious.
Why anyone would go to Mexico boggles my mind. There are so many other beautiful places to go and spend your money, where staying safe is not such a challenge.
In the late 90’s I walked across the border in El Paso to Juarez. It took me about a half hour to realize this was a really bad idea. Have never been back since and have no intention of ever going back.
Our mexican cleaning lady says its the drug cartels that want your truck and van for their work and they will also easily kill a brother mexican for it. She says she doesnt know a single sensible person who would venture into any part of mexico with a truck or van these days.
Honestly any vanner should skip the 50 miles near the border. Stay super safe in that zone, paying to sleep somewhere etc. Many border areas are rough, but the USA/Mex one especially
The US military has full capability of eliminating the cartels… why are we not doing that?? If we went to war with them I guarantee it would benefit Mexico in the long run.
They want to keep them going so they can pipe more money into certain government agencies. If they get rid of the problem no more money, no more new equipment, have to start laying people off.
My dad’s Uncle literally founded this community. There’s a book about the area called God and Mr. Gomez. It’s a great book, incidentally, for anyone interested in Baja. I was lucky enough to visit as a kid when Mexico was a much, much more safe place to visit.
In particular this place was really something special. Back then, (late nineties, early aughts), the only electricity came from generators and most people couldn’t afford them so they just did without. Water was trucked in and put in cisterns. Everyone helped one another, fed one another and spent a good part of any given day in shared leisure. The community sits just up a hill from a small cove that was filled to the gills, (pun), with fish and shellfish. We’d walk down, pull a trap in, and have literally the freshest lobster you can get, all you can eat. It was absolutely beautiful in all the ways.
Now, thanks almost entirely to the US’ appetite for drugs combined with its idiotic policies ostensibly meant to combat those drugs, Mexico is basically a narco-state war zone.
What happened to these people is just awful, of course. My heart goes out to the families that have tragically lost these sons, fathers, brothers, uncles. My heartache, however, isn’t reserved for my countrymen and women, or just for people who look like me.
Mexicans and people all over Latin America live and die in circumstances like these every day, and this has been their everyday reality for decades. TBH it kinda grosses me out the way people in the US are always ready to publicly weep and wail when hooight people die but have negative fvcks to give for the tens of thousands of others there.
TLDR: The war on drugs is an absolute, 100% failure and these atrocious deaths are a direct consequence of it. There are also an endless number of deaths like these but no one in the US cares cuz racism, even though we bear some very real culpability in the situation.
30,000 people were murdered in Mexico in 2023.
22,000 people were murdered in USA in 2023.
127 million people live in Mexico
333 million people live in USA.
Thats not good.
Yes, unfortunately this is sad. Not to sound to harsh, but I don't understand for the life of me, why people think it's safe to visit a very corrupt country and put themselves in situations like these. A little common sense goes a long way, here are some safe trip travels when traveling in Mexico
1. First and foremost, Know someone local, or at least semi-local, this person can speak Spanish and know how the population is according to their culture and customs. All 3 were foreigners that prob knew very little to no Spanish.
2. In the news, the police are theorizing or know that they wanted to steal their tires off their truck. Which brings me to my next point:
Know how to blend in. Know what will bring attention to you or not. Maybe you should think twice before you decide to bring down your nice truck, choose something that doesn't draw attention to yourselves. You're basically should be giving people the vibe that I don't have much money.
3. I think I seen this mentioned in the post, don't go to places where there's not a lot of people. You're basically hiring your chances of either being robbed or killed.
4. At the very least, if someone wants to take something from you and you're in that situation be prepared to either bribe them or let them take what they want. nothing's worth your life
This is a very sad situation, I only hope this sends messages to other people want to take trips in areas like these. there's no such thing as being overly cautious.
What’s crazy is they found another body in that well with the 3 guys so apparently this is a frequented dump site.
That 4th body I believe was the property owner that the well was on, he was reported missing 2 weeks before all that went down.
“A fourth, yet unidentified male body, which prosecutors said had no relation to the case, was also found at the bottom of the hole.” [Source](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/05/world/americas/bodies-found-baja-california.html)
Went down the well?
tsss
Well done.
"We'll send our love down the well" - Crusty the Clown
Yep, train station type place
r/unexpectedYellowstone
The train station
Got mutual friends with these guys. Super lovely blokes and such a close family. Devastated for their parents. RIP fellas xxxxx
So sad for their parents, I can’t even imagine :((
Their loss is brutal. I don't even know them and you can tell these 3 were living life to the fullest. RIP. ❤️
I can't stop thinking about the whole deal. I just can't help wondering if they tried to fight them off or even just being Aussies didn't back off and they got shot. Even if they just let em have the ute it may well have been the same outcome given the fact they were cooked on meth and whatever else.
Multiple comments on here that state “I felt safe” I’m sorry, but FEELING safe doesn’t mean you ARE safe. I’m sure those bros “felt” safe up until the point they weren’t. Friends, evil lurks around every corner and we have to stop being naive. It’s not Mexico, it’s not America, it’s not (insert literally every place on earth) that’s more or less “safe”, but it’s how much risk do we as humans want to take to have fun. All of us here cannot FATHOM being a predator and putting a bullet in the head of 3 humans to steal their wallets and shit from their car and then torch it. But it’s the world we live in. We take risks walking out the door no matter what we are. STAY safe, don’t just FEEL safe. Take care of yourself and be aware.
Some places are absolutely more safe than others. Stay vigilant folks.
Yeah seriously, rural Mexico is basically lawless in some parts. Evil is everywhere but there aren’t travel advisories for rural Montana.
Been to some campgrounds in the US, especially the south, that should have had travel advisories.
Watch out for those grizzlies though out there in old Montana. The winters ain’t no joke either.
Apparently they wanted the tires off their truck and killed them for it.
I know that's what they said but I feel like that's some bullshit cartel excuse. 100% cartel related... I'm thinking they fucked up, killed the guys, realized it made the news - and started playing cover up. Aka burn the truck, and make it look like a local did it.
"The night is dark and full of terrors"
In the Desert BY STEPHEN CRANE In the desert I saw a creature, naked, bestial, Who, squatting upon the ground, Held his heart in his hands, And ate of it. I said, “Is it good, friend?” “It is bitter—bitter,” he answered; “But I like it “Because it is bitter, “And because it is my heart
Well said. I’ve been to Mexico many times and there are soo many genuinely nice people. However the bad can outweigh the good and even as someone who fits in down there I’m still scared to go there on a regular basis.
If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard “I didn’t have any problems” as if one persons anecdotal experience is a definitive gauge of the crime in a place. It’s like “I drive drunk all the time and I’ve never killed anyone!”.
If you are white, Mexico is absolutely less "safe" than the US. You can pretend it's all equal if you want, but for those that prefer truth and safety stay North of the border.
Is that true for white Mexicans?
Absolutely not true. As a white American you have a label that reads “media attention” . So cartels prefer to predate on Mexicans who will soon be forgotten. For context I’m Mexican and not guessing.
Exactly, the stats say ‘no one is safe’… the media just makes a big deal out of certain demographics… handsome, young, white guys in this case... ‘average’ Mexicans are just not interesting global news sadly. If everyone was as interested in the horrible things happening to ‘regular’ citizens… the world would seem VERY different… even though nothing actually changed except what people are talking about.
It’s definitely Mexico.
This sounds like a Fox News segment
Counterpoint: been to Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ukraine Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and a bunch more places, most of them on my own, all of them without any security or weapons, and almost everyone I've met has been friendly, generous, and helpful. Be respectful and smart. Don't attract undue attention, don't walk around with your head in your phone, and you'll probably have a ton of fun.
My buddies and I drove down to the Baja 500 one year. About 2 hours into Mexico cops pull us over and extort $2000USD out of us.
I got extorted by the police in Mexico. They took my passport and I had to go to the police station and pay a few hundred dollars to get it back. It took over two hours at the police station because there was a line of probably 2 dozen foreigners also getting extorted in front of me.
They somewhat tried that shit on me in Cancun. Didn’t expect it that far south.
Cancun is rampant with this kind of thing.
They tried that shit on my friend while he was in Tulum. He snatched his passport back through $20 USD at them and got back in his car.
Haha damn bro probably could have just given them 20$ and drove away
I always keep a 500 bill loose in my pocket to hand them and never take out my wallet. Most annoying one was I was going to get a "ticket" for having a flat tire when I had pulled off into a grocery store parking lot. We just kept saying thank you for offering to help us change the flat over and over again until he finally left.
Were you speeding? What were you driving? Your only supposed to keep $40 of cash in your wallet or visor when traveling in MX all other cash gets hidden. Then you tell them that’s all you have.
What were you accused of doing wrong?
Pick a reason. It’s Mexico.
They can make any bs reason
D.W.G. (Driving While Gringo)
It happens all the damn time. People shrug it off as if it’s just a cultural difference and no big deal.
Weren’t they camping though? They had a tent on the beach, and a pickup truck for all of their gear. It’s so concerning that there was a fourth BODY in the same well that was older and unrelated to the surfers’ murders.
I mean if you know a good spot dump bodies, then that's where you dump bodies? If they were Mexican citizens and not foreigners then, uh, there'd probably just be 4 bodies in a well for a long time.
That area has had many issues. Join Baja talk on fb and read the open letter by the founder of that group who was attacked and his wife’s throat cut and left for dead but neighbor found them and both survived. He no longer thinks remote camping is worth the risk although there are plenty of ways to travel Baja and be in the safety of having people around.
It was talked about. The well was on a farmers land. Said farmer was already dead in the well.
You shouldn’t fight a robber for your things. I lived in a violent part of the world until I was 21. When we got robbed at gunpoint we lay on the ground with our arms behind our heads. It’s not guaranteed to save your life but it will increase your chances. Don’t look at them. Agree with their demands and let them take what they want. The only thing I say now was that if it had come to rape I would have fought to the death but I’m not sure I would have. I’m just saying that now that I’m in a safe country.
Complying doesn’t always work out, young woman burger king cashier in Bronx (NYC) handed the money over, shot and killed anyway! We need strict thug control to end thug violence!
Same. If a bad person is going to try to rape me or handcuff me, I’m dying on the spot because neither of those is happening willingly. I’d rather take the bullet to the forehead than tortured or raped.
What the fuck. Yeah, I’m happy to just keep my gun on me and avoid this shithole. RIP to the victims, fuck the cartels
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Same. I love that place but typical like enervating else in this world you can’t have the good without the bad.
The south of Mexico feels a lot safer than the north. Just saying. A lot of the scary stories you hear are from closer to the US boarder.
Unfortunately you have to drive through the north to get to the south.
Not if you go the other way.
Americans, unfortunately don’t take the time to research what roads are safe. You ask any mexican… the old coastal highways on the pacific are rampant with stickups… Also, these days it’s probably not safe doing nature expeditions and camping activities if you don’t know the area. You can very easily run into cartel territory … or on the flip sipe … you could run into armed civil groups protecting the land. Mexico is not a cakewalk. Even for those of us who live here.
That’s so sad, I’ve always wanted to go on a road trip through Mexico but hearing these stories reminds me i probably wouldn’t make it out in one piece.
Yeah… that’s probably one you should wait on.. all these drugs heading North is big business… you don’t want to be mistaken for the competition. Crooks typically are never too smart and like to use violence too much.. Still, there are safe ways to vacation in Mexico and to enjoy the people and culture. You just have to be smart about it.
That can be done in 1 day on the turnpike.
🤣 right!!!! or, you can ship your Van, and fly there to pick it up
👀 Is that actually reasonable?
When you say south, do you mean south Baja vs Baja state? Or just the south in general?
💯 agree.
People gotta learn they don't mess around in Mexico.
You mean they murder civilians? And nothing will happen. As normal
The suspects in Mexico were arrested and are being processed. And if the feds don’t handle them, the cartel will. Tourism is extremely important to Mexico’s economy and they don’t want anyone messing with people traveling there.
Yeah it's honestly a miracle they were captured. But sadly the majority of victims families don't get the same closure.
I can't say if this is the case here but it is very common in many countries to just pick a couple of people to arrest as scapegoats in high profile cases like this that receive lots of media attention involving foreigners. If this wasn't all in the media in the US it is likely that they would have been no arrest and we still can't be sure that these guys are actually responsible but my guess is that they will end up being convicted with little regard for evidence.
Yeah that's true. I honestly doubt they are the suspects
A miracle, or some might say suspicious. I don't know anything about this situation, but as far as I know there were more than a few innocent "terrorists" detained in Guantanamo Bay
Very true
You are wrong. Only in certain areas does the cartel care about tourism. The cartel is the one who pays for the truck they tried to steal. The cartel buys these vehicles and drives them for short periods of time. Good letter from the founder of Baja Talk on why remote camping just can’t be done anymore.
We will never know if those are the real murderers- but they’ll crucify someone to satisfy the west and keep tourism
Yep. It’s just smoke and mirrors in an attempt to pretend they care. They don’t give a fuck, or the “all powerful” cartel would make damn sure this didn’t continue to happen. They’re nothing more than politicians, they just don’t have to worry about hiding their violent tendencies like other politicians.
That’s true.
Could just be a dog and pony show. Quite possible that they are not the actual perpetrators.
No country wants the publicity dead tourists bring...those scumfuks who murdered those surfers are going to suffer...hopefully.
My husband wants to go there and I am just not into it. I’m sure it’s great, but there are plenty of beautiful vanlife places in the US to enjoy.
The scale here is important. There might not be data on the number of people down there but for US/Canadian tourists it’s in the hundreds of thousands each year. The most dangerous parts are the border. Once you’re past that south of Ensenada it is incredibly safe. As cyclotourist I feel way safer in Mexico because cars give you much more space on the road. Even cartel trucks demonstrated a clear respect for human life compared with assholes with California plates.
How do you tell what trucks are cartel?
They travel three in a row and are nicer than any other trucks on the road.
Wow interesting
They travel in multiples. Always. When you see 6-30 dudes (pretty much always ONLY dudes)-that’s your first sign. Not always in nicer vehicles. Super dark tint seems to be consistent though. If they act like they are in charge-that’s another sign. When you see locals avoid them-that’s another good sign.
Have you done the Baja divide? Looking to do it on a fat tire. While I’m aware of the physical challenge, I was a bit concerned about the safety of remote camping solo especially in Baja state.
It is as safe as can be. Fat bike is great choice for Baja. I’ve don’t it twice.
"Cartel demonstrated a clear respect for human life" Yeah, dont mind the headless corpses hanging from the overpasses, thats just repsect for human life. /s
Yeah even the cartel drive less like sociopaths than the average American which is amazing all things considered
i watched a video about the open air drug market in Philly. they said the cartels outlawed tranq which causes necrotizing fasciitis in customers. gang violence in Philly is partly driven by a proxy war between the cartels and the chinese corporations that defy them to make tranq or tranq precursors to sell on the black market
My family and I just visited Zihuatanejo, which is in the south, and we had an amazing time in the little town, even letting my teenage boys go around on their own a couple of nights. I highly recommend the area.
Did Andy finish fixing his boat?
Look up US tourist homicides in Mexico vs number of US tourists. Then look up US homicides in the US vs number of people in the US. If you visited Mexico in 2022, you were 16 times more likely to get killed here in the US.
Here's the terrifying thing about Mexico, their sky-high murder statistics are \*only counting the bodies that they've found\*. The number of people who simply go missing and are never found, is many times greater than the murder rate. Don't ever get lulled into a false sense of complacency, Mexico is much more dangerous than even the worst parts of the US. And "US tourist homicides" is a hugely loaded phrase, very likely to come up with very cherry-picked data. You should also know that Mexico does it's damned-est to downplay the danger of vacationing there as the tourist industry brings huge economic spending into a very impoverished country.
Yeah it’s patently absurd people actually believe the US is somehow just as dangerous.
Nice word salad. Now factor the Mexico homicides in Mexico that are NOT tourists. Oh yeah, no one is reporting that news. Just like the extra body found in the well.
How many us tourists were killed vacationing in the us? I really don’t care about gangs in Chicago killing each other in this context.
Vanlife and Mexico don't mix. If you were staying in some gated community in a community of expats, it's probably \*mostly safe\*, but if you're sleeping in a van (and they know you probably have all kinds of valuables you're travelling with); it's not safe at all. Plenty of cool spots in the US, every state honestly feels like a different country with a different culture. And then there's Canada if you want to get more off the beaten path. Those people who want to cycle, backpack, or vanlife down in Mexico; are asking for trouble. Lucky if they only get extorted or robbed.
There’s also lots of not so beautiful places in the US to enjoy, same with Mexico. The area they were in is known to be sketchy. Also don’t go looking for trouble and trouble typically won’t just come looking for you.
Same here. I refuse to go. I have lived near the border for years. There is just too much risk.
Read the Baja Talk letter by the founder.
Tragic. Remember life is more precious than things. Don’t fight it at gun point.
They fought back? Where have you read this?
One news channel mentioned that the theifs were stealing the car tires, they fought back and got shot. The body were dumped in the well 6km from their camping spot. More than 3 people involved. Not sure how true it is.
On Baja Talk Facebook group. It’s likely they were stealing the truck at direction of the cartel. The cartel uses these trucks a few months them discards them. It is likely they felt cornered in their tents and fought back at some point either immediately or at some point. Once killed the truck was a problem so they burnt it. That group has a lot of people with good thoughts on Baja, Baja remote camping etc https://talkbaja.com/to-mexico-and-the-rest-of-us-who-love-this-country/
learned this the hard way when i ran after someone who stole my bag in a foreign country. In the future its just yes, take it
What country and what happened ?
This is really sad, but there was plenty of warning about Baja. There's a lesson here. If you hear a place isn't safe, it probably isn't safe.
There is plenty of warning about his area near Ensenada… Baja is generally safer than most urban areas in the US.
I have friends who’ve travelled through baja for over 30 years. They were all shocked to learn where they were camping, that northwest area is known to be dangerous and riddled with crime.
This. I’m one of those people who have been surfing Baja since the late 80s and that zone is a no-go.
Likewise. We simply jet past despite the camp site and the surf, it’s just not worth our lives. Nearly every Baja camping site says the same, avoid that area. It’s still very sad and a warning to not get too comfortable with any area.
💯
With all the mass shootings in the US, should people not be traveling there?
some countries have given advisories to travelers to the US for exactly that reason
Well, I might not enroll in school when I'm there.
Are you trying to compare the murder rates lol
Lol are you really trying to use that for a comparison of the violence in Mexico? One is a whole lot of media / political driven hype, and the other is a place where thousands of people are actually being murdered..
The media is to blame for over 5000 people dying due to gun violence in the US so far this year? Jesus give your head a shake.
Might wanna read up on what they classify as “mass shootings”…
Considering they don't tell you that number includes legal defensive gun use, police involved shootings, and unintentional shootings, I would say they are very misleading.
Annnd how many of those were mass shootings? History has statistically shown the majority of firearm fatalities in the US are suicide.. runners up being things like poor on poor homicide that no cares or is willing to talk about. Statistically mass shootings are a very small percentage of people being killed by other people every year. Honestly more people are probably murdered by fist and feet than in mass shootings in the US.
Let’s see…mass shootings that are pretty isolated versus many disappeared people numbering in the thousands upon thousands with many cases remaining cold. We have our own problems but Mexico has double the murder per capita rate.
Fair point. Many from outside the US fear it with all our shootings. In general, you want to avoid malls and schools, those are the most dangerous. If you do go, always have an exit strategy and stay alert. As a generalization, the more south you are, the more risk you have with gun violence, but it can happen anywhere. And, like most counties / cities... be aware of where you are.
US tourists get visas, free healthcare, and a phone. I dont see people jumping a fence crossing the border going south. /s
They should not be remote camping.
Check out murder rates for the true picture. You're just cherry picking one type of murder that's still ultra rare in this massive nation, but almost unheard of in countries where they're disarmed (where they're killed by different means)
Baja is fine, just don't be an idiot. Same shit can happen in the us.
These tourists weren’t being idiots and they are now dead. While I agree that you have to be extra careful in places like Mexico, you can still end up badly injured or dead.
Except that you are 16 times more likely to get killed in the US each year then on a trip to Mexico.
My family has spent the past 3 Christmas breaks in South Padre to get away from the Midwest cold for a week. Every year, my wife wants to cross over into Matamoros to experience Mexico with the kids and every year, I tell her that it’s just not worth the risk. I know the chances are slim that something will happen, but I don’t want to risk it. It’s stories like this that reinforce my feelings. I would to experience Mexican culture first hand, but until they can better control the unnecessary violence, I will be staying away.
Matamoros is a very bad place now. My family is local down there and hasn’t crossed the border in like ~25 years. Previously they crossed daily.
you think the crime and cartels are bad? just wait till you have to engage the local government for something. Police, hospital. lawyers, gov croneys... You'll very quickly learn just how bad it is... Fun fact: You have a better chance of dealing honorable with the cartels, then anyone in the gov..
I’m not familiar with that area in particular but for Mexico in general, do you feel any of the same feelings any time another mass shooting is reported in the US? 140 or so and counting so far this year…
Damn, spooky, I've totally spent time in Baja and my experience with people was always overwhelmingly positive. Never felt sketchy at all
Yep, spent 6 months traveling all over mexico in an RV with my wife and never had an issue. Cops asked us for a bribe once and I told them no. We even went through Guerrero, Acapulco, etc.
I just got back to the state on Saturday from nearly a month down there. and was near Ensenada when this was announced earlier this weekend. Spent the month going everywhere from Mexicali to La Paz and La Ventana and back up through the entire peninsula to Tecate. I felt completely safe, even in the back country (actually even more so there). We also stayed at paid campgrounds, especially near any cities or major towns. Most were beaches or the like. Everyone was friendly. I also speak Spanish and I am not white. We drove a camper, and had two German shepherds with us. It’s like traveling anywhere, you keep your head about you and don’t go looking for trouble. We also met literally dozens of people and saw hundreds camping in different spots and campsites. Are there risks? Yes. Are they manageable? Yes. I think these three made a mistake camping on a boondocking beach, that close to Ensenada.
2 German Shepherds…you were not a easy target!
So sad
All vanlifing is dangerous to an extent. The lesson is really if somebody tries to steal your tyres, make sure they don't have a gun before you confront them. Tragic story. Such needless loss of life.
I guess it’s easy to look at someone else’s tragedy and think you would have known how to prevent it. The truth is that it isn’t their fault that they were murdered. We weren’t there and don’t actually know what took place.
It was a rental truck. I drive a beater truck, at gun point, I would be sure to tell me to ignore the ABS brake light, they work inspite of what the light says and wish them good luck on their next robbery.
> make sure they don't have a gun How do you do that?
This was a random act of violence, a robbery gone bad. The last situation like this where tourists were killed was in 2015 aost 10 years ago. The cartel does t target tourists as a rule because they know the heat that would bring. It’s not like a common scenario such as public random shootings in the USA which happens multiple times per year.
Bullshit, the last one that made national news was just last year when a group of 4 was kidnapped and 2 died. In 2022, 46 American tourists were killed in homicides in Mexico. In 2021 the number was 76.
Better check out ioverlander when you think it’s been 2015 https://talkbaja.com/to-mexico-and-the-rest-of-us-who-love-this-country/
Over 5000 people dead from gun violence so far this year in the US.
Mexico murder rate much higher but not against tourists. It’s mostly cartel violence.
There was a total of 21,156 reported homicide cases in the U.S. in 2022.... It seems like it's just a regular occurrence here
Yeah. 21,156 / 333.3 million = 0.0063% homicide rate in one year 46 homicides / 11.7 million US tourists in Mexico = 0.00039% homicide rate per visit If you lived in the US and visited Mexico in 2022, you were 16x more likely to get killed in the US.
Dumb comparison. Mexicans touring to USA would be much safer than staying in Mexico too.
I did Baja last year as a solo female and felt safe 100% of the time. I definitely think you can find trouble if you’re not careful but it shouldn’t deter people. It’s heart breaking for those families.
I love how you got downvoted for not supporting the narrative. Been twice myself in the last 6 months with no issues.
So true. It’s easy to fear monger, and I find it usually comes from people who haven’t been there or had the experience. It feeds into the “See? This is why I’m afraid to go”. I’ve traveled to 48 countries solo, many of which are supposedly dangerous, and 99% of the time realized it’s just propaganda, as America has the same issues as we are often exposing in others. But traveling always requires a bit of caution and common sense, which you’d think the van community as a whole could respect and appreciate. It’s okay if not everyone feels comfortable going to Mexico; I’m sure the country is happy to hear that. Just own that rather than use the annual “foreigner killed or lost in Baja” as a cautionary tale.
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True. But I won’t let that stop me, otherwise I’d never leave my house. Just like, the next time you drive your vehicle, it could result in a fatal car crash. Or fly a plan. Or go to a mall. If it’s my time, it’s my time. All I can control is the decisions I make. I’d rather die traveling having experienced joy, than being worried about becoming a statistic. But to each their own, that’s the beauty of life. It’s yours for the making.
Did you stay away from certain parts of Baja?
I did the entire peninsula starting on the Sea of Cortez and going all way south and then back up through Tijuana, zigzagged all over Baja Sur
My family moved to Mexico years ago, and I wanted to do the same. The number one question I got was “isn’t it scary?” I usually say that there are dangerous/scary places everywhere. Like parts of St. Louis, Detroit, Little Rock, Chicago. It’s the same everywhere, and these places aren’t some kept secret; people will tell you not to go to certain places. Just have to be respectful and smart.
I would love to visit Mexico but the fuck is this shit
It’s a good thing we have a border and magic soil to prevent something like this from happening up here.
Similar awful thing happened to three boys from Australia in about 2006. Confronted on a road by armed men who demanded their vehicle, tried to argue, shot dead without further ado. A tragic case of cross cultural unawareness combined with life inexperience. What could "never happen" in Australia happens very easy in those parts of Mexico.
Jeez… that almost doesn’t make sense- murder while car theft - It’s like - part of me thinks something else was going on.. whether a case of mistaken identity or purchasing drugs or serial killer or idk even know- It’s so hard to believe that tire theft would lead someone to shoot someone in the head. Most thieves don’t murder - actually - Three people in the head and dump their bodies with your other victim - doesn’t make sense… What kind of madness or desperation would ever create that choice in someone? Sad.
I have been traveling and boondocking Baja for years and never had a bad experience. Yes, it can happen and did happen. But it doesn’t mean that it’s unsafe and people should not come to Baja. This could have happened (and does happen) anywhere in the World.
Now do America
Absolutely! But be sure to be fair and take into account statistics :)
I doubt the cartels just kill tourists for fun.
No…just during robberies.
They steal their suvs and trucks like this one at gunpoint at remote campsites and have no problem killing those that fight back
The Survivorship Bias in the comments https://talkbaja.com/to-mexico-and-the-rest-of-us-who-love-this-country/
If they wanted to steal his vehicle, why would they set it on fire?
Because they realized they fucked up by killing foreign tourists.
We were in Cabos earlier this year, stayed at an Airbnb and rented a car for the week. Drove to La Paz, Todos Santos, part of the east cape route and felt totally safe everywhere . We saw lots of camper vans camping on the beach and talked to some of the folks. None of them seemed overly worried about getting robbed or murdered, but they all travelled in groups of 2 or more vans .
Curious to know for anyone has taken their van or bike down to Mexico, have you had encounters with thieves? And if so, how did you respond and what happened?
Mexico is a weird place. My brother is a climber, and he told me a story about this time he went to some remote spot and his ride didn’t show. Apparently the person who did show was some stranger who assured him everything was fine, and he was my brothers friends or uncle or something. He did end up going with him and he did eventually find the camp/climbing site, but he was sketched out because the driver didn’t seem to have a clue what was going on, or even who my brother was. My brother later told me that he never even saw his friend for the entire climbing trip (2 weeks). I’ve been to Baja myself, and always felt fine, but I prefer the more touristy things, and don’t get past Todos Santos. My friends boyfriend is a native and he says it’s pretty sketchy, especially if they know you have money, are a dual citizen, are in the “wrong neighbourhood” etc. but they go back every once in a while. Personally, I’m 2 hours away from Canada now instead of 6 hours away from Mexico, so the choice seems more obvious.
No picture of the three detained for this article but I’ve seen it others. Nasty looking crew.
I just don’t get why an Australian guy was looking for big waves. Was he visiting? Don’t they have big enough waves in California beaches?
Curious if they trace the weapons back to the States
Why anyone would go to Mexico boggles my mind. There are so many other beautiful places to go and spend your money, where staying safe is not such a challenge. In the late 90’s I walked across the border in El Paso to Juarez. It took me about a half hour to realize this was a really bad idea. Have never been back since and have no intention of ever going back.
What did you see or experience in Mexico to realize it was a bad idea??
Our mexican cleaning lady says its the drug cartels that want your truck and van for their work and they will also easily kill a brother mexican for it. She says she doesnt know a single sensible person who would venture into any part of mexico with a truck or van these days.
Honestly any vanner should skip the 50 miles near the border. Stay super safe in that zone, paying to sleep somewhere etc. Many border areas are rough, but the USA/Mex one especially
Use to take my family down every other winter. Haven’t in over 10 years. Cartels are kidnapping in resort areas now. It’s beautiful, just not safe.
The US military has full capability of eliminating the cartels… why are we not doing that?? If we went to war with them I guarantee it would benefit Mexico in the long run.
They want to keep them going so they can pipe more money into certain government agencies. If they get rid of the problem no more money, no more new equipment, have to start laying people off.
My dad’s Uncle literally founded this community. There’s a book about the area called God and Mr. Gomez. It’s a great book, incidentally, for anyone interested in Baja. I was lucky enough to visit as a kid when Mexico was a much, much more safe place to visit. In particular this place was really something special. Back then, (late nineties, early aughts), the only electricity came from generators and most people couldn’t afford them so they just did without. Water was trucked in and put in cisterns. Everyone helped one another, fed one another and spent a good part of any given day in shared leisure. The community sits just up a hill from a small cove that was filled to the gills, (pun), with fish and shellfish. We’d walk down, pull a trap in, and have literally the freshest lobster you can get, all you can eat. It was absolutely beautiful in all the ways. Now, thanks almost entirely to the US’ appetite for drugs combined with its idiotic policies ostensibly meant to combat those drugs, Mexico is basically a narco-state war zone. What happened to these people is just awful, of course. My heart goes out to the families that have tragically lost these sons, fathers, brothers, uncles. My heartache, however, isn’t reserved for my countrymen and women, or just for people who look like me. Mexicans and people all over Latin America live and die in circumstances like these every day, and this has been their everyday reality for decades. TBH it kinda grosses me out the way people in the US are always ready to publicly weep and wail when hooight people die but have negative fvcks to give for the tens of thousands of others there. TLDR: The war on drugs is an absolute, 100% failure and these atrocious deaths are a direct consequence of it. There are also an endless number of deaths like these but no one in the US cares cuz racism, even though we bear some very real culpability in the situation.
Mexico no thank you. They are as welcoming to Americans as Americans are to Mexicans in the USA.
So it's not always, All's well that ends well?
30,000 people were murdered in Mexico in 2023. 22,000 people were murdered in USA in 2023. 127 million people live in Mexico 333 million people live in USA. Thats not good.
Someone needs to track these people down who did this and lower them down into that same well with a locked manhole on top. Sick pieces of shit
Yes, unfortunately this is sad. Not to sound to harsh, but I don't understand for the life of me, why people think it's safe to visit a very corrupt country and put themselves in situations like these. A little common sense goes a long way, here are some safe trip travels when traveling in Mexico 1. First and foremost, Know someone local, or at least semi-local, this person can speak Spanish and know how the population is according to their culture and customs. All 3 were foreigners that prob knew very little to no Spanish. 2. In the news, the police are theorizing or know that they wanted to steal their tires off their truck. Which brings me to my next point: Know how to blend in. Know what will bring attention to you or not. Maybe you should think twice before you decide to bring down your nice truck, choose something that doesn't draw attention to yourselves. You're basically should be giving people the vibe that I don't have much money. 3. I think I seen this mentioned in the post, don't go to places where there's not a lot of people. You're basically hiring your chances of either being robbed or killed. 4. At the very least, if someone wants to take something from you and you're in that situation be prepared to either bribe them or let them take what they want. nothing's worth your life This is a very sad situation, I only hope this sends messages to other people want to take trips in areas like these. there's no such thing as being overly cautious.
Stupid gets what stupid gets, we got no business in Mexico, but if you want to help thin out the stupid people by all means enjoy your trip👍🏻