(The following report was written by the Gringo Gazette. I did, however, get stopped by the Federales two years ago at the airport, because I had expired plates on my car. After being battered by threats to have my car impounded, and the ‘runaway’ costs incurred in its recovery, not to speak of having to go to Customs and then Immigration, I unhappily resorted to their extortion plot which cost me $300 cash. I had just picked up a friend at the airport, and he was tired. It was hot out, and in this circumstance, it seemed to be the only alternative. The feelings had changed from that of right and wrong, to that of survival, and the need to get home with the least amount of problems. For any of you that have not been extorted by the police, it was a horrible feeling, to say the least. I greatly admire the Gringo Gazette for their diligently work toward the stoppage of this kind of extortion! CaboRicardo)
Stories are circulating that United States registered cars without proper insurance or up-to-date registration stickers on their plates are being impounded by the federal police. The Gringo Gazette called the offices of the federal police and requested an emergency meeting. This is the result of that meeting.
Inspector Sergio Ceseña denies any cars have been impounded for registration or insurance infractions. He states that the Mexican police have no authority over American registration issues and can’t even give you a ticket for expired registration. Car registration issues are handled by customs agents and customs is not in collusion with the police, nor do they go out looking for registration irregularities, they work at points of entry to the country.
Cesena does admit that the federal police do have access to the U.S. motor vehicle department records and they often check the VIN numbers of cars to see if the car has been reported stolen in the United States. The police can not access this information from their police cars, but they can call their headquarters from the car and wait for the information to be radioed back to them. They can also check to see if you are wanted for any crimes through NCIC, the United States’ National Crime Information Center. Cesena states that between January and May of this year, approximately 11 stolen vehicles were impounded.
Sub-Official Adriana Perez works in this office and speaks excellent English. You may contact her at 624-146-1241 and 624-146-1240. Our advise is, carry this number and name with you, and call them if you feel the federal police are treating you unfairly.
For the G20, several hundred federal police, along with their cars and equipment, have been ferried here from the mainland to support our small contingent of federal agents that normally patrol the federal highway and the federal airport. This increased federal police presence is what has so many foreigners freaked out. These police are setting up checkpoints looking, not for insurance or stickers, but for guns and drugs. Some of those checkpoints have machines that can scan cars for contraband. The total number of federal officers now on duty is about 350. This does not include the Sedena (National Defense forces), or the state police whose numbers have been increased as well.
These officers will be engaged in check points as far away as Todos Santos and Los Barrilles and again, they are looking for bad guys, guns, and drugs, not insurance and stickers. Legally, your car can be taken from you only when you have caused damage to public property, as in hitting a lamp post or federal highway signage.
The GG has been unable to speak to anyone who has had their car taken from them. And we have looked. We have made numerous phone calls, trying to track these rumors of impounded cars, and we can not find anybody who as had their car taken. All we can find is people who claim to have heard about someone who has had their car taken. But they can’t even come up with the name of the person who allegedly had their car taken. This looks like just a case of runaway rumors.
If anyone reading this knows of anyone who has had their car taken, and can come up with a name and phone number for this person, please call Carrie on my cellie at 624 177 1910 or email me atcarrie@gringogazette.com” target=”_blank” style=”color: rgb(17, 85, 204); “>carrie@gringogazette.com
