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So what were the chances this would happen to us? You can't make this stuff up, and in Rosarito Beach today we didn't have to. Last night a guy parked a silver van in front of our house and literally ran away. The police showed up four minutes later, then the Army arrived. 1.6 tons of pot abandoned in an unlocked van in front of our house. I stayed safe indoors and watched the two-hour event from my cameras. The neighborhood was locked down by the Army for a few hours and Alonzo was pissed off that it ruined our Valentines Day dinner plans. At least it wasn't a reenactment of the Valentines Day massacre, huh? Could have been worse.

"En el exterior de una casa amarilla de dos pisos marcada con el número 113, encontraron un vehículo gris tipo panel, marca Ford modelo 1997, el cual estaba lleno de paquetes rectangulares." (Outside of a two-story yellow house marked No. 113, was found a gray vehicle 1997 Ford panel van, which was filled rectangular packages.")

Decomisan más de 1.6 toneladas de mariguana

TIJUANA BC, February 15, 2013 - Elements of several police organizations seized more than 1,600 kilos (3,500 pounds) of marijuana, in addition to diverse quantities of drugs in four separate cases in the last hours in diverse operations in Tijuana , Playas de Rosarito and Ensenada.

The first case was a joint operation, elements of the Army and Rosarito municipal police seized a cargo of more than 2,200 pounds of marijuana.

Rosarito police headquarters reported that around 7:20PM on Thursday, February 14, the Army and police received an anonymous complaint of the finding of the load of drugs. In a coordinated manner, army and police went to colonia Villas del Mar, on calle Paseo del Mar.

Outside of a two-story yellow house, number 113, they found a 1997 Ford gray panel van which was full of rectangular packages.

The municipal police guarded the perimeter, meanwhile the army proceeded to search the vehicle with Baja California plates BP25860. In the back they found 102 rectangular packages of varying shapes, and inside the packages was a herb similar to marijuana. The approximate weight of the cargo was 1076.1 kilograms.

Army and police proceeded to search the area for those responsible, but where unable to find indications of the owner of the packages. The vehicle was taken to the municipal yard and the cargo remains with the federal attorney general.

Considering all of the things that could have resulted from such a close contact with an industrial scale smuggling operation, you are fortunate.

Not as fortunate as if it hadn't happened of course.

I assume that you haven't offered the police use of your "home videos"? That might lead to an unwanted level of involvement, don't you think?

Originally Posted by Islander

Considering all of the things that could have resulted from such a close contact with an industrial scale smuggling operation, you are fortunate.

Not as fortunate as if it hadn't happened of course.

I assume that you haven't offered the police use of your "home videos"? That might lead to an unwanted level of involvement, don't you think?

A man dressed in black running from a van in the dark isn't much help, so I didn't offer. Our blackout curtains were closed the whole time. What I saw probably happens with large drug shipment seizures, but It's disappointing. When it comes to this high level stuff, I probably would have told the Police and Army that my cameras were pointed in the other direction. It confirms what I suspected and isn't worth getting killed over.

I would think that even coming out of your house and saying "good morning" to the police would put you at risk.

Inviting them in would be suicide.

In fact, you might consider eliminating this thread!

And I'm only kidding a little bit.

Originally Posted by Islander

I would think that even coming out of your house and saying "good morning" to the police would put you at risk.

Inviting them in would be suicide.

In fact, you might consider eliminating this thread!

And I'm only kidding a little bit.

And I'm only kidding a little but when I tell you it's the Rosarito Police we most worry about. They have lied to our face and we have called them on it (in writing to the sindicatura no less). Our friends tell us the same thing and our Mexican neighbors think the police planted that van to make it look like they are fighting the drug battle in earnest. But who really knows? It's certainly not helpful to Baja getting the State Department Travel Advisory lifted. If I had to choose I'll take the van full of pot over the female leg we found on the beach in December.

Originally Posted by Islander

I assume that you haven't offered the police use of your "home videos"? That might lead to an unwanted level of involvement, don't you think?

You mean police involvement, I assume.
Yeah, Craig. You don't want that.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

You mean police involvement, I assume.
Yeah, Craig. You don't want that.

Since Captain Montero left Rosarito to become State Secretary of Security, our relationship with the Rosarito police has been challenging- to say the least. One problem with the police is they are paid $28 a day and have to be creative to make up the rest. Mexicans seem to accept "trouble makers" who play fast and loose with the law but are basically non-violent and harmless. There is no public shame in Mexico for doing what you have to to get ahead. It's a little painful to watch if you were raised differently, but it is woven into the frayed Mexican social fabric.

Wow! Glad every one is OK Wooosh..... You have had some luck down there

Originally Posted by douglas117

Wow! Glad every one is OK Wooosh..... You have had some luck down there

It would seem so. We don't talk much about our carjack, kidnap or extortion attempts because many Mexican families go through these and we don't think we were singled out for being ex-pats. They treat us like their own. But truly, almost all the problems we've had have been caused by non-Mexicans corrupting the police and city officials. This parked van doesn't shake us.

Sounds to me like somebody was trying to set you guys up. Glad to hear that things turned out OK. You can celebrate Valentines day anytime.

Better 1.6 tons of weed than 1.6 tons of ANFO..........

Originally Posted by Teniente

Better 1.6 tons of weed than 1.6 tons of ANFO..........

Ain't that the truth.
I doubt it was a set-up, but the 4 min response time was very very good for an "anonymous tip". Why would anyone suspect a parked van was a problem to even call the police? I think the driver made a wrong turn and got trapped in our neighborhood. There's limited vehicle access and the Police commandante lives here- so it's always patrolled. The driver probably hopped some walls and was gone. I'm sure he had some explaining to do to someone though...

The drugs don't bother us. The violence does. I would prefer the narcos make their money moving drugs to willing buyers than profit from human trafficking, extortions and kidnappings. Let it all go back below the surface and let the people live in peace.

4 minute response time? They had to be close by or in pursuit. Any follow up news reporting who was the owner of the weed? Thats a lot of mj to just be left behind.

Originally Posted by beachbum

4 minute response time? They had to be close by or in pursuit. Any follow up news reporting who was the owner of the weed? Thats a lot of mj to just be left behind.

No follow up news, but they found another huge shipment at a house around the corner yesterday. It was in the same direction the van driver ran towards. BTW a former Rosarito Mayor lives across the street from this house and Police Commandante Navarette lives one street away. It's not a bad neighborhood. You can see the Playa Bonita condos just down the street in the photo.



ROSARITO, Baja California(PH) A tan sólo dos días un nuevo decomiso de droga al parecer mariguana, se presentó en un domicilio de la colonia Villas del Mar, justo donde se localizó la noche del jueves, una camioneta abandonada con paquetes del enervante.

En esta ocasión el hallazgo se presentó en el domicilio marcado con el número 252 de la calle Vía de la Playa de la citada colonia, donde cerca de las 15:00 horas personal militar y de la Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) acordonaron el área para indagar en el inmueble.

Aunque no se ha dado a conocer la cantidad de droga decomisada del interior del domicilio, tres vehículos, dos tipo pick up y una vagoneta fueron cargadas con paquetes del enervante.

Link to article in Spanish.

ROSARITO, Baja California - In just two days, a new drug seizure, apparently of marijuana, occurred at a home in colonia Villas del Mar, near where an abandoned van with packages of drugs was found Thursday night.

On this occasion the finding was at the home number 252 on calle Vía de la Playa of that colonia. Around 3PM, military personnel and personnel from the Federal Attorney General surround an area to investigate a property.

Although the amount of drugs seized inside the home has not been reported, three vehicles - two pick-ups and a station wagon, were loaded with packages of drugs.

Sorry to hear about that Woooosh. I must admit that I wondered too if perhaps it wasn't a setup but now it looks like it was part of the operation going on around the corner. I recognize that house - my consuegros have a vacation place just down a ways on the same street...

Do you guys think the van was waiting to be off loaded into a panga to be shipped north?

Well, the product probably is going to make it to it's final destination.... it's not like everyone isn't in on it... just somebody got left out of the equation!
Honestly, after being a professional firefighter in San Diego and seeing the poorest of the poor having access to medical mota, I have to wonder who buys that weed!
There is so much killer legal stuff available with delivery to your door everywhere!

Originally Posted by omegaplex

Do you guys think the van was waiting to be off loaded into a panga to be shipped north?

Good question. There were 4 busts in Rosarito within a few days of each other. Two busts near me for Mota, another two busts in a gated community (near the McDonald's) for Cocaine and Meth. Who knows how they were planning to get these drugs across. As you mention, they could back-track to the south and take one of the one-way Panga evening cruises. Plenty of weed washes up on San Diego beaches, but not much cocaine or meth that I have heard about. Every gang has their own system and apparently some work better than others.

Party on "dude" ....... appears there's no shortage ... say, when's "spring break"

Originally Posted by wessongroup

Party on "dude" ....... appears there's no shortage ... say, when's "spring break"

It's crazy how much weed floats along the streets.

Spring Break Rosarito died a slow death Wesson- it's pretty much gone. I think the passport requirement was the final blow- hard to get a bus load of friends together with 100% of them having a passport. The crime and economy didn't help and parents probably had some concerns too. The local expats used to whine about all the kids and traffic of Spring Break, now they see what happens when their "wish" of them being gone came true.

After five years of no young people the tourist zone looks a tad blighted with many boarded up restaurants, clubs and storefronts. There is no tourist draw in downtown Rosarito right now. Successful tourist destinations are constantly innovating and reinventing their offerings- Rosarito did nothing. Their marketing slogan likely is "We're still here". The only positive tourist experience would be to stay at the Rosarito Beach Hotel and day trip out to the Guadalupe wine region. The RBH gives overnight guests the "FastPass" to skip the border wait back. The main street (Blvd Benito Juarez) is torn up and being repaved, but the exit for the RBH hotel is fine and the road finished at the south end.