Tourist tales of police encounters

Peeing in Mexico  An article by Eric Mack

What Not to Do in Tijuana  An article by Charles Clayton

Tourist Assistance

To receive tourist assistance for all of Baja State by phone, dial 078 from a cell or land line.  If using a cell phone that is not native to Mexico, you will only reach tourist assistance if your phone is roaming and has attached to the local network.  English speaking operators are available around the clock.

Additionally, the very cramped tourist assistance booth on Av. Revolucion in Tijuana was closed and a store front location was opened during July.  Information about Baja, tours, restaurants, hotels, and discounts, or even directions on how to get to a location are available just by walking in.

As an additional note, the emergency line for police or medical services is 066.

>Sexual Assault Denounced

>TIJUANA, Baja California –
After some time of remaining quiet, he could not do it any longer. A young man, age 20, notified local police that he had been sexually assaulted by a group of men that is lead by a man known simply as “El Mudo” or The Mute One.

The man explained that he had been approached many times in the past by El Mudo for sexual activity, but had been able to evade him each time.

Eventually El Mudo gained access to the home where the young man lived and made threats against him at knife point. El Mudo then sexually assaulted the young man repeatedly threatening him with physical hard or death. The young man remained quiet out of fearfulness and did not report the attacks even to his family.

On January 9, there was a knock at the door of the home. The young man believed that his cousin who lived at the house was outside the door wanting to enter. It was then that several men burst into the home then bound the young man and covered his eyes in order to sexually assault him numerous times. The young man could not be sure of the number of people but believed he was assaulted by four individuals including El Mudo.

After having been attacked in such a way and suffering so many times, the young man finally reported the incidents to the local police.

>Mexican Law Enforcement Helps Capture U.S. Fugitives

>About 1,000 U.S. fugitives wanted for crimes are believed to live in Mexico, according to federal estimates. Many are in resort areas such as Cancun or in border states such as Baja California.

But in recent years, Mexican law enforcement agencies, even some rife with corruption — have stepped up their efforts to send fugitives back north. Fugitive deportations and extraditions from Mexico reached 299 last year, more than triple the number from 2003, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Full Story: Los Angeles Times

>Helpful tips series > Part 1 – Tijuana

>

Tourist Assistance in Tijuana
– find consular assistance
– find your towed car
– file complaints about police
– locate police stations and jails
– find government services
–> English –> Español

Tijuana Phone Numbers
Emergencies: 066
Tourist Assistance Hotline: 078
U.S. Consulate: 622-7400
State District Attorney: 638-5206, 638-9184
Visitor Assistance Office: 973-0424
Office of Internal Affairs, Complaint Department: 688-2810

(dialing from the US use 011-52-664+number)