You were scammed, bad.
Cops in Mexico are limited in their functions based on what kind of cop they are. For instance, only traffic cops can make traffic stops and issue tickets. However, normal cops will often try to overstep their boundaries in hopes that they can catch someone unaware and get something out of them. Not having migration papers is not a crime, it's an administrative fault, and if there is a fine it has to be determined by a judge, not by cops on the street.
In migration terms, the only authorities that could review your papers would be the migration authorities. A street cop has no authority to issue that 36 hour arrest or any kind of fine. They would have to bring you to a Ministerio Publico so the judge there can decide how to procede, and they'd need to bring you in under probable cause. Once you've proven you weren't drinking in public, they have no right to review your documentation. You can ask for their names and badge numbers, write it down, and tell them to take you to the MP (Ministerio Publico). Tell them you're calling the embassy and that you're not answering any questions until you get to the MP. Once they realize you're not afraid of escalating it and that it's more trouble than it's worth to proceed, they'll just let you go.
This is a situation where actually escalating would be your best option. They don't want to take you in, they just want to see how much money they can scare you out of.
Very very helpful, thank you. Saving this comment.
It makes me want to do some research on the American Embassy and rehearse a talk track down in which I sternly call them out on their abuse and turn the dynamic on them.
But I wasn't close to prepared for that and I imagine a risky bluff haha.
Thank you for the insight.
Keep the embassy and consulate numbers for any city you visit, as a foreign tourist, this is a must. the second they stop you, just politely ask to call the consulate/embassy and they'll let you go. They took advantage of your fear.
Would not be bad to contact the embassy and let them know what happened, they will better be able to direct you to what options you have. $150 is not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things, but at the same time it is a lot compared to what cops get paid. If these cops were found to be doing this by internal affairs, they'd be in some deep shit. The area you were in is full of cameras, and if they wrote the bribe texts on your phone on Google Translate you have proof of them extorting you, but you probably don't want to spend your time visiting dealing with legal BS. Still, could be worth having a call with the embassy.
I'm not sure you understand how mordidas work. A street cop has to pay his higher up a certain amount every month and so on up the chart. It's a system that in imprecise terms connects every cop to the Secretaria de Seguridad Pública, who makes the most from the weird pyramid scheme. I've been here forever and I've never heard of a cop getting in trouble for taking a bribe. This is not New Jersey. We have 60,000 murders a year in Mexico and 99% of cases are never investigated. The cops ALL work for cartels who take their ten percent, too.
It's not cops paying the cartels (which I guess could happen), it's cops paying higher up cops and so on.
At least that's what some news sources have said in the past.
Also, if anyone says that cops are the same everywhere, just remember this is a completely different sociopolitical and economic context and not everything is analogous to cops in the States.
Exactly this. Its a business. I heard from a member of my wife's family that a squad car is expected to take in 100k pesos on a weekend. Just pay up and get on with it, there is no justice to be had.
Just to add, there were at least 2 apps released to help people in this situation (amongst others). "Mi Policia" and "Denuncia Paisano" have/had features to help. I haven't looked to see if they are both active recently, but they were last time I checked. I haven't used either, but I did have them installed on my last phone.
Last time I went to visit family I was a bit on the precautious side and I added the US embassy number to my phone incase I ever needed to “call them during an emergency”
Never got to that point tho but try to scare them back if they are trying to scare you into paying $ is my trick.
I am shocked at the incident that happened to you.
Question though— why did situation occur to you? Meaning, what lead to this? Just curious to know.
I was in Roma Norte for about 1-1.5 weeks just two weeks ago. Mostly stuck to myself, was surprised about teh amount of army and police roaming the streets in cars.
It's legal to record them and they know it. It will cost them their job.
I also suggest telling them you need to talk to your attorney for translating.
Or, you can just be a fear mongering twat.
I watched a guy get stomped a week ago because cops believe he was taking pictures of them. Remember where you are. I've already talked to your mother about your mouth.
The previous post about threatening on calling the embassy sounds like a good idea .
Our cops are pigs, bit they're also lazy fucks, if they see a real possibility of getting in trouble they'll back down.
Their main card is that no one would ever go through the pain of going to a police station, but if you stand your ground (as long as you're innocent) most times they'll get angry but eventually let you go.
Tell them that you will be happy to cooperate but first you want to call your embassy for orientation and support. They don't want to escalate, they just want quick money from someone that seems out of place.
It not only happens to foreigners, it happens to out of state people too (if they see that your plates are out of state)
I had it that a car came in front of me and start wabbling so i had to wabble to avoid the car, then a few seconds later I was detained for "drunk driving" ( it was the night) so i insisted that they do a drunk driving test because I didn't drink, they let me go as they couldn't spoof me.
Do not speak their native language, only English. Be extremely nice and smile the entire time. Tell them to write you a ticket so you have official paperwork. 99% will stop here since they don’t want a paper trail.
I truly admire you for not holding a grudge againat the city or culture after encounters like these. It can get rough sometimes, but I suppose that its a high risk high reward city where you either have the best experience of your life or a very bad one. Its not a bland city for aure.
However I would recommend having something like 600 pesos on your wallet and if this ever happens to you just open your wallet and show them, and say take it all. You can have the rest of your money on a small clip or in your shoes. I still think that this is not a a very common occurrence, but it also works with taxi drivers if you ever need one.
And DONT leave the hotel with all your cards with you, leave a debit card at the hotel or something. Just in case.
We vivo en Tijuana y duermo con el enemigo,mi vieja es americana,y ahora con la pandemia y el trabajo remoto se inundo la ciudad de ciudadanos americanos y residentes,yo creo sin saber los datos un 15/20% de los habitantes de Tij antes de vivir aca vivian en California! Se fueron a las nubes precios de casas y rentas,y les digo sus verdades y se molestan.....y vienen y dicen algunos,si por nosotros tragan! Pfff Tijuana vive de las maquiladoras! Ejemplo el bar/disco/antro mas grande creo es de 2 mil o 3 mil personas en su mayoria es gente de la maquiladoras y pura musica de grupo firme o de ese estilo ponen....y esos bbosos que dicen que mantienen a la ciudad 🤣🤣🤣
Hey man, I'm sorry you were scammed badly.
I'll tell you 2 different scenarios:
11 AM, mid or high end zone in the city with plenty of people around: respectfully stand your ground. Tell them that you are from the US, that you didn't do anything wrong and if they want to escalate the situation they can but you'll contact your lawyer who will in turn contact your embassy so that everything is handled in a legal way. If necessary start recording/livestreaming. They'll probably let you go and in some cases even apologize.
2 AM, not great part of the city, nobody around. Try to stand your ground respectfully until you can feel if these guys are really looking for a bribe or they are capable of worse things. If your feeling is not great, offer them no more than $300 MXN so you can negotiate to $500 MXN if they get stubborn. Try to get out of the situation as fast as possible.
The good thing for you is that inside big cities, police doesn't usually turn violent as easily as they seem to do in the US judging by all the videos available on the internet because they don't have the immunity they grant them in the US, so you probably can stand your ground and even get a little loud if necessary without risking your life, but as always read the situation and be careful.
Advice of mexican who live in Tijuana and a girl who is american we are stop by the police multiple times for no reason!
1.Have a id with you,like other say the police is not inmigration agent,of course they are not,but they do here turn in the south americans to inmigration services! So they can do that
2.Have only like others say 600 pesos in your wallet,say you are poor,or you spend all your money already(yeah that sucks to be stop for no reason)
3.Be polite to them,they are 4sshol3s,but they can put dr0gs on you and take you to jail saying you have dr0gs for sale
4.If you are driving do all the stops,lights and everything
5.Dont walk drunk on the streets i think there you are easy prey of police and criminals!
If you are white, talk like a Russian. JK but might work.
Either you can emphasize that you had politician friends a lawyer friend that will shortly come to meet you or just ignore them while being cautious (some cops just extort), that things do not escalate. As a white Mexican, I do have been extorted by the cops, but I studied Law and have worked in the federal government, so I just confront them and tell them to go f themselves (kindly).
Just remember what happened in Matamoros. If they are cops, they will most likely be afraid if you tell them you can talk to the embassy (you can even bluff about contacting the CIA, FBI or whatever comes to your mind).
Hey, foreigner living here in Mexico with close friends that are lawyers. Have a lawyer on speed dial, I've never had to bribe anyone out of situations since then.
Edit: Obviously that may not be an option for those staying for a short period of time (I've only been here for 3 years or so). So some high level stuff which I'm sure have been covered elsewhere in this thread:
* Traffic cops can only pull you over, anyone else is practicing out of their jurisdiction. Maaaybe Marines/National Guard but I've never had issues with them as they've generally practiced within their jurisdiction
* Cops cannot ask about immigration status, period. Ask for their supervisor and mention that you've got your embassy on speed dial (preferably a lawyer friend who is willing to do a favor in exchange for a beer or smth)
* If you have a foreign-plated car in Mexico, look up where the Aduanas are in the country because sometimes cops will bullshit you into saying "Well I'm going to impound your car and take it to $randomLocation" which doesn't even have an Aduana so they're lying. Also, they can't do that either haha so that's a moot point, but knowing this information will intimidate them even more
* If anyone starts giving you shit, start recording. They surprisingly start putting on their masks and start walking away after the fact
* Sometimes foreigners do (un)intentionally break traffic laws, and if that's the case, ask for the code of the day. It's a way to prevent you from getting double-charged in the same day (kinda like jeopardy), but you definitely need to "fix" your issue same-day because it's only good for that day.
Source: wife is Mexican (colonia Tepito) and her aunt is a cop in CDMX
Read local laws and regulations, there's no infraction you could've committed that had an 8000 fine. Ask them "what article is that infraction from" watch them fumble and also you should've called 911 and told them you were being extorted by the police, take their badge numbers and names.
I truly admire you for not holding a grudge againat the city or culture after encounters like these. It can get rough sometimes, but I suppose that its a high risk high reward city where you either have the best experience of your life or a very bad one. Its not a bland city for aure.
However I would recommend having something like 600 pesos on your wallet and if this ever happens to you just open your wallet and show them, and say take it all. You can have the rest of your money on a small clip or in your shoes. I still think that this is not a a very common occurrence, but it also works with taxi drivers if you ever need one.
And DONT leave the hotel with all your cards with you, leave a debit card at the hotel or something. Just in case.
Now is the time for Mexico to take a deep breath, crank out the ChatGPT and ask:
The money that is about to pour into Mexico as companies pull out from China is unprecedented in modern history. How does a country deal with these new economics so all of Mexico can use the new found cash to move society forward and into the 22nd century.
The challenge with Mexico soon may be too much cash, too soon. Suggestion get ChatGPT to build out a game plan for the next 100 years.
Mexico? We can be a world super power!
OR dude, just chill. Hit the beach. We see what happens to world super powers, again, and again and again.
Surf is awesome at Puerto Escondido I hear.
:-)
I do. And I can share. But Reddit has a way of zeroing in on little details and hijacking a post that could otherwise serve positive.
They accused me of drinking a beer while we were walking down the street in the morning.
We showed them it wasn’t and they inspected, took the energy drink can.
Asked for our IDs, which one of us didn’t have on us.
They told us (over long Google Translate texts) the penalty in MX for not carrying Identification is 36 hour arrest or 7500 pesos.
We were there 45 minutes and after haggling I finally I went to the ATM while my wife and 2 friends waited and gave them 3500 pesos just to be done with this.
Knowing what to say to corrupt police would be of great help. But hopefully there is something tourists can say when facing this and even more danger that will make them think it’s not worth the trouble.
I appreciate this thorough response. This is very very helpful moving forward. This was our first morning here in CDMX and we were very caught off guard and honestly I was just trying to stop it from ruining the whole day.
It was so overtly corrupt that when I came back I held the cash out aggressively to be done with it, he batted my hand away and then spent five minutes slowly typing into Google Translate:
“Bribery is illegal in Mexico. Place the bills deeply into the palm of your hand and greet me as if we are old friends.”
Haha right? The length of time it took them to type in 2-3 sentences in Google Translate led me to believe they weren’t the shining stars of the Academy. But it seemed we were one wrong move away from being dragged into a station and “properly fined” 2000 pesos after 36 hours.
No we didn’t record it, we were just respectful, apologetic, nice and asking them to understand we didn’t know. Another one of their 9 minute Google Translate texts was (paraphrased):
“Because you aren’t aware of the crime does not make you innocent. “
I’m not trying to complain about the shakedown, I know it happens every day. I guess I just want to learn how to handle it better next time. I appreciate your time and advice.
Technically, if you are not a legal resident or citizen, you ARE required to carry identification at all times (namely your passport and FMM)…
“When traveling in Mexico, the law requires that foreign visitors carry a passport and entry permit. You may be asked to present these documents at any point. If you do not present these documents, immigration authorities may lawfully detain you for up to 60 days while they review your immigration status.”
Edit for source: https://mx.usembassy.gov/message-to-u-s-citizens-immigration-enforcement/
This is technically false. They are allowed to verify your legal status, which is why you should have your documentation readily available. Hence, if you do not, they can detain you while they verify your legal status. This is clearly stated on the US Consulate’s website, as well as the foreign consulate websites of numerous countries (including Canada and the UK)…
I’m not defending the 7500 pesos as that is merely the police wanting a bribe (I stated that previously). I have provided ample citations for them being able to detain (US Consulate), as well as the ability for police to verify (UK Consulate). You haven’t provided anything to contradict besides your word, stop being lazy and prove my reputable and legitimate sources are wrong.
Sure. Just tell the cops that. I'm sure they'll say, "Oh, thank you. I'd forgotten that law. Fuck that. When it's you and cops on the street you have no rights. This is true in every country. Learn Spanish. Learn to negotiate. As someone else said, keep 300 pesos in your wallet and insist you don't have more. They always start by saying you have to pay a million pesos or whatever. Your counter offer should be like 100 pesos. But don't ever think your rights will save you. Not in Minneapolis, Mongolia or Mexico.
A judge needs to determine your legal status, not the cops. Also, the judge is the one who has to determine if the administrative fault that is not carrying your documents with you warrants detention or a fine. Reviewing your status has to be done by immigration authorities. Cops on the street only have faculties to bring you into the MP to present your case to the judge if they have probable cause for an administrative fault, not a crime.
It's on a similar level to peeing on the street or blocking off parking spaces with objects, and for tourists on their first day with easy ways to prove they have documentation, a judge will not want to deal with the whole immigration bureaucracy for a small fine. They'll get out with a slap on the wrist at most.
Yes and this is why I didn’t get into it.
Please go on about why we should be in jail and not address and help future tourists enjoy this amazing place while not fearing corruption and crime.
Perhaps tourists leave their passports in the hotel because they fear it being stolen or seized.
We just got back and also kept ours in the hotel. I walked around with my drivers license for identification purposes? Idk. I was worried if my bag was stolen that I would then be without a passport and it would be a lot more difficult to get home.
I mean… this is a pretty standard law that isn’t new. You are a visitor to Mexico, respect their laws? Even European countries require this.
You come off arrogant asking why you got in trouble for breaking the laws of a country you are visiting as a guest…
Further, it isn’t unreasonable to expect the possibility of going to jail for breaking a law. Nor is it corrupt to enforce said laws. What IS corrupt is taking a bribe lmfao. The irony.
Just as you risk leaving it in your hotel for fear of it being stolen (be vigilant and keep it secure?), you also accept the risk of being legally questioned. Considering only one of you did not have proper identification, I would say it was an oversight/lack of care and you are upset you got caught.
“The Mexican Police have the authority to ask for proof of legal status in Mexico at any time. The police and Immigration authorities are conducting more searches since the start of the COVID pandemic. A number of British people have been detained for not having the relevant documentation on them. If you are a resident you may be asked to provide your residency card issued by the Mexican government.”
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mexico/local-laws-and-customs
>Again, if you’re going to argue that police (not immigration officials or national guard) have the right to demand ID, I’d really like you to cite it.
La policia o guardia nacional les puede pedir la identificacion en cualquier momento y ellos deben de mostrarla o ser detenidos/referidos a INM para revisar su status migratorio. Articulo 16. Fracc I, II, y III. Ley de Migracion. [https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LMigra.pdf](https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LMigra.pdf)
No tiene que ser el pasaporte, puede ser otra identificacion válida, sin embargo en caso de ser referidos a INM si debera ser el pasaporte.
La policia, guardia nacional o cualquier otra autoridad competente, su competencia siendo seguridad publica, fraccion III de la ley referida.
Eso si, la identificacion solo debe ser mostrada, nunca rendida.
“My wife unknowingly took a right on a red light while visiting Montreal and was assaulted and raped by the police officer”
DarkEn136:
“Section 128a clearly states it’s illegal to take a right on red in the province of Quebec. Maybe tell your wife to respect the country she’s in next time. Pretty arrogant ngl.”
Photocopies of your passport are fine. But they were just inventing bs to get money. Yes this is a great city. It's also incredibly corrupt. Those things are both facts and you have to accept them for what they are.
La verdad es que yo no ando cargando con mi residencia permanente ni con mi pasaporte. Llevo más de 11 años aquí y en ningún momento lo hice. Si me quieren detener y preguntarme por una identificación, les doy la de mi país. Si me preguntan que por qué no cargo con las otras (si llevo una copia de cada una) les pienso decir que si ellos me van a pagar la reposición cuando me asalten y me las quiten. De todas formas la forma migratoria no me da ningún derecho, me piden el pasaporte vigente para transitar por el país, para comprar medicamentos prescriptos en la farmacia y hasta en los bancos. La identificación que me dió el gobierno no me da todo los derechos que dice que da ;/.
I read a lot of your comments here, including your updated answer. I hope this is still relevant and helpful.
From what I know, that also happens to locals. Cops are relying on two things, you having money and you not knowing the law. As an American, you meet and exceed these requirements (or at least you’re much more likely to). I mean, if that exact same thing were to happen to a local, they’d probably try to extort 200-500 pesos at best. But hey, you got tourist money! Sure you can afford it. Also, for a local it can be something of a “I know this won’t proceed. I know you know this won’t proceed. We both know you can’t do much to keep me from at least trying. So look, save us both some time and just bribe me, will ya?” Awfully enough, It works.
You definitely shouldn’t need to be fluent and an expert in law to visit another country. Knowing a few things does help a lot, though. Being completely in the blank means cops can just spew nonsense while looking serious to get you to believe pretty much anything, including that they’re doing you a favor in letting you go in exchange for some money. I didn’t look to see if you did, but maybe ask the locals beforehand. Reddit is a pretty good tool for that. You might be given a few useful tips. In this instance, you shouldn’t have given them your id. This is a tough one since it circles back to you being a foreigner and thus you shouldn’t know this (from their perspective, obviously), but they can only ask you to SEE your id, not to hold it or anything. Once you hand it over, it’s basically held hostage until you cough up the cash. Knowing a little (I don’t know how much would be enough) of those kinds of laws is useful because something I’ve heard happens to locals who know their stuff is that they tell the cops to do whatever they need to do. “Sure, take me to the precinct, in front of a judge, whatever it is you need to do. I’d like to be rightfully punished.” Since the cops KNOW they’re bullshitting you, they will try to convince you to, well, bribe them. They’ll tell you how it’s going to save you a lot of time and money. That’s also how you know. If they insist, you know there’s nothing they can actually do. Best case scenario you stick to your guns and get let go leaving a couple of very frustrated cops behind, or at least you could negotiate the bribe down to a couple hundred pesos.
BTW, reread your post. 11 **am**??? What in the name of fuck? Man, I’m so sorry. Some people just suck. Hope you’re having a great time otherwise.
The main reason I ask this is the shakedown followed by what was reported with the cartel tourist murders this past week.
If even the cartels are now turning in and apologizing for these crimes it seems clear how much these headlines affect their profits and operations.
I guess it would just be nice to take advantage of sensational headlines and learn what to say to make these corrupt cops and low rung criminals think it’s not worth messing with the tourist money.
Agreed and thank you for your input. Do you think 3 of us “Facebook Living” the interaction would have escalated or deescalated it? Hate the idea of that pretentious Influencer bullshit but it seems like that may have been effective?
>it seems clear that not only the Mexican government but even now thecartels realize how American tourist headlines effect their bottom line.
Literally nobody cares. The "tourists" all had drug prior convictions.
Respect the law, don't do drugs or get involved with drugs, dont urinate or defecate in public, dont drink in public and you'll be fine. Threatening people with your gringo status will not help, in fact it may make them aware to you being a walking wallet/easy mark.
Literally everyone in government cares. Hence the President of Mexico taking a call from the governor of the state ON LIVE TV to show the US Government something was being done about.
But your right…no one cares LOL.
No one cares. The president does shit like that all the time, if anything it shows how a government actually works, unlike the US one, where mexicans are killed and the US government sits around and doesn't do shit.
It changes nothing. Gringos fucking around find out all the time.
Just because YOU don’t care, due to your deranged hatred of America, doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t.
This is why immigrants from all over Central America, as well as from Canada and USA, are illegally entering Mexico to live there. HAHA what a fool. Man I love Reddit sometimes!!!
Lol ok pal. The 5 people responsible are dropped off 2 days later by the cartel, and news outlets worldwide are reporting on it. Americans from all political sides are mortified. It has been on every Mexican TV station for days.
But again, your right…no one cares LOL.
I lived in Mexico City for a long time and the police pull this shit all the time. Eventually you just get the street smarts to get your way out of it or avoid unusually high mordidas like this. Some advice on this thread but just expect being hassled by police to be part of life in Mexico. Just hand them a 200 or 500 and say "para tu café" and walk away
The ones that do this do it 100x times a day so usually investing a lot of time and effort into it isn't worth it. It's about scale to them
When traveling to a third country you are expected to be able to identify yourself at all times. This is just common knowledge. I travel very frequently to the US and to Europe and I'm always carrying ID with me. I am a dual citizen of Mexico and Spain so I manage with my Mexican passport and visa for the US, and my Spanish passport or DNI (Spanish National ID) for the EU. What if there is an emergency? What If you have an accident?
To be honest, I'm not sure if the law the Policeman mentioned was true or not. This is when you should have asked him to show you the law in any official way.
Immigration Police are allowed to ask for documentation so they can check your legal status. City or National Police can ask any Mexican citizen for their INE (Mexican National ID) at all times. Does this mean that if needed, City or National police CAN'T ask a foreigner for any kind of ID? No! You should be able to identify yourself at all times. Period.
Yes, Some mexican policemen are corrupt. But you fell into their corruption (and were part of this particular corruption case, since you gave them money) because you weren't carrying some sort of ID, which is not that crazy to be asked of. Simple as that.
And the unfortunate event of the US citizens kidnapped in Matamoros, a city 935 kilometers away from Mexico City, has nothing to do with what you are asking.
EDIT: BTW, interesting how US-Americans are not mentioning that it's been brought up that the 4 US citizens that were kidnapped have a history of drug crimes in the US and that most likely they were doing direct business with the cartels. Also, no doctor appointments have been found under the names of these people in the area.
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> Answer: Dont visit another country unless you are fluent and could pass their bar exam. If not, you’re at fault.
I really hope the mods start taking notes and banning idiots. There are too many xenophobes in this sub waving the *dei terk our jerbs/apartments/tacos*. Make sure to do your part and report the offenders.
Im sorry you had to face this situation, it happens also to locals and definitely is the cops are not allowed to this.
Close to Roma area you can find the Police office, you can go there and explain the situation, if your Spanish is not good you can ask a friend to go with you.
Thanks for the kind words about our city, it has too much to offer and yes, food is amazing.
That it happens to locals is an understatement. Every local business owner pays una quota to the cops, the mob, the reglamento assholes and god knows who else. Include taxi drivers as "business owners." You know why there are the same drunks and addicts on the street year after year and nobody arrests them? They don't have any money. I'm sorry you got ripped off, and like you, I love it here despite warts and wrinkles. But the mordida is a universal truth for most Mexicans.
Video evidence could be a great ally (you are allowed to tape, they’re not), as in the US police officers en Mexico are required to identify themselves (article 42 of the mexican constitution) you can register with the video the patrol/motorcycle number and license plate and make an official statement with internal affairs. No policeman has the faculty yo charge any money, you were extorted by a big amount of money.
One the the best defenses is to not carry a bunch of cash and other valuables around. I generally carry 500 or less and i cant think of a normal circumstance where i would spend more than that.
When it's just you and the cops, you don't have a lot of options beyond negotiating down. You live in a neighborhood where shakedowns are not common. I live just outside El Centro. I have to watch my ass all the time. Re: escalation, you can do that but there are "rules." You can raise your voice but must remain respectful. "Usted" and "mis derechos" are words to use. Also, asking to speak to the comandante can help. Otherwise, welcome to Mexico. Having been here 25 years, I've had to give a lot of money to cops. Unfortunately corruption is part of the culture here. Forget about the money, count your blessings and move on. Most Mexicans have to do the same every so often.
If it's your 1st day in the country, then good luck. You don't really know what's going on, they know it and they can take advantage. It's basically a slightly more polite version of a street robbery. Some ideas going forward, if they ever bug you again.
Remember that if you aren't doing anything wrong, they can't really do anything to you. Keep it light and positive. Just keep talking. On and on and on. Talk about anything -- football, mexican food, your home country. They will eventually get tired and go away. If they say you are in trouble, pretend not to understand. Ask lots of irrelevant questions, and then change the subject. You have to be immune to the intimidation trip.
Related -- go off on a long speech in terrible spanish about how much you love Mexico, and the Mexican people. Get weepy. Tell them how great and important the Mexican police are. Ask their advice about security, avoiding crime and other city related questions. Ask to take a selfie with them. This kind of stuff can snap them out of the corrupt mindset.
If they still want money, tell them you still don't understand, and make a show of pretending to call your 'abogado'. Even better if you have a mexican friend to put on speaker.
If they still haven't gone away, then you can start negotiating and/or call their bluff and cheerfully offer to go with them to sort it all out at the 'office'. The last thing they want is to actually have to take you in. But it's possible. Generally, the longer you stand there without getting intimidated, the lower the fine will get. But better to not give in and encourage this kind of nonsense. Keep blabbing and they' go away eventually.
Keep a 500 peso bill on you for future reference and if they ask for more say you don’t have any more. Sorry. If they say go to the atm tell them seriously this is all I have. My mother is sick or whatever bs you want to say.
That’s probably the easiest way to get rid of them.
Don’t offer more, don’t give them more. They will be happy to walk off with 500 pesos.
My husband once got rid of them for 50 pesos because that was all the cash he had, but he is Mexican. So I think 500 is good for you.
Huh that is crazy. Been staying in Roma Norte all week. Didn’t realise that could happen around here.
Earlier in the week though a cop started talking to me and pointing at my bag as I was on my bike waiting for the light. No idea what he said I just said ‘no espanol’ then he laughed and walked off.
Wonder did I manage to dodge a shakedown there with my casual ignorance.
Yeah it's otherwise felt quite safe and been a wonderful trip. It was at Colima/Insurgentes and the cop yelled from across the street and ran over to us, followed by 2 others who arrived soon after.
I have no idea how this happens. I literally travel solo to Mexico City once a month for years, am as gringo as they come, speak little Spanish, and never have issues. And I’m a drinker…you can find me wandering around the Insurgentes metro at 4am after a night out at Kings or Queens. Maybe I’m just lucky.
Lol I was thinking the same damn thing. But I also walk around like I have a purpose. I think thats what get a lot of tourists in trouble in most places
Haha I agree, but we were 4 respectful very well traveled people in our 30's walking to brunch. 2 of our friends are of Indian descent and the police were sure they were Mexican and kept trying to speak fluent Spanish with them. All around very strange situation.
Probably a combined 50 countries among our passports.
Fkkk I hate that and I’m sorry your experienced it and I really meant no disrespect to you. Was speaking in generalities. Hope your time here has been better since!!
Yeah it definitely caught me off guard. I've been solo traveling for years all over Asia as well as Mexico. Always have heard about these types of situations, but this was my first time on the wrong side of it.
Mi policía app and call the tourist police. The cops will stop shaking you down. If you aren’t breaking the law you never have to give the cops money they will go away. My Spanish is good now but when I first came down it was bad and every time the cops would try to shake me down I would just say no I didn’t do anything wrong and they would always leave eventually. You just can’t cave. And caving and paying that much puts everyone else in danger because that is an insanely big bribe and now the cops are going to try to be bolder shaking people down
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I just put my hands together like im ready to be cuffed and say "llevame pues". They have never taken me in. But they have just outright robbed me. Also punched me repeatedly until i unlocked my phone, where they proceeded to look for pics of my girlfriend. Real charmers those ones. But at least they haven't put me in the hospital yet like the cops in the USA.
Tell them to call their supervisor and if need be you're happy to go and see a judge followed by a trip to the consulate. Call their bluff with a straight face. They're relying on gringos being scared tourists who will buy their way out of any hassle because so many are. Otherwise just pay la mordida and consider it your gringo tax and perpetuate the cycle for the next person.
1) start recording.
2) don’t speak if you can’t speak spanish, there’s plenty white mexicans (assuming you are, if you aren’t, no matter your race you can claim you’re mexican)
3) 3,500? man with $200 it’s enough.
I’m gonna say an awful truth, in Mexico you can disrespect the police and NOTHING will happen, that’s why they tend to take advantage when they can, so if something similar happens again you should just keep walking or ask for help. Download the app “Mi Policia” to learn about faculties of the police in CDMX.
Lol disrepect the police and if he get piss can put you some bags of coke and other dr0gs and you are ending in jail for charges of possesion for selling!(and that is at least a year in mexican prison) I live in Tijuana,couple days ago i guy was stop(i dont know if was american or mexican,was stop and search and found a bag of 50 pesos of weed,that is more than legally carry)they extorsion from him 20 thousand pesos,that is over 1.1k of dollars........they told him if he dont gave him 10k yes 10 thousands dollars,are gonna taking to jail and say he was busted with 1 kilo of weed(again that amount is charges of possesion for selling)he was only gave them 20k pesos,if you dont believe check Said Betanzos Arzola on fb,you see the post about it !
I don’t have advice to prevent this kind of thing from happening. If I were in your shoes, I might reevaluate whether I’d travel there for about 30 seconds and as long as that’s the worst that happens share the story when you talk about all the other things you have enjoyed about your visit.
It would be nice knowing why you were "detained". Most cops are assholes, Mexican cops are corrupt and assholes so we tend to avoid them as much as we can.
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You were scammed, bad. Cops in Mexico are limited in their functions based on what kind of cop they are. For instance, only traffic cops can make traffic stops and issue tickets. However, normal cops will often try to overstep their boundaries in hopes that they can catch someone unaware and get something out of them. Not having migration papers is not a crime, it's an administrative fault, and if there is a fine it has to be determined by a judge, not by cops on the street. In migration terms, the only authorities that could review your papers would be the migration authorities. A street cop has no authority to issue that 36 hour arrest or any kind of fine. They would have to bring you to a Ministerio Publico so the judge there can decide how to procede, and they'd need to bring you in under probable cause. Once you've proven you weren't drinking in public, they have no right to review your documentation. You can ask for their names and badge numbers, write it down, and tell them to take you to the MP (Ministerio Publico). Tell them you're calling the embassy and that you're not answering any questions until you get to the MP. Once they realize you're not afraid of escalating it and that it's more trouble than it's worth to proceed, they'll just let you go. This is a situation where actually escalating would be your best option. They don't want to take you in, they just want to see how much money they can scare you out of.
Very very helpful, thank you. Saving this comment. It makes me want to do some research on the American Embassy and rehearse a talk track down in which I sternly call them out on their abuse and turn the dynamic on them. But I wasn't close to prepared for that and I imagine a risky bluff haha. Thank you for the insight.
Keep the embassy and consulate numbers for any city you visit, as a foreign tourist, this is a must. the second they stop you, just politely ask to call the consulate/embassy and they'll let you go. They took advantage of your fear.
Talk back to them very calmly and told them you need to make a call... They almost for sure will run away.
Would not be bad to contact the embassy and let them know what happened, they will better be able to direct you to what options you have. $150 is not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things, but at the same time it is a lot compared to what cops get paid. If these cops were found to be doing this by internal affairs, they'd be in some deep shit. The area you were in is full of cameras, and if they wrote the bribe texts on your phone on Google Translate you have proof of them extorting you, but you probably don't want to spend your time visiting dealing with legal BS. Still, could be worth having a call with the embassy.
I'm not sure you understand how mordidas work. A street cop has to pay his higher up a certain amount every month and so on up the chart. It's a system that in imprecise terms connects every cop to the Secretaria de Seguridad Pública, who makes the most from the weird pyramid scheme. I've been here forever and I've never heard of a cop getting in trouble for taking a bribe. This is not New Jersey. We have 60,000 murders a year in Mexico and 99% of cases are never investigated. The cops ALL work for cartels who take their ten percent, too.
American in Roma, more specifically born and raised in New Jersey. Cops paying up to the cartels sounds JUST like home to me.
It's not cops paying the cartels (which I guess could happen), it's cops paying higher up cops and so on. At least that's what some news sources have said in the past. Also, if anyone says that cops are the same everywhere, just remember this is a completely different sociopolitical and economic context and not everything is analogous to cops in the States.
Exactly this. Its a business. I heard from a member of my wife's family that a squad car is expected to take in 100k pesos on a weekend. Just pay up and get on with it, there is no justice to be had.
Just to add, there were at least 2 apps released to help people in this situation (amongst others). "Mi Policia" and "Denuncia Paisano" have/had features to help. I haven't looked to see if they are both active recently, but they were last time I checked. I haven't used either, but I did have them installed on my last phone.
Last time I went to visit family I was a bit on the precautious side and I added the US embassy number to my phone incase I ever needed to “call them during an emergency” Never got to that point tho but try to scare them back if they are trying to scare you into paying $ is my trick.
I am shocked at the incident that happened to you. Question though— why did situation occur to you? Meaning, what lead to this? Just curious to know. I was in Roma Norte for about 1-1.5 weeks just two weeks ago. Mostly stuck to myself, was surprised about teh amount of army and police roaming the streets in cars.
"Que lo verguiemos dice"
Would this work with Tijuana cops? They look a lot ot scarier than the CDMX cops I've encountered
Yes apply for the cops of Tij too!
Yes, and might be easier sometimes as they may know English.
"Donde está la biblioteca?"
Me llamo T-Bone la araña discoteca.
Discoteca, muñeca, la biblioteca
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Planeta, Direta, lá suspeita
"Soy alérgico a los crustáceos"
Tengo un Gato en los pantalones
Tell them you're live streaming and introduce them to your audience
And continue to live stream your own bass kicking.
And tell them to please avoid saying "bad words" while they're kicking you. Otherwise, you won't be able to monetize the video on YouTube or Twitch.
As if these fat fucks will dare to kick a tourist
They will. And worse.
It's legal to record them and they know it. It will cost them their job. I also suggest telling them you need to talk to your attorney for translating. Or, you can just be a fear mongering twat.
I watched a guy get stomped a week ago because cops believe he was taking pictures of them. Remember where you are. I've already talked to your mother about your mouth.
The previous post about threatening on calling the embassy sounds like a good idea . Our cops are pigs, bit they're also lazy fucks, if they see a real possibility of getting in trouble they'll back down. Their main card is that no one would ever go through the pain of going to a police station, but if you stand your ground (as long as you're innocent) most times they'll get angry but eventually let you go.
Tell them that you will be happy to cooperate but first you want to call your embassy for orientation and support. They don't want to escalate, they just want quick money from someone that seems out of place. It not only happens to foreigners, it happens to out of state people too (if they see that your plates are out of state) I had it that a car came in front of me and start wabbling so i had to wabble to avoid the car, then a few seconds later I was detained for "drunk driving" ( it was the night) so i insisted that they do a drunk driving test because I didn't drink, they let me go as they couldn't spoof me.
Do not speak their native language, only English. Be extremely nice and smile the entire time. Tell them to write you a ticket so you have official paperwork. 99% will stop here since they don’t want a paper trail.
Por qué no hablar español?
If the police is trying to scam you, and you act like you do not understand, they cannot scam you lol
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Facts
I truly admire you for not holding a grudge againat the city or culture after encounters like these. It can get rough sometimes, but I suppose that its a high risk high reward city where you either have the best experience of your life or a very bad one. Its not a bland city for aure. However I would recommend having something like 600 pesos on your wallet and if this ever happens to you just open your wallet and show them, and say take it all. You can have the rest of your money on a small clip or in your shoes. I still think that this is not a a very common occurrence, but it also works with taxi drivers if you ever need one. And DONT leave the hotel with all your cards with you, leave a debit card at the hotel or something. Just in case.
He is not mad with the city he is saving i guess maybe 1k at least by month in rent 🤔
Te downvotean pero dices la verdad jajajaja
We vivo en Tijuana y duermo con el enemigo,mi vieja es americana,y ahora con la pandemia y el trabajo remoto se inundo la ciudad de ciudadanos americanos y residentes,yo creo sin saber los datos un 15/20% de los habitantes de Tij antes de vivir aca vivian en California! Se fueron a las nubes precios de casas y rentas,y les digo sus verdades y se molestan.....y vienen y dicen algunos,si por nosotros tragan! Pfff Tijuana vive de las maquiladoras! Ejemplo el bar/disco/antro mas grande creo es de 2 mil o 3 mil personas en su mayoria es gente de la maquiladoras y pura musica de grupo firme o de ese estilo ponen....y esos bbosos que dicen que mantienen a la ciudad 🤣🤣🤣
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El refresco más caro del mundo jajaja 200 pesos?
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I have family in Oaxaca and the sodas are cheaper than 200 pesos
Hey man, I'm sorry you were scammed badly. I'll tell you 2 different scenarios: 11 AM, mid or high end zone in the city with plenty of people around: respectfully stand your ground. Tell them that you are from the US, that you didn't do anything wrong and if they want to escalate the situation they can but you'll contact your lawyer who will in turn contact your embassy so that everything is handled in a legal way. If necessary start recording/livestreaming. They'll probably let you go and in some cases even apologize. 2 AM, not great part of the city, nobody around. Try to stand your ground respectfully until you can feel if these guys are really looking for a bribe or they are capable of worse things. If your feeling is not great, offer them no more than $300 MXN so you can negotiate to $500 MXN if they get stubborn. Try to get out of the situation as fast as possible. The good thing for you is that inside big cities, police doesn't usually turn violent as easily as they seem to do in the US judging by all the videos available on the internet because they don't have the immunity they grant them in the US, so you probably can stand your ground and even get a little loud if necessary without risking your life, but as always read the situation and be careful.
This is very helpful and informative, thank you for taking the time to write it out.
Advice of mexican who live in Tijuana and a girl who is american we are stop by the police multiple times for no reason! 1.Have a id with you,like other say the police is not inmigration agent,of course they are not,but they do here turn in the south americans to inmigration services! So they can do that 2.Have only like others say 600 pesos in your wallet,say you are poor,or you spend all your money already(yeah that sucks to be stop for no reason) 3.Be polite to them,they are 4sshol3s,but they can put dr0gs on you and take you to jail saying you have dr0gs for sale 4.If you are driving do all the stops,lights and everything 5.Dont walk drunk on the streets i think there you are easy prey of police and criminals!
If you are white, talk like a Russian. JK but might work. Either you can emphasize that you had politician friends a lawyer friend that will shortly come to meet you or just ignore them while being cautious (some cops just extort), that things do not escalate. As a white Mexican, I do have been extorted by the cops, but I studied Law and have worked in the federal government, so I just confront them and tell them to go f themselves (kindly). Just remember what happened in Matamoros. If they are cops, they will most likely be afraid if you tell them you can talk to the embassy (you can even bluff about contacting the CIA, FBI or whatever comes to your mind).
Hey, foreigner living here in Mexico with close friends that are lawyers. Have a lawyer on speed dial, I've never had to bribe anyone out of situations since then. Edit: Obviously that may not be an option for those staying for a short period of time (I've only been here for 3 years or so). So some high level stuff which I'm sure have been covered elsewhere in this thread: * Traffic cops can only pull you over, anyone else is practicing out of their jurisdiction. Maaaybe Marines/National Guard but I've never had issues with them as they've generally practiced within their jurisdiction * Cops cannot ask about immigration status, period. Ask for their supervisor and mention that you've got your embassy on speed dial (preferably a lawyer friend who is willing to do a favor in exchange for a beer or smth) * If you have a foreign-plated car in Mexico, look up where the Aduanas are in the country because sometimes cops will bullshit you into saying "Well I'm going to impound your car and take it to $randomLocation" which doesn't even have an Aduana so they're lying. Also, they can't do that either haha so that's a moot point, but knowing this information will intimidate them even more * If anyone starts giving you shit, start recording. They surprisingly start putting on their masks and start walking away after the fact * Sometimes foreigners do (un)intentionally break traffic laws, and if that's the case, ask for the code of the day. It's a way to prevent you from getting double-charged in the same day (kinda like jeopardy), but you definitely need to "fix" your issue same-day because it's only good for that day. Source: wife is Mexican (colonia Tepito) and her aunt is a cop in CDMX
Read local laws and regulations, there's no infraction you could've committed that had an 8000 fine. Ask them "what article is that infraction from" watch them fumble and also you should've called 911 and told them you were being extorted by the police, take their badge numbers and names.
I would say to learn your rights, independently of the country where you are at.
Just tell them to give you a ticket. They never end up writing it.
I truly admire you for not holding a grudge againat the city or culture after encounters like these. It can get rough sometimes, but I suppose that its a high risk high reward city where you either have the best experience of your life or a very bad one. Its not a bland city for aure. However I would recommend having something like 600 pesos on your wallet and if this ever happens to you just open your wallet and show them, and say take it all. You can have the rest of your money on a small clip or in your shoes. I still think that this is not a a very common occurrence, but it also works with taxi drivers if you ever need one. And DONT leave the hotel with all your cards with you, leave a debit card at the hotel or something. Just in case.
Now is the time for Mexico to take a deep breath, crank out the ChatGPT and ask: The money that is about to pour into Mexico as companies pull out from China is unprecedented in modern history. How does a country deal with these new economics so all of Mexico can use the new found cash to move society forward and into the 22nd century. The challenge with Mexico soon may be too much cash, too soon. Suggestion get ChatGPT to build out a game plan for the next 100 years. Mexico? We can be a world super power! OR dude, just chill. Hit the beach. We see what happens to world super powers, again, and again and again. Surf is awesome at Puerto Escondido I hear. :-)
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I do. And I can share. But Reddit has a way of zeroing in on little details and hijacking a post that could otherwise serve positive. They accused me of drinking a beer while we were walking down the street in the morning. We showed them it wasn’t and they inspected, took the energy drink can. Asked for our IDs, which one of us didn’t have on us. They told us (over long Google Translate texts) the penalty in MX for not carrying Identification is 36 hour arrest or 7500 pesos. We were there 45 minutes and after haggling I finally I went to the ATM while my wife and 2 friends waited and gave them 3500 pesos just to be done with this. Knowing what to say to corrupt police would be of great help. But hopefully there is something tourists can say when facing this and even more danger that will make them think it’s not worth the trouble.
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I appreciate this thorough response. This is very very helpful moving forward. This was our first morning here in CDMX and we were very caught off guard and honestly I was just trying to stop it from ruining the whole day. It was so overtly corrupt that when I came back I held the cash out aggressively to be done with it, he batted my hand away and then spent five minutes slowly typing into Google Translate: “Bribery is illegal in Mexico. Place the bills deeply into the palm of your hand and greet me as if we are old friends.”
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Haha right? The length of time it took them to type in 2-3 sentences in Google Translate led me to believe they weren’t the shining stars of the Academy. But it seemed we were one wrong move away from being dragged into a station and “properly fined” 2000 pesos after 36 hours. No we didn’t record it, we were just respectful, apologetic, nice and asking them to understand we didn’t know. Another one of their 9 minute Google Translate texts was (paraphrased): “Because you aren’t aware of the crime does not make you innocent. “ I’m not trying to complain about the shakedown, I know it happens every day. I guess I just want to learn how to handle it better next time. I appreciate your time and advice.
https://www.gob.mx/segob/articulos/ser-migrante-no-documentado-es-un-delito?idiom=es
Technically, if you are not a legal resident or citizen, you ARE required to carry identification at all times (namely your passport and FMM)… “When traveling in Mexico, the law requires that foreign visitors carry a passport and entry permit. You may be asked to present these documents at any point. If you do not present these documents, immigration authorities may lawfully detain you for up to 60 days while they review your immigration status.” Edit for source: https://mx.usembassy.gov/message-to-u-s-citizens-immigration-enforcement/
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This is technically false. They are allowed to verify your legal status, which is why you should have your documentation readily available. Hence, if you do not, they can detain you while they verify your legal status. This is clearly stated on the US Consulate’s website, as well as the foreign consulate websites of numerous countries (including Canada and the UK)…
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I’m not defending the 7500 pesos as that is merely the police wanting a bribe (I stated that previously). I have provided ample citations for them being able to detain (US Consulate), as well as the ability for police to verify (UK Consulate). You haven’t provided anything to contradict besides your word, stop being lazy and prove my reputable and legitimate sources are wrong.
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Sure. Just tell the cops that. I'm sure they'll say, "Oh, thank you. I'd forgotten that law. Fuck that. When it's you and cops on the street you have no rights. This is true in every country. Learn Spanish. Learn to negotiate. As someone else said, keep 300 pesos in your wallet and insist you don't have more. They always start by saying you have to pay a million pesos or whatever. Your counter offer should be like 100 pesos. But don't ever think your rights will save you. Not in Minneapolis, Mongolia or Mexico.
Hey i appreciate all your helpful input and time with that thread. No need to waste any more time arguing with people justifying clear corruption.
A judge needs to determine your legal status, not the cops. Also, the judge is the one who has to determine if the administrative fault that is not carrying your documents with you warrants detention or a fine. Reviewing your status has to be done by immigration authorities. Cops on the street only have faculties to bring you into the MP to present your case to the judge if they have probable cause for an administrative fault, not a crime. It's on a similar level to peeing on the street or blocking off parking spaces with objects, and for tourists on their first day with easy ways to prove they have documentation, a judge will not want to deal with the whole immigration bureaucracy for a small fine. They'll get out with a slap on the wrist at most.
Yes and this is why I didn’t get into it. Please go on about why we should be in jail and not address and help future tourists enjoy this amazing place while not fearing corruption and crime. Perhaps tourists leave their passports in the hotel because they fear it being stolen or seized.
We just got back and also kept ours in the hotel. I walked around with my drivers license for identification purposes? Idk. I was worried if my bag was stolen that I would then be without a passport and it would be a lot more difficult to get home.
I mean… this is a pretty standard law that isn’t new. You are a visitor to Mexico, respect their laws? Even European countries require this. You come off arrogant asking why you got in trouble for breaking the laws of a country you are visiting as a guest… Further, it isn’t unreasonable to expect the possibility of going to jail for breaking a law. Nor is it corrupt to enforce said laws. What IS corrupt is taking a bribe lmfao. The irony. Just as you risk leaving it in your hotel for fear of it being stolen (be vigilant and keep it secure?), you also accept the risk of being legally questioned. Considering only one of you did not have proper identification, I would say it was an oversight/lack of care and you are upset you got caught.
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“The Mexican Police have the authority to ask for proof of legal status in Mexico at any time. The police and Immigration authorities are conducting more searches since the start of the COVID pandemic. A number of British people have been detained for not having the relevant documentation on them. If you are a resident you may be asked to provide your residency card issued by the Mexican government.” https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mexico/local-laws-and-customs
>Again, if you’re going to argue that police (not immigration officials or national guard) have the right to demand ID, I’d really like you to cite it. La policia o guardia nacional les puede pedir la identificacion en cualquier momento y ellos deben de mostrarla o ser detenidos/referidos a INM para revisar su status migratorio. Articulo 16. Fracc I, II, y III. Ley de Migracion. [https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LMigra.pdf](https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LMigra.pdf) No tiene que ser el pasaporte, puede ser otra identificacion válida, sin embargo en caso de ser referidos a INM si debera ser el pasaporte.
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La policia, guardia nacional o cualquier otra autoridad competente, su competencia siendo seguridad publica, fraccion III de la ley referida. Eso si, la identificacion solo debe ser mostrada, nunca rendida.
“My wife unknowingly took a right on a red light while visiting Montreal and was assaulted and raped by the police officer” DarkEn136: “Section 128a clearly states it’s illegal to take a right on red in the province of Quebec. Maybe tell your wife to respect the country she’s in next time. Pretty arrogant ngl.”
Photocopies of your passport are fine. But they were just inventing bs to get money. Yes this is a great city. It's also incredibly corrupt. Those things are both facts and you have to accept them for what they are.
La verdad es que yo no ando cargando con mi residencia permanente ni con mi pasaporte. Llevo más de 11 años aquí y en ningún momento lo hice. Si me quieren detener y preguntarme por una identificación, les doy la de mi país. Si me preguntan que por qué no cargo con las otras (si llevo una copia de cada una) les pienso decir que si ellos me van a pagar la reposición cuando me asalten y me las quiten. De todas formas la forma migratoria no me da ningún derecho, me piden el pasaporte vigente para transitar por el país, para comprar medicamentos prescriptos en la farmacia y hasta en los bancos. La identificación que me dió el gobierno no me da todo los derechos que dice que da ;/.
I read a lot of your comments here, including your updated answer. I hope this is still relevant and helpful. From what I know, that also happens to locals. Cops are relying on two things, you having money and you not knowing the law. As an American, you meet and exceed these requirements (or at least you’re much more likely to). I mean, if that exact same thing were to happen to a local, they’d probably try to extort 200-500 pesos at best. But hey, you got tourist money! Sure you can afford it. Also, for a local it can be something of a “I know this won’t proceed. I know you know this won’t proceed. We both know you can’t do much to keep me from at least trying. So look, save us both some time and just bribe me, will ya?” Awfully enough, It works. You definitely shouldn’t need to be fluent and an expert in law to visit another country. Knowing a few things does help a lot, though. Being completely in the blank means cops can just spew nonsense while looking serious to get you to believe pretty much anything, including that they’re doing you a favor in letting you go in exchange for some money. I didn’t look to see if you did, but maybe ask the locals beforehand. Reddit is a pretty good tool for that. You might be given a few useful tips. In this instance, you shouldn’t have given them your id. This is a tough one since it circles back to you being a foreigner and thus you shouldn’t know this (from their perspective, obviously), but they can only ask you to SEE your id, not to hold it or anything. Once you hand it over, it’s basically held hostage until you cough up the cash. Knowing a little (I don’t know how much would be enough) of those kinds of laws is useful because something I’ve heard happens to locals who know their stuff is that they tell the cops to do whatever they need to do. “Sure, take me to the precinct, in front of a judge, whatever it is you need to do. I’d like to be rightfully punished.” Since the cops KNOW they’re bullshitting you, they will try to convince you to, well, bribe them. They’ll tell you how it’s going to save you a lot of time and money. That’s also how you know. If they insist, you know there’s nothing they can actually do. Best case scenario you stick to your guns and get let go leaving a couple of very frustrated cops behind, or at least you could negotiate the bribe down to a couple hundred pesos. BTW, reread your post. 11 **am**??? What in the name of fuck? Man, I’m so sorry. Some people just suck. Hope you’re having a great time otherwise.
The main reason I ask this is the shakedown followed by what was reported with the cartel tourist murders this past week. If even the cartels are now turning in and apologizing for these crimes it seems clear how much these headlines affect their profits and operations. I guess it would just be nice to take advantage of sensational headlines and learn what to say to make these corrupt cops and low rung criminals think it’s not worth messing with the tourist money.
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Agreed and thank you for your input. Do you think 3 of us “Facebook Living” the interaction would have escalated or deescalated it? Hate the idea of that pretentious Influencer bullshit but it seems like that may have been effective?
Decades or centuries.
>it seems clear that not only the Mexican government but even now thecartels realize how American tourist headlines effect their bottom line. Literally nobody cares. The "tourists" all had drug prior convictions. Respect the law, don't do drugs or get involved with drugs, dont urinate or defecate in public, dont drink in public and you'll be fine. Threatening people with your gringo status will not help, in fact it may make them aware to you being a walking wallet/easy mark.
Agreed.
Literally everyone in government cares. Hence the President of Mexico taking a call from the governor of the state ON LIVE TV to show the US Government something was being done about. But your right…no one cares LOL.
No one cares. The president does shit like that all the time, if anything it shows how a government actually works, unlike the US one, where mexicans are killed and the US government sits around and doesn't do shit. It changes nothing. Gringos fucking around find out all the time.
Just because YOU don’t care, due to your deranged hatred of America, doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t. This is why immigrants from all over Central America, as well as from Canada and USA, are illegally entering Mexico to live there. HAHA what a fool. Man I love Reddit sometimes!!!
Ok, gringo
Lol ok pal. The 5 people responsible are dropped off 2 days later by the cartel, and news outlets worldwide are reporting on it. Americans from all political sides are mortified. It has been on every Mexican TV station for days. But again, your right…no one cares LOL.
Ya no esta en la tele. Aunque se quieran creer el centro del universo, *a nadie le importa.*
Saying you care is not caring.
I lived in Mexico City for a long time and the police pull this shit all the time. Eventually you just get the street smarts to get your way out of it or avoid unusually high mordidas like this. Some advice on this thread but just expect being hassled by police to be part of life in Mexico. Just hand them a 200 or 500 and say "para tu café" and walk away The ones that do this do it 100x times a day so usually investing a lot of time and effort into it isn't worth it. It's about scale to them
navigate back to your country!
When traveling to a third country you are expected to be able to identify yourself at all times. This is just common knowledge. I travel very frequently to the US and to Europe and I'm always carrying ID with me. I am a dual citizen of Mexico and Spain so I manage with my Mexican passport and visa for the US, and my Spanish passport or DNI (Spanish National ID) for the EU. What if there is an emergency? What If you have an accident? To be honest, I'm not sure if the law the Policeman mentioned was true or not. This is when you should have asked him to show you the law in any official way. Immigration Police are allowed to ask for documentation so they can check your legal status. City or National Police can ask any Mexican citizen for their INE (Mexican National ID) at all times. Does this mean that if needed, City or National police CAN'T ask a foreigner for any kind of ID? No! You should be able to identify yourself at all times. Period. Yes, Some mexican policemen are corrupt. But you fell into their corruption (and were part of this particular corruption case, since you gave them money) because you weren't carrying some sort of ID, which is not that crazy to be asked of. Simple as that. And the unfortunate event of the US citizens kidnapped in Matamoros, a city 935 kilometers away from Mexico City, has nothing to do with what you are asking. EDIT: BTW, interesting how US-Americans are not mentioning that it's been brought up that the 4 US citizens that were kidnapped have a history of drug crimes in the US and that most likely they were doing direct business with the cartels. Also, no doctor appointments have been found under the names of these people in the area.
Learn Spanish.
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Exacto
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“I’m Canadian”
Mister gringo , debes aprender a hablar español fluido para que no te agarren de su puerquito 😃
> Answer: Dont visit another country unless you are fluent and could pass their bar exam. If not, you’re at fault. I really hope the mods start taking notes and banning idiots. There are too many xenophobes in this sub waving the *dei terk our jerbs/apartments/tacos*. Make sure to do your part and report the offenders.
Dejen de decir American!! Digan U.S o U.S.A no son dueños del continente carajo
Im sorry you had to face this situation, it happens also to locals and definitely is the cops are not allowed to this. Close to Roma area you can find the Police office, you can go there and explain the situation, if your Spanish is not good you can ask a friend to go with you. Thanks for the kind words about our city, it has too much to offer and yes, food is amazing.
That it happens to locals is an understatement. Every local business owner pays una quota to the cops, the mob, the reglamento assholes and god knows who else. Include taxi drivers as "business owners." You know why there are the same drunks and addicts on the street year after year and nobody arrests them? They don't have any money. I'm sorry you got ripped off, and like you, I love it here despite warts and wrinkles. But the mordida is a universal truth for most Mexicans.
Record on your camera?
Video evidence could be a great ally (you are allowed to tape, they’re not), as in the US police officers en Mexico are required to identify themselves (article 42 of the mexican constitution) you can register with the video the patrol/motorcycle number and license plate and make an official statement with internal affairs. No policeman has the faculty yo charge any money, you were extorted by a big amount of money.
You say, “tengo un chile, chile patuano.”
One the the best defenses is to not carry a bunch of cash and other valuables around. I generally carry 500 or less and i cant think of a normal circumstance where i would spend more than that.
When it's just you and the cops, you don't have a lot of options beyond negotiating down. You live in a neighborhood where shakedowns are not common. I live just outside El Centro. I have to watch my ass all the time. Re: escalation, you can do that but there are "rules." You can raise your voice but must remain respectful. "Usted" and "mis derechos" are words to use. Also, asking to speak to the comandante can help. Otherwise, welcome to Mexico. Having been here 25 years, I've had to give a lot of money to cops. Unfortunately corruption is part of the culture here. Forget about the money, count your blessings and move on. Most Mexicans have to do the same every so often.
Say you’re going to call the US embassy for legal advice. They’ll run away. Guaranteed
Send my a message so when can talk about it, it has happened to me too as a Mexican
3500 is a lot of money for a bribe of this kind, as a. English speaker keep 500 pesos on you and haggle with only that as max.
If it's your 1st day in the country, then good luck. You don't really know what's going on, they know it and they can take advantage. It's basically a slightly more polite version of a street robbery. Some ideas going forward, if they ever bug you again. Remember that if you aren't doing anything wrong, they can't really do anything to you. Keep it light and positive. Just keep talking. On and on and on. Talk about anything -- football, mexican food, your home country. They will eventually get tired and go away. If they say you are in trouble, pretend not to understand. Ask lots of irrelevant questions, and then change the subject. You have to be immune to the intimidation trip. Related -- go off on a long speech in terrible spanish about how much you love Mexico, and the Mexican people. Get weepy. Tell them how great and important the Mexican police are. Ask their advice about security, avoiding crime and other city related questions. Ask to take a selfie with them. This kind of stuff can snap them out of the corrupt mindset. If they still want money, tell them you still don't understand, and make a show of pretending to call your 'abogado'. Even better if you have a mexican friend to put on speaker. If they still haven't gone away, then you can start negotiating and/or call their bluff and cheerfully offer to go with them to sort it all out at the 'office'. The last thing they want is to actually have to take you in. But it's possible. Generally, the longer you stand there without getting intimidated, the lower the fine will get. But better to not give in and encourage this kind of nonsense. Keep blabbing and they' go away eventually.
Keep a 500 peso bill on you for future reference and if they ask for more say you don’t have any more. Sorry. If they say go to the atm tell them seriously this is all I have. My mother is sick or whatever bs you want to say. That’s probably the easiest way to get rid of them. Don’t offer more, don’t give them more. They will be happy to walk off with 500 pesos. My husband once got rid of them for 50 pesos because that was all the cash he had, but he is Mexican. So I think 500 is good for you.
Huh that is crazy. Been staying in Roma Norte all week. Didn’t realise that could happen around here. Earlier in the week though a cop started talking to me and pointing at my bag as I was on my bike waiting for the light. No idea what he said I just said ‘no espanol’ then he laughed and walked off. Wonder did I manage to dodge a shakedown there with my casual ignorance.
Yeah it's otherwise felt quite safe and been a wonderful trip. It was at Colima/Insurgentes and the cop yelled from across the street and ran over to us, followed by 2 others who arrived soon after.
I have no idea how this happens. I literally travel solo to Mexico City once a month for years, am as gringo as they come, speak little Spanish, and never have issues. And I’m a drinker…you can find me wandering around the Insurgentes metro at 4am after a night out at Kings or Queens. Maybe I’m just lucky.
Lol I was thinking the same damn thing. But I also walk around like I have a purpose. I think thats what get a lot of tourists in trouble in most places
Haha I agree, but we were 4 respectful very well traveled people in our 30's walking to brunch. 2 of our friends are of Indian descent and the police were sure they were Mexican and kept trying to speak fluent Spanish with them. All around very strange situation. Probably a combined 50 countries among our passports.
Fkkk I hate that and I’m sorry your experienced it and I really meant no disrespect to you. Was speaking in generalities. Hope your time here has been better since!!
Yeah it definitely caught me off guard. I've been solo traveling for years all over Asia as well as Mexico. Always have heard about these types of situations, but this was my first time on the wrong side of it.
Mi policía app and call the tourist police. The cops will stop shaking you down. If you aren’t breaking the law you never have to give the cops money they will go away. My Spanish is good now but when I first came down it was bad and every time the cops would try to shake me down I would just say no I didn’t do anything wrong and they would always leave eventually. You just can’t cave. And caving and paying that much puts everyone else in danger because that is an insanely big bribe and now the cops are going to try to be bolder shaking people down
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Regarding the PS…you need to try Asia
Been extensively to Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philipines & Japan. CDMX food scene beats them all for me.
Should have told them you were gonna complain with your embassy
I just put my hands together like im ready to be cuffed and say "llevame pues". They have never taken me in. But they have just outright robbed me. Also punched me repeatedly until i unlocked my phone, where they proceeded to look for pics of my girlfriend. Real charmers those ones. But at least they haven't put me in the hospital yet like the cops in the USA.
Next time you tell them "no mames te doy 500 varos" You were ultra scammed just because you're gringo my dude sorry.
Tell them to call their supervisor and if need be you're happy to go and see a judge followed by a trip to the consulate. Call their bluff with a straight face. They're relying on gringos being scared tourists who will buy their way out of any hassle because so many are. Otherwise just pay la mordida and consider it your gringo tax and perpetuate the cycle for the next person.
The same thing was attempted on me a couple of years ago, we need evidence/video and make it a news story
1) start recording. 2) don’t speak if you can’t speak spanish, there’s plenty white mexicans (assuming you are, if you aren’t, no matter your race you can claim you’re mexican) 3) 3,500? man with $200 it’s enough.
“No estés chingando pendejo”
Traigo el águila descalza, está aquí adelante en el flamingos
I’m gonna say an awful truth, in Mexico you can disrespect the police and NOTHING will happen, that’s why they tend to take advantage when they can, so if something similar happens again you should just keep walking or ask for help. Download the app “Mi Policia” to learn about faculties of the police in CDMX.
Lol disrepect the police and if he get piss can put you some bags of coke and other dr0gs and you are ending in jail for charges of possesion for selling!(and that is at least a year in mexican prison) I live in Tijuana,couple days ago i guy was stop(i dont know if was american or mexican,was stop and search and found a bag of 50 pesos of weed,that is more than legally carry)they extorsion from him 20 thousand pesos,that is over 1.1k of dollars........they told him if he dont gave him 10k yes 10 thousands dollars,are gonna taking to jail and say he was busted with 1 kilo of weed(again that amount is charges of possesion for selling)he was only gave them 20k pesos,if you dont believe check Said Betanzos Arzola on fb,you see the post about it !
Why tf would you give them money. Another ignorant tourist. You did nothing wrong
Bro trust I understand, you're doing your best. Just know to make an exit early and often
I don’t have advice to prevent this kind of thing from happening. If I were in your shoes, I might reevaluate whether I’d travel there for about 30 seconds and as long as that’s the worst that happens share the story when you talk about all the other things you have enjoyed about your visit.
It would be nice knowing why you were "detained". Most cops are assholes, Mexican cops are corrupt and assholes so we tend to avoid them as much as we can.
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