Mexico

[contrails]

The Mexico I’ve known and loved for years is gone.  I own a vacation home in Puerto Vallarta and never really feared the cartels as generally they left the resorts areas and gringos alone but yesterday that has all changed. Just got off the phone with a caretaker down there and a bomb was set off not to far from my place with some locals reported as casualties. Or a car was torched and exploded….can’t get good intel. Having spent years in Mexico I will say that the detente between the government and cartels has slowly been eroding over the years and in my opinion this will only get worse. I write this only to warn people to avoid going anywhere down there for the foreseeable future. For myself, I’m out. Going to sell and will never return. 

[Audrey Astor]

I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this first hand. We are glad that you were not there yedterday. 🙏 Not to take from this tragedy, but it just seems like the entire world is angry and ready to erupt any minute. It’s definitely not a comfortable time. This was not on our being an adult in the USA card or anything we could have predicted for our country/world. Be safe. 

[mj76]

3 hours ago, Audrey Astor said:

I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this first hand. We are glad that you were not there yedterday. 🙏 Not to take from this tragedy, but it just seems like the entire world is angry and ready to erupt any minute. It’s definitely not a comfortable time. This was not on our being an adult in the USA card or anything we could have predicted for our country/world. Be safe. 

Is it just me or does it seem like the entire planet lost their damn minds after covid? It's been so crazy the last few years and it's very sad to see these things happening all of the world. 

[TheMouth]

I have some friends that live in Poncho Villa and about a decade ago when he was returning from USA, there were 3 severed heads on poles at the junction before his home. I asked if he was scared and he said no because he was friends with the cops, I said the cops arent afraid of the cartel ,he laughed and said they are the cartel ! The more you know.......

[Kali Sensual Reiki]

My 88 year old mom  just returned from a trip to Mazatlan. This is very scary news.

[boink36]

Not sure I believe this.................................

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/worldcup/2026/02/24/world-cup-mexico-games-2026-games/88841979007/

[contrails]

On 2/23/2026 at 6:24 PM, TheMouth said:

I have some friends that live in Poncho Villa and about a decade ago when he was returning from USA, there were 3 severed heads on poles at the junction before his home. I asked if he was scared and he said no because he was friends with the cops, I said the cops arent afraid of the cartel ,he laughed and said they are the cartel ! The more you know.......

So true. I finally sold my place down there but took a significant hit financially on it. It just was not worth it any longer.

[Bit Banger]

Last week the State Dept. put Reynosa on a ‘do not travel’ list.  I live 10mi from Reynosa!😱

In the 9 years I’ve lived in the RGV I’ve never been there. Told that both it & Matamoros were too dangerous.  We cross into Nuevo Progresso for shopping, pharmaceuticals, and dental work.  A small section of town (about 6-8 blocks) are considered safe due to a ‘treaty’ with the cartels.

BTW, the strip clubs do have back room facilities.  Last time I checked it was about 1/2 US rates.

[Happymon]

I've got multiple channels into sport fishing down there, and for the past year, serious shakedowns by immigration have been escalating at an alarming rate. No bueno.  

[contrails]

On 5/3/2026 at 0:06 PM, Bit Banger said:

Last week the State Dept. put Reynosa on a ‘do not travel’ list.  I live 10mi from Reynosa!😱

In the 9 years I’ve lived in the RGV I’ve never been there. Told that both it & Matamoros were too dangerous.  We cross into Nuevo Progresso for shopping, pharmaceuticals, and dental work.  A small section of town (about 6-8 blocks) are considered safe due to a ‘treaty’ with the cartels.

BTW, the strip clubs do have back room facilities.  Last time I checked it was about 1/2 US rates.

Matamoros……always reminds me of the satanic cult killings in the late 80 ‘s. Almost all of my Mexico visits were in PV before I bought my place. There has always been a similar arrangement with the cartels there but it seems like all bets are off now. I’m still glad I sold my place as my feelings things are going to get volatile again. 
 

There were a few off the beaten path strip clubs in PV but I avoided them…when I went down to it was my decompression time. Beach, sun and rest. I’m looking at some property in Costa Rica now. Oh well things change, I was just glad to get out of my place in PV 

[contrails]

18 hours ago, Happymon said:

I've got multiple channels into sport fishing down there, and for the past year, serious shakedowns by immigration have been escalating at an alarming rate. No bueno.  

Yep. I used to fly my airplane down to PV and the airport fee shakedown charges were non existent until a couple of years ago. I got to know the guys quite well in customs and immigration. The last time I visited, one officer I knew actually, apologized and nodded his head towards some new guy with obvious rank and shook his head as I handed over the additional “fees” 
I also started worrying about security and having the airplane ripped off by the cartels. That wasn’t a concern until last year because I was “known” but my friend mentioned to be careful. I ended up disabling both engines everytime I parked. At one point I finally said to myself this is getting fucking ridiculous.

Edited May 9 by contrails