Getting closer to the Baja season, but... I really hate to say it... and have been mentally struggling over this for the past few months...
At this point in time, I personally don't think a trip such as this is safe to do in Baja
Extortion, theft, police corruption, even kidnapping has been a serious problem South of the border for as long as I remember. I have always considered it a risk worth taking (I love Baja). Over the past year, bad things have been happening at an accelerating pace and American tourist (surfers and off roaders in particular) seem to now be the target.
Without going into too much detail, a very close friend of mine was recently pulled from his truck at gun point, dragged to the edge of a cliff, and told to kneel down execution style. he lived, lost two trucks, one motorcycle, and all their camping and surfing gear. This was 10 minutes South of the border.
I tried to shrug it off and tell myself it was just a fluke.
After that the stories of carjackings increased, heavily armed, violent and well organized.
I can
sortof handle the thought of losing valuables to theft. Worth the risk? Dunno. The deal killer for me was a recent robbery of campers several hours South on the beech (Quatros Casas). Robbed at gunpoint in the middle of the night, and raped his girlfriend. Too much for me to stomach.
I have decided that I absolutely will no longer bring my wife (or kids) South. I also will not bring anything to Mex that I would not be completely willing to hand over, in the event of gun-to-head.
I'm not sure about motorcycle trips. I can replace the bike and backpack if need be. Just not sure if the risk is too high right now. I've scheduled a 300 mile moto trip Dec 15th, seriously considering cancelling
Anyways, I'm not going to bring my Jeep to Mex, and would not recommend planning such a trip until things change down South.
Sucks...