16 Killed in Acapulco

[Hoseman]

ACAPULCO, Mexico – Soldiers fought for two hours with armed men apparently holding police hostage at a house in Acapulco, leaving one soldier and 15 gunmen dead, a military official said Sunday.
Three soldiers and three Mexican bystanders were wounded. Several Mexican tourists were evacuated from small hotels in the old Acapulco neighborhood, which was once popular with Hollywood stars but has since become run-down.
The gunbattle erupted Saturday night when soldiers received a tip about the presence of armed men at a gated house, said an army colonel who led the operation and spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
The gunmen opened fire and hurled some 50 grenades at soldiers who arrived at the house, according to the colonel, who wore a ski mask as he led reporters through the scene.
Several gunmen tried to flee, but crashed their car into a Humvee blocking the gate. At one point during the fighting, armed men with grenades arrived in a car to reinforce the gunmen in the house, but they died in the shooting, the colonel said.
Soldiers found four Guerrero state police officers handcuffed inside the garage of the house, the colonel said. The officers, who were still bound and sitting the floor when reporters arrived, said they were being held captive by the gunmen, the colonel said.
The soldiers did not know the police were inside when the shootout began, and the colonel said their claims would be investigated.
"We found them like this, handcuffed, and they say they were kidnapped. So, if they were kidnapped, as they say, then we rescued them," the colonel said, pointing to the four men.
Residents cowered inside their homes and several small, low-cost hotels while the fighting lasted.
When the shooting subsided, several people too scared to stay in the area were evacuated in an ambulance.

[Jimmydr]

Me and my wingman cancelled our trip to this place.

[Hoseman]

Me and my wingman cancelled our trip to this place.You've been saying it's worst than Columbia.

[Jimmydr]

You've been saying it's worst than Columbia.


Thats what I have been saying for months.

[Elvis]

You've been saying it's worst than Columbia.

Oh, Mexico is the Colombia of the 80/90's ! Too much shit going on in different parts of Mexico

[Jimmydr]

Oh, Mexico is the Colombia of the 80/90's ! Too much shit going on in different parts of Mexico

But the State department doesn't issue any warnings about the dangers!

[Elvis]

But the State department doesn't issue any warnings about the dangers!

I know ! You hear about expats getting robbed in Baja California, kidnappings all over the country, people getting murdered all over in Northern Mexico because of the drug wars, etc..

Maybe this is why the US is helping the Mexican government with money and aid to combat the drug trade, before they start issuing State Dept warnings - which I find ironic, because they love to give negative reports about Venezuela than Mexico.. :D

[Jimmydr]

I know ! You hear about expats getting robbed in Baja California, kidnappings all over the country, people getting murdered all over in Northern Mexico because of the drug wars, etc..

Maybe this is why the US is helping the Mexican government with money and aid to combat the drug trade, before they start issuing State Dept warnings - which I find ironic, because they love to give negative reports about Venezuela than Mexico.. :D

Colombia's safety blows away Mexico at the moment.:iconTU:

[Hoseman]

I know ! You hear about expats getting robbed in Baja California, kidnappings all over the country, people getting murdered all over in Northern Mexico because of the drug wars, etc..

Maybe this is why the US is helping the Mexican government with money and aid to combat the drug trade, before they start issuing State Dept warnings - which I find ironic, because they love to give negative reports about Venezuela than Mexico.. :D
Maybe it's because we use so many workers from there and we have shipped somany jobs there.The Politicians don't want to rock the boat.

[Hoseman]

When your A Drug Dealer it's nice to have your best Customer next door.I guess our Economies are too intertwined.

[Elvis]

Maybe it's because we use so many workers from there and we have shipped somany jobs there.The Politicians don't want to rock the boat.

You're right, it's because there's too much commercial trade between the countries !

Even a lot of workers from US companies are complaining about the violence in Northern Mexico !

I read in the BBC (yeah, imagine that I read American news thru the BBC) that American employees working in Mexican soil normally have to adjust their work schedule and route on a daily basis, to avoid kidnapping ! They even change the time/day when checks are issued for all employees to avoid thefts.

[Kevy]

You're right, it's because there's too much commercial trade between the countries !

Even a lot of workers from US companies are complaining about the violence in Northern Mexico !

I read in the BBC (yeah, imagine that I read American news thru the BBC) that American employees working in Mexican soil normally have to adjust their work schedule and route on a daily basis, to avoid kidnapping ! They even change the time/day when checks are issued for all employees to avoid thefts.


it is too dangerous for american reporters to go there:rofl:

[yayow]

Too many places in this world are becoming way too motherfucking dangerous for my black ass. I am going to stay right where I am!!

[curiousdude]

Even though it doesn't appear on the main page for travel warnings, there is still a US State Department "travel alert" in effect for Mexico (Feb. 2009)http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_4491.html. There's also a travel warning for Colombia (from March 2009) still in effect (and on the main travel warning page) http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_941.html

Of course the state department has never been an unbiased source of information on conditions in other countries. Countries out of favor (Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela, etc.) are always going to find their dangers exaggerated, while US "friends" will often see their dangers minimized.

But Colombia and Mexico are "friends". I'd say these warnings have to be taken somewhat seriously. The US govt. does want to cover its ass as best it can with tourists going abroad. That drug business is some pretty dangerous shit. But it ain't keeping me out of Colombia!

[mikelodge]

Too many places in this world are becoming way too motherfucking dangerous for my black ass. I am going to stay right where I am!!

Ok guys I can help on this one a little. I was in Acapulco in April and had no trouble. The one place I would not go that I normally do is Mazatlan or for that matter anywhere in Jalisco Province as this is the where the biggest drug problems are with the exception to the border towns. The shootings as they stated occured in Old Town which is call Caleta and when they refer to Hollywood ect. they mean yes John Wayne used to have a home there on the water and you can still go see it. The Caleta hotel on the point in the 80's was actually booked by US tours then everything in Old Town fell off the grid. I have stayed there in the 80's and early 90's with no problems. I fact in 99 I took my girlfriend down there to take the glass bottom boats out to Rochetta Island (spelling unsure but I thing means rock). The majority of all the prime hotels in Acapulco are in the middle of the bay south of the underpass with the market on top that separates the area near the start of Old Town from the tourist area. There even used to be a Radisson right before the underpass although they bailed to locals 15 years ago. I know this city and it is still tourist safe if you stay on the Aleman Blvd. in the main zona hotelera. There are also the big resorts south of town like the Princess past where Stallone has a house and filmed Rambo. Disco Beach was one of the most fun top side street bars with the disco and beach bar below that I ever have had the pleasure of spending a decade plus at. My same advice I gave for the Honduras Post whether there in ACA or Honduras or Bluefields or the Corn Islands of Nicaragua. Stay away from well dressed groups of people traveling or just being together in isolated areas and in towns that seem to be with a larger than normal group and getting extra service. There is a reason.
I know what I am talking about and have done business in these areas for years and know the difference between staring (dangerous) looking too much (questionable) and not looking scared and when eye contact is made a quick smile and light nod then look back at what you are doing. After awhile you will be surprised how many you will get to know indirectly somehow over the years. Many are just harmless businessmen trying to walk the walk.