I recently was assigned to oversee two company plants in Tijuana and jaurez. I suspect I will be flying to El Paso and San Diego and driving across once a month or so.
Anyone have any business experience in these areas or helpful hints?
What did you do to piss off your boss?
I haven’t driven across Tijuana in years, but my BIL until recently went to Mexico all the time to visit his mother who lived there. At Tijuana, I think your biggest problem is going to be traffic, and planning around the crowds who drive across, particularly at holidays.
Sadly, we don’t go to TJ anymore. Too dangerous.
Traffic can be crushing through the crossing especially on weekends.
I used to fly into El Paso 2 times a month to do business and while I never had the opportunity to cross the border I can tell you I would think twice about it. The traffic that came across the border and the drug runners and dealers and various other sorts of Mexican nationals that came onto U.S. soil were less than savory characters to be sure. On top of that isn’t Juarez one of the most murderous cities in the world? With all the cartel wars going on there Im not sure how safe it is. Here’s a crime and safety report from 2015 https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=17214 Good luck!
Go into Juarez on the downtown bridge, and go into USA in St. Teresa.
My company has a policy that we can only go into the plant using company provided transportation.
We are not allowed to drive into Juarez. It has been this way for 8-10 years.
The company van picks us up at 7:30AM at hotel, and then leaves the plant at 5:00PM.
I have done probably 100+ trips into and out of Juarez in the past 10 years, and never had an issue. But you never have an issue until you do. Juarez is still dangerous, but it is much better than 5 years ago.
Both of these areas are very high crime rates. Though TJ is trying to get better. It has all but died as a party destination for San Diego folks due to the violence. Juarez is worse then TJ.
Mark’s company does it the right way. As an American with no family ties to the country you don’t want to drive yourself into Mexico to visit a large factory. I hope you speak Spanish? If not you should learn real quick, it could literally save your life.
Kidnapping for ransom has slowed a bit but still going on. You’re a prime target if you work for a large company. Never go anywhere alone and always pay attention to what is going on around you. If the street is all of a sudden quiet you best get the heck out of dodge and right fast. If the usual 3 guys smoking and talking on the corner suddenly are no longer there, something is likely about to happen.
Trust no one. Not even the old innocent looking lady. NEVER ever bring anything across the boarder that someone gave you. Throw it out as soon as you can. Keep in mind lots of drugs are not in the usual power or pill form anymore. They are made into things, molded into things, and can have unusual textures.
Sounds paranoid, yes, a bit. But better to be safe than sorry.
All of the above advice, while sounding ominous is correct. Conditions in Juarez have been deteriorating recently according to my brother-in-law who lives in El Paso.
If you already have Global Entry, go back to that same website and apply for Sentri. It is designed for crossing the border and there are dedicated lanes that are shorter than the typical 3 - 4 hour wait at the border in Juarez. If you don’t have Global Entry, you still go to the same site and apply for your Sentri pass. Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection | U.S. Customs and Border Protection
https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov/goes/jsp/login.jsp
If you don’t speak Spanish, learn fast! If you don’t, you probably should be crossing the border on your own and you may not be able to find a car rental that will allow you to cross the border. If you do, you absolutely must have Mexican car insurance. If you are stopped by the policia either because they just feel like it or you actually did something, one of two things will happen. 1. You will be coerced into paying mordida (a bribe) for them to let you go or you will be taken to a police station. If, God forbid you actually damage someone or their property, you will probably go to the police station or very a very large mordida will be collected on the spot.
In my opinion informed by living in El Paso for 8 years and being married to a native El Pasoan, assume the worst. Your company should never allow you to cross the border on your own. You should have a Spanish speaking driver that has been vetted by a security company drive you to and from. You should have a Sentri pass to speed up the process too.
We do have friends that live in El Paso and cross every day but they are native Spanish speakers that grew up in the area. The border is no place to learn the ropes.
Can’t speak about Juarez, but as far as Tijuana goes it is like any other busy city. I used to travel down there for business regulary and my 70 some year old dad drives across daily for the factory he runs. He uses the Otay Mesa boarder for crossing. Also once in awhile he uses the new bridge to cross from the San Diego side to Tijuana airport to take flights out to deep Mexico. He says it’s faster to travel from there than from the airport in San Diego.
If you are aware of your surroundings and use common sense, there’s nothing to worry about. Knowing a little Spanish helps. My dad can’t speak well but he gets around.
Good luck!
Just don’'t watch the “El Chapo” documentary on History Channel right now.
Be safe, Mark.
A friend of mine has to go TJ every 3 months. He is picked up at the border by one of the company’s armored Suburbans with 2 body guards. When business is finished he’s driven directly back. Doesn’t stay overnight, nor enjoy the local cuisine and bar scene.
I agree, who the hell did you piss off.
Irrespective of the good luck some people may have had, you should not ignore the realities of these border cities. Most companies that care about the safety and security of their employees require that their employees be transported in vehicles driven by prescreened drivers that know the city, the customs, and how to react if confronted by the local policia or the federales. They drive approved routes to limit the chance they will be stopped. Car jacking, kidnapping, robbery, and worse are not uncommon in several cities in Mexico including Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana.
Safety should be your first concern. This coming from someone who lived on the border for 8 years, whose wife’s family lives in El Paso, and whose wife traveled on business to Mexico and Colombia.
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/mexico-travel-warning.html
The airport in TJ is quite easy to get in and out of, and would save time over using the border and SAN. Although SAN is a quick airport as well, in general.
My brother-in-law and his wife use the Juarez airport anytime they are flying into the interior. They have the advantage of knowing Juarez well as they have lived in El Paso all of their lives. They are also Mexican Americans and fluent in Spanish. They know exactly where to go and what to do. There were days in years past when Juarez was much safer. We use to cross to visit restaurants, bars, play golf at Campestre, buy beef, and even gasoline when it was a lot cheaper over there. We no longer go in a small group.