I remember visiting Matamoros years ago.

[philip964]

http://www.chron.com/news/local/article ... 858999.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not any more. RIP

Was the old West this bad?

Oh sorry, no it wasn't, the good guys were allowed to have guns.

[RoyGBiv]

No Mexico for my family.

Rodirguez said days after the four went missing, Erica's Black Jeep Cherokee was found in a parking lot belonging to a relative of the mayor. The vehicle was returned to the family in Progreso, but there was no explanation given for how a relative of the mayor came into possession of the vehicle.

[carlson1]

We used to travel into Mexico twice a year on mission trips. We stopped that about 6 years ago. I do not even travel past San Antonio and sometimes that is to close.

[anygunanywhere]

We used to visit Del Rio and Acuña often. Right now I am leaning to Carlson's view.

[RPBrown]

My oldest daughter is a school teacher in Brownsville (her husband is with ICE and stationed down there) and her school yard backs up to the Rio Grande. She tells me they can hear shots from across the river every so often.

[StewNTexas]

Times have really changed, but not for the better.

Back in the late to mid 70's I was transferred to El Paso from Phoenix to open a new office. Many times my wife and I took our two boys to Juarez for dinner. Drive right across the river (cost .02 each), valet park at a decent restaurant.

We could all four have a nice dinner, each table was set with white cloth tablecloths, and each table had their own assigned waiter.

The overall bill was about what we would have spent on our side for four McDonalds meals with fries and drinks.

A decent tip to the waiter and a buck to the valet and we drove back North.

Now, I would not go within a mile of the border, and prefer to stay WAY away.

[Texsquatch]

I absolutely miss going to Nuevo Laredo to shop and eat. We me great restaurants that were as fancy as anything here. There was a giant HEB a little further in and that's where we'd buy our alcohol for much cheaper than tourist prices. Now, no way in hell my family is going across. And the valley doesn't feel any safer.

[Jim Beaux]

After what Mexico did to Tommy Bean (from Vidor) in the late 1990's I vowed never to visit Mexico again. The corruption there is sickening and I have absolutely no use for the place.

[rotor]

I think it must have been about 28 years ago I went there with a girlfriend. Parked on this side of the border. I believe this was about the time that they were finding a bunch of U.S. college kids in unmarked graves in Matamoros. Spent a few hours there and I can say that it was the best 10 cents I ever spent crossing back to the U.S. side of the border. Never again will I go into that country. It is just so hard to believe that on this side of the line is freedom ( relatively) and on that side of the line is corruption and who knows what. Of course, the line may be reversing itself.

[mrvmax]

I work with two guys that have family in Mexico and they will not go there anymore due to crime. I have had two customers born and raised in Mexico (not that it matters but they are both professionals) that will no longer travel into Mexico by car. If they are from Mexico and avoid going there that is a pretty good sign that I do not need to go.

[birdman253]

After what Mexico did to Tommy Bean (from Vidor) in the late 1990's I vowed never to visit Mexico again. The corruption there is sickening and I have absolutely no use for the place.

I live on the border, and any time a U.S. citizen ends up in jail for firearms or ammunition, people seem shocked and incensed that it happened.

Mexico is a sovereign nation, and their laws are different from ours. There are huge signs at every border crossing warning of the consequences of taking any firearms or ammo across the border. Yet people ignore them, get caught, and then are shocked that they are handled as per the laws of Mexico, instead of being sent back with an admonishment to "sin no more."

While jail in Mexico is certainly terrible, and I certainly would not want to end up there, I will defend the government of Mexico's right to establish their laws and legal system, and to enforce them as per their law. If you do the crime, you gotta do the time.

End of rant.

[anygunanywhere]

After what Mexico did to Tommy Bean (from Vidor) in the late 1990's I vowed never to visit Mexico again. The corruption there is sickening and I have absolutely no use for the place.

I live on the border, and any time a U.S. citizen ends up in jail for firearms or ammunition, people seem shocked and incensed that it happened.

Mexico is a sovereign nation, and their laws are different from ours. There are huge signs at every border crossing warning of the consequences of taking any firearms or ammo across the border. Yet people ignore them, get caught, and then are shocked that they are handled as per the laws of Mexico, instead of being sent back with an admonishment to "sin no more."

While jail in Mexico is certainly terrible, and I certainly would not want to end up there, I will defend the government of Mexico's right to establish their laws and legal system, and to enforce them as per their law. If you do the crime, you gotta do the time.

End of rant.

Well all righty then.

[Jim Beaux]

After what Mexico did to Tommy Bean (from Vidor) in the late 1990's I vowed never to visit Mexico again. The corruption there is sickening and I have absolutely no use for the place.

I live on the border, and any time a U.S. citizen ends up in jail for firearms or ammunition, people seem shocked and incensed that it happened.

Mexico is a sovereign nation, and their laws are different from ours. There are huge signs at every border crossing warning of the consequences of taking any firearms or ammo across the border. Yet people ignore them, get caught, and then are shocked that they are handled as per the laws of Mexico, instead of being sent back with an admonishment to "sin no more."

While jail in Mexico is certainly terrible, and I certainly would not want to end up there, I will defend the government of Mexico's right to establish their laws and legal system, and to enforce them as per their law. If you do the crime, you gotta do the time.

End of rant.

Rant? Just why are you ranting? and just what method did you use to deduce that Tommy Bean ignored warning signs? You are confused if you think extortion equals a nation of laws.

Short story:

Tommy Bean was at a gun shot in Laredo and told an employee to clean out his suv as he was crossing over for lunch.

At the border there was some loose .22 shells that had spilled under the back seat that the employee missed.

Tommy was arrested and told to pay $10K bribe. He told them to jump in a lake. Just before his trial he was once again hit up, that time for $40K. Told em to jump in a lake.

He ended up in prison and paid close to $100K before he was traded for a real felon.

[o b juan]

havent been to mexico since 2005 !
Born and Raised on the Border in the valley.
Worked and traveled in Mx from 1965 till 1982. Matamoros, Progresso, Reynosa, Nvo laredo, Piedras Negras Monclova,Saltillo, Monterry and Victoria; Sold and Installed used eqpt. in brick plants
Buying and shipping Hand made brick
Had a hunting lodge

Was never nervous traveling or being in any place in Mex.; exception would be running out of gas in the middle of nowhere.

I have observed the corruption, ethics, morals deteriorate since 65' in mexico They as a people must Take charge as our founding faters did in the almost 240 years ago.. the Same way it was done here.. VIOLENCE that is not a pretty word but it will be they only way

The problem they there is being duplicated here and in a few years we will be like them and other 3rd world countries..

What will they do and what will we.

[philip964]

I was doing my No Country for Old Men movie road trip about 5 years ago and I went to Del Rio to see the old hotel that was in the movie. I saw nothing that looked familiar, so I went into a video store to see if they knew where the scenes were shot. I got to talking with the lady at the counter about the movie, she knew it well, but said it was not filmed in Del Rio. I mentioned there were scenes on the Mexican side, she immediately asked if I was planning to cross the bridge, which was featured in the movie and I said "oh no".

She said it was not safe to cross the border. She said her last trip was a few years before. She would never go again. She mentioned the police attempting to shake their party down for money.

I figure if a brown skinned, Spanish speaking woman from Del Rio does not feel it is safe, a stupid city boy from Houston has no business in Mexico. That was five years ago. Its only worse.

BTW No Country for Old Men was filmed in Las Vegas, New Mexico. A little town worth the trip by, if you are in that area. The bridge to Mexico was a bridge that went over the rail road tracks that run through the town. The hotel is there, just like in the movie.