Acapulco

[Acapulco Flores]

Since I am a local of Acapulco I can not talk about specific tour operators and I can not pitch specific companies. I must speak in general terms about Acapulco and companies.

 

In very general terms and very plain English I want to say there are hundreds if not thousands of tour operators in Acapulco and a couple have learned how to post their own reviews on message boards and somehow get away with it.

 

Almost all cruise lines have canceled stops in Acapulco and Mazatlan. The Panama canal ships stop in Acapulco mostly because they need to.

 

Very few people are getting off of the ships and most that do use ship arranged tours. The murder rate in Acapulco is off the charts recently. I have watched as it has become progressively worse over the years.

 

You will see posts that say, "If you want to be safe, use this tour operator."

You may read posts that say, "They took us to the places that tourists never see."

 

Let me cut through the myths here:

 

 

• All tour operators follow the same routes
  
• All tour operators go to the same places
  
• No tour operator can keep you safe.
  
• All tours must currently pass areas that are very dangerous (Drug dealers)
  

Any tour operator that takes tourists to areas that are not in the tourist zone is trying to get people hurt or kidnapped or killed.

 

Do not think for a minute that your life is currently of more value to a tour operator than a plate of Tacos.

 

Think about this, when trying to sell a pack of cigarettes you do not tell people how wonderful lung cancer is. You sell a pretty package and advertise how fabulous they are.

 

Do not believe all that you read about tour guides, while some comments are genuine - IMO many are obviously fabricated.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

I just saw this come across my desk:

 

Mexico Security Memo: The Battle for Acapulco

June 1, 2011 | 1808 GMT

 

Escalating Violence in Acapulco

Cartel violence and law enforcement operations spiked in Acapulco, Guerrero state, during the last week of May. On May 23, the severed head and decapitated body of a man were found in an abandoned vehicle next to the Malibu Hotel in the heart of Acapulco’s tourism district. Several body parts, including ears, were reportedly missing from the scene. The next day, federal police raided a condominium in the city’s Joyas Del ***** neighborhood and arrested eight members of a cell of Sinaloa hit men operating in Acapulco.

On May 29, a firefight broke out when gunmen in a convoy opened fire on an Acapulco municipal police car, reportedly killing two officers and two bystanders. Federal police responded to the scene and then tracked down the convoy, resulting in a second shootout in which three gunmen were killed. On the same day the body of a gunshot victim was found in one of Acapulco’s residential areas. Verifiable information is scant, but it appears that at least 30 killings were attributed to cartel activities in the greater Acapulco area between May 26 and May 30.

The battle for Acapulco and its vital seaport is escalating. As we have discussed, the seaport is the primary asset being fought over in Acapulco and would translate into control of methamphetamine production in Mexico — bulk shipments of the necessary ingredients originate in China, India and Bangladesh. The Sinaloa cartel has been in the business of large-scale methamphetamine production and distribution and already controls the ports at Colima and Mazatlan. It is therefore likely that, with La Familia Michoacana (LFM) busy battling the Knights Templar, Sinaloa expects at some point to be able to corner the methamphetamine market — a market in which LFM has been the dominant supplier.

[Acapulco Flores]

I just saw this come across my desk:

 

Mexico Security Memo: The Battle for Acapulco

June 1, 2011 | 1808 GMT

 

The battle for Acapulco and its vital seaport is escalating. As we have discussed, the seaport is the primary asset being fought over in Acapulco and would translate into control of methamphetamine production in Mexico — bulk shipments of the necessary ingredients originate in China, India and Bangladesh. The Sinaloa cartel has been in the business of large-scale methamphetamine production and distribution and already controls the ports at Colima and Mazatlan. It is therefore likely that, with La Familia Michoacana (LFM) busy battling the Knights Templar, Sinaloa expects at some point to be able to corner the methamphetamine market — a market in which LFM has been the dominant supplier.

 

This makes perfect sense to me and this is why:

 

Almost all items such as t-shirts and cheap plastic souvenirs that say "Made in Mexico" are actually made in China and shipped with the "Made in Mexico" labels.

 

A never ending supply of designer knockoff items shipped from China are distributed from the Acapulco Port. The items are supposed to be destroyed but obviously are not and someone IS ordering these shipments.

 

Acapulco has a privately controlled port and unrealistic volume of illegal knockoff items. It is not uncommon to see items labeled Dolce & Gabbana, Izod, Addidas, Nike; etc. (note: you can not bring knock off items into the USA; it is illegal so don't buy them when on vacation).

 

It makes sense to me that Acapulco would be a target port for chemical shipments simply due to the fact that they allow so much illegal merchandise to flow freely into Acapulco and Mexico already.