Disclaimer - I love Coz, been there many times, and consider it as safe or safer than many parts of L.A., my hometown. I have no fear walking around San Miguel at any time of the day or night, even the area behind the main square where most tourists don’t go. So I don’t share this to spread fear, but because it’s hard to believe. I have local friends I’ve asked if there is any scuttlebutt about this, as I think it would be pretty big news. IM Coz brings a LOT of money to the island, and I’d think they would want to put the kibosh on this. Then again, it is still MX.
Or did the guy go on a bender in MX and this was his best coverup ?
edited for spelling and to add the guy does show up in the results- however not sure where they got the 2.5 mile swim deal, especially since it wasn’t even 2.4…
I did IMCOZ in 2012 and 2013, brought my family both times and found it very safe. By contrast this story sounds farfetched. How did they get his name, his location, his phone number, his wife’s stateside phone number? And what hotel was he staying at originally that allowed a “commotion” outside of his door?
Or did the guy go on a bender in MX and this was his best coverup ?
That’s my best guess.
I mean - anything is possible - but I’ve seen it happen with my very eyes (on a surf trip). One of the guys from another group got completely wasted, disappeared, his group left, and he reappeared (long after his vacation/surf trip was over with and everyone went back home) at the resort.
Everyone told him what happened (his group thought he got kidnapped, they called the police, notified everyone, and left for home when they were supposed to) and he had some story about him hooking up with this chick in the adjacent city and losing track of time / spending all of his money. He didn’t want his wife to find out and was trying to get our group to sneak him across the border.
The next week (I’m back home by then) - the guy was “kidnapped and they were demanding ransom for his safe return”. It was national fucking news.
This guy was a cop and he didn’t call the cops himself? Seriously? For 3 days? What hotel was he staying at that he didn’t have a brilliant idea to call the front desk?
yeah, I read about this somewhere else a while ago. TBH it sounded a bit weird at the time but shit can be weird here. It is very very strange that they targeted him, during a high tourist event, so that leads me to believe that if it happened as the article states, it was not Zetas. The cartels need the tourists here to they can launder their money. They really don’t want to scare them away. Obviously cops down here generally cannot be trusted but the tourist cops can be usually.
I try to keep up with what is going on and usually all the virtual or real kidnappings involve people who “owe” or are related to those who “owe”. Obviously in other areas this is not the case, but in our area, this is pretty much the rule. So it is very disturbing that the cartel is now targeting tourists AND cops are enabling them. usually cops are pretty protective of tourists.
I’m going to post this on the local Coz forum as there are a couple guys there well entrenched into the politics over there (strangely, different enough than over here) and get their take on it and I’ll get back to y’all. I am not calling bullshit on his story because cartel makes bad mistakes sometimes but it is Very Very odd.
At least the crooks waited until after the race. “Over 3 long days, the criminals were tracking his every move…” What’s that look like?
9 am- lying in bed
10 am- sitting in bed
11 am- napping
12 pm- hobbled to dresser drawer and put on compression socks
At least the crooks waited until after the race. “Over 3 long days, the criminals were tracking his every move…” What’s that look like?
9 am- lying in bed
10 am- sitting in bed
11 am- napping
12 pm- hobbled to dresser drawer and put on compression socks
"Or did the guy go on a bender in MX and this was his best coverup ? "
Did anyone else catch the part in the article where it states he was approached by cops **and a woman **to let him know they were serious? Female Zeta to show you they are serious, riiiiight. I wouldn’t be surprised if what was left out of the news story(maybe on purpose so he can backtrack later if need be) was how that woman was his “handler” while he was holed up in that second hotel for those couple of days.
Thanks Kathy. I’m down annually and have never heard of this kind of BS. I’ve wandered all around the city but not late at night as I tend to be back at the hotel by evening. But, the story sure seems more like an Urban Legend than anything else.
Still coming down in February, a week on Coz and a week on the mainland. REALLY looking forward to it as I look outside at the snowstorm happening today. Local ski hill is 14cm in the last 24 hours and the snow continues - that’s good news, thankfully I can work from home on these kinds of days.
Thanks Kathy. I’m down annually and have never heard of this kind of BS. I’ve wandered all around the city but not late at night as I tend to be back at the hotel by evening. But, the story sure seems more like an Urban Legend than anything else.
Still coming down in February, a week on Coz and a week on the mainland. REALLY looking forward to it as I look outside at the snowstorm happening today. Local ski hill is 14cm in the last 24 hours and the snow continues - that’s good news, thankfully I can work from home on these kinds of days.
two local sources (one on island) have said their information shows it was made up. I’ll post more if I get it.
well, it seems to be curiously holding up. the press isn’t usually to be trusted, but lots of info out there. http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=359532
seems like it did actually happen and now apparently Hotel Flamingo has phones. The part I doubt, however, is that there were people connected outside his hotel room. I think it was all virtual until he made contact. We all know down here to never answer a number we don’t recognize. I feel sorry for the guy and Cozumel needs to do some serious damage control on this.
