Baja Facts

 

(BAJABRENT’S APOLOGIES: THIS SECTION IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION/EDITING)

MEXICO:

*Mexico is home to over 110 million people;
*Mexico is home to 1 million US citizens-expatriates;
*Mexico is the # 1 travel destination of US citizens, accounting for 35 million US tourist each year.

BAJA:
*196,000 US citizens were officially registered as living in Baja Mx in 2008;
*It is estimated that 50-70,000 more are not registered but live in the “free-zone” , within 100 miles of US/CA border;
*40 million people cross the TJ/San Diego Border every year! 
*15% of them are vacationing US tourists;
*Thus 6 million US citizens visit Baja each year

                                                                            ANALYSIS

 

 Mexico has over 110 million people within her borders, upwards to 1 million US citizens, reside there making it the largest “second” home to American-citizens.  In conjunction Mexico is the number 1 tourist destination of US citizens, accounting for some 40+ million visitors/year and  is also the USA’s second largest trading partner.  

From January 1, 2003 until January 1 2009, it has been reported that “230” Americans have perished from “unnatural causes” in all of Mexico. This includes ALL DEATHS, of questionable origin in  

 

  In the last 6 years there have been 90 homicides in Baja Norte.  I have looked at each of their profiles and have the following info to impart: 1-2 appear to be tourists!  In all 6 years INCLUDING THE DRUG WAR OF 2007-2009 only 6, at most, were tourists!!!!    

As for the OTHER 84 victims, 58 cases had no documentation verifying their citizenship, residency, age, sex, hair color, etc.  Most of the cases (including all of the 8 vicitims of 2007) were found hands/feet tied, wrappend in blankets/carpet and dumped in the slums of TJ.  There was NO proof that the victims were EVEN KILLED in Baja. 

Accordingly, the other 26 cases, 20+ were US citizens (expats) living in Baja, some of which were involved in illicit activities.  But even if none were, that would be less than 5 deaths/year/300,000 or less than 2:100,000 which is less than the incident of  homicide in San Diego CA.

BUT EVEN IF we accept that every single person, alleged to have been murdered in Baja over the last 3 years WAS  a US citizen, we would discover that the number of murders of US citizens has actually DECREASED SUBSTANTIALLY in spite of the significant  so called “spike” of violence in Mexico’s drug war.

Indeed, based upon the US dept of State’s database of homicide victims in Mexico (as compiled/reported by the Houston Chronicle 2/22/09) we see the following, relevant to Baja:

                                2006: 14 dead
                                2007:  8 dead
                               2008:  4 dead

                               2009:  2 dead

 particular: all homicides, including all “Americans” who perished in the drug wars, and any/all other homicides. Therefore 230 homicides have occurred over 6 years among 1 million residents, and (on average) another 500,000 tourist/day in Mexico. 

 

RAMPING IT DOWN A BAJA:  

Baja Mexico California is home to about 200,000 registered US citizens, almost  15,000 who live in the Rosarito Beach community. Without question, there is a sizable community of “non-registered ” gringos that reside in Baja, especially in the “tourist zone” which requires no documentation, running from TJ to 100 miles south.  Some have place the number as much as 100,000 (but we will use the more conservative 50K).  

 

The Tijuana-san Diego border crossing welcomes more than 40 million crossings per year of which 15% are  estimated to be US tourists.  Accordingly, there are an additional 17,000 gringos that are in Baja Norte on any given day of the week, for whatever time period.  Add to this the cruise ships, and others listed above, and it is conceivable that @ 300,000 US citizens are in Baja on any given day of the week (200K registered; 50K unregistered;  and 50k tourists/visitors/day

 

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