Stopped by Federales @ GDL Airport Today

Departing from Airport today, federales pulled me over, checked FM3, Automobile documentation, Insurance etc. They were checking all Foreign plated vehicles. FYI, make sure you have all required documents in your glovebox.

[quote="Jim W"]Departing from Airport today, federales pulled me over, checked FM3, Automobile documentation, Insurance etc. They were checking all Foreign plated vehicles. FYI, make sure you have all required documents in your glovebox. [/quote]

Well, Jim, I must say that, as an "inmigrado", I never, while within the confines of Metropolitan Guadalajara, including the airport, ever carry my immigration papers and I am surprised to hear that what you call the "federales" pulled you over to check your papers including your visa. automobile papers, insurance and all of that stuff. That astonishes me. Of course, I drive a Mexican plated car and have a Mexican driver´s license so maybe I would not have an experience such as yours- What I don´t understand is that I am informed that only immigration authorities can demand your immigration papers and I find it hard to believe that the federales would demand immigration papers or your insurance papers in the absence of your having been involved in an accident of note.

I have lived in Mexico for some ten years, first as an FM-3 then an FM-2 and now as an inmigrado and I have traveled all over Mexico in that time including some very hairy areas down south and for years with California plated vehicles and nothing even remotely like that has ever happened to me.

Whatever happened to Jim; if I were the readers of this forum I would not lose sleep over even the remote notion this would happen to me in this country. This ain´t the United States or some such place.

I beg to differ with those who say only aduana can check your car papers. It is my belief that all law enforcement charged with enforcing traffic laws may inquire if a vehicle is legally on the road. To state otherwise would impede and obfuscate enforcement of the law and mock and emasculate the importation laws as aduana is only at points of entry and airports and never on the highways

hound dog wrote:[quote="Jim W"]Departing from Airport today, federales pulled me over, checked FM3, Automobile documentation, Insurance etc. They were checking all Foreign plated vehicles. FYI, make sure you have all required documents in your glovebox.

Well, Jim, I must say that, as an "inmigrado", I never, while within the confines of Metropolitan Guadalajara, including the airport, ever carry my immigration papers and I am surprised to hear that what you call the "federales" pulled you over to check your papers including your visa. automobile papers, insurance and all of that stuff. That astonishes me. Of course, I drive a Mexican plated car and have a Mexican driver´s license so maybe I would not have an experience such as yours- What I don´t understand is that I am informed that only immigration authorities can demand your immigration papers and I find it hard to believe that the federales would demand immigration papers or your insurance papers in the absence of your having been involved in an accident of note.

I have lived in Mexico for some ten years, first as an FM-3 then an FM-2 and now as an inmigrado and I have traveled all over Mexico in that time including some very hairy areas down south and for years with California plated vehicles and nothing even remotely like that has ever happened to me.

Whatever happened to Jim; if I were the readers of this forum I would not lose sleep over even the remote notion this would happen to me in this country. This ain´t the United States or some such place. [/quote]

Intercasa wrote:I beg to differ with those who say only aduana can check your car papers. It is my belief that all law enforcement charged with enforcing traffic laws may inquire if a vehicle is legally on the road. To state otherwise would impede and obfuscate enforcement of the law and mock and emasculate the importation laws as aduana is only at points of entry and airports and never on the highways

This is correct that other law enforcement officials can check your paperwork. But, by law only the policía fiscal which are the enforcement arm of the SAT, are authorized to impound a foreign plated vehicle whose papers are expired. To say that they are never on the highways is incorrect. You may not see them often, but they do set up checkpoints along the highways from time to time. For years along some routes coming from the border, they had permanent checkpoints well inside the border free zone.

That is correct, I know because I was stopped too out of Colombia, not recently though.

Out at the coast last year the Army stopped me in a moving "checkpoint". I had the SUV loaded down with travel and camping gear and began to open the back to show them and let them inspect whatever they cared to see but this time they were only interested in my papers, which seemed odd to me based on previous experiences.

I had enough things in order to satisfy them but carried copies of all the documents with the originals at home in Morelia and told them so. The soldier conducting the check took a lighter tone when he realized I lived in Mexico and was not a tourist, thanked me, then let me go on.

Since then I have heard other tales and some with less happy endings about people that were staying on expired tourist visas. My new fm3 is a card and no longer a booklet and I am told I am expected to carry it at all times.

I am not sure who has what authority to do whatever but it seems apparent that this is something they are concerned about now. Something different than people's past experiences with Mexican authority.

Peter ~ I applaud your diplomatic prowess. How well put. Lizzy

Our new "Inmigrado" cards are also supposed to be carried at all times but, to complicate matters, we also have papers designating us as of inmigrado status and we have been told that the original of the inmigrado status document is the overriding document in the original and that copies of said letter are not sufficient to prove that status. Without that original document we are supposed to be toast. I´ll tell you what - we never carry that inmigrado card about town with us - ever - but show our Mexican driver´s licenses in lieu if ever stopped by the cops while driving about Jalisco. Never any problem in 10 years down here. Now, if we drive back down to Chiapas, we always have our inmigrado card with us because this is a fact - when you are driving down the road in Southern Mexico and the army or federal guys are imposing a roadblock - you do not wish to mess with them and tha is a fact. Those sumbitches just mowed down two young native sons of Tabasco near Villahermosa last week and they remain on edge. When you are on the road in Mexico, have your documents on hand. Near home in Metropolitan Guadalajara don´t worry about it. Just whip out your Mexican driver´s license.