Post by dT on Sept 30, 2015 11:25:49 GMT -5
These comments are mostly to help visitors to southern Arizona who are coming from outside the USA. There are visitors here from Germany and other places who like to visit the Apache areas in Arizona, including the Chiricahua Monument and the Cochise Stronghold. Local people who live in the south of Arizona already know this information.
If you are exploring in the Chiricahua Mountains or the Dragoon Mountains - BE CAREFUL ! The main tourist spots, the Chiricahua Monument and the Cochise Stronghold are usually very quiet. I have always found them to be safe, and I have never had any problems there. I was last there a few weeks ago ... all was good.
The Chiricahua Mountains are an active route for drug smugglers who are moving illegal drugs from Mexico. The smugglers use the same routes that Geronimo used a long time ago - bringing loads of illegal drugs at NIGHT. Drug smugglers travel on both the west and the east sides of the mountain range. In addition, drug "scouts" occupy some mountain tops to act as lookouts. You will not see these people - they are very carefully concealed. But they are there. This is not a trivial issue. It is believed that the number of drug scouts on the Arizona mountains is at least 200-300 people, and could be substantially higher. These drug lookouts are located on many hills and mountains in southern Arizona, especially within 100 miles of the USA-Mexico border (i.e. the drug corridors). US law enforcement is very aware of this, but it is very difficult for law enforcement to catch these people in the rugged terrain. Usually, the drug smugglers will NOT bother tourists - because they want to keep a low profile. But you should avoid going into the mountains alone, and definitely not at NIGHT. Avoid driving on the dirt roads that go into isolated canyons of these mountains, unless you are accompanied by a local person who knows the area. If you travel on isolated dirt roads in the canyons, you can guarantee that you are being watched. If you see any suspicious activity, LEAVE immediately. Do not confront people directly, and do NOT use a cell phone immediately. Report the problem after you have left the area and you are safe.
I do not know of any incidents that have affected tourists. But in 2013 a woman park ranger at the Chiricahua Monument was attacked by a man suspected as being a Mexican drug scout. The female ranger was beaten and badly injured (but not killed). The attacker stole her vehicle, and used it to escape to the town of Douglas on the border. It is believed that he escaped over the border.
These comments should not discourage anyone from visiting the Apache areas, but stay in the main locations where there are other tourists. Do not become isolated, and definitely do not be in the wilderness areas after dark. Stay with the safety of other people, and you should be perfectly fine.
dT
If you are exploring in the Chiricahua Mountains or the Dragoon Mountains - BE CAREFUL ! The main tourist spots, the Chiricahua Monument and the Cochise Stronghold are usually very quiet. I have always found them to be safe, and I have never had any problems there. I was last there a few weeks ago ... all was good.
The Chiricahua Mountains are an active route for drug smugglers who are moving illegal drugs from Mexico. The smugglers use the same routes that Geronimo used a long time ago - bringing loads of illegal drugs at NIGHT. Drug smugglers travel on both the west and the east sides of the mountain range. In addition, drug "scouts" occupy some mountain tops to act as lookouts. You will not see these people - they are very carefully concealed. But they are there. This is not a trivial issue. It is believed that the number of drug scouts on the Arizona mountains is at least 200-300 people, and could be substantially higher. These drug lookouts are located on many hills and mountains in southern Arizona, especially within 100 miles of the USA-Mexico border (i.e. the drug corridors). US law enforcement is very aware of this, but it is very difficult for law enforcement to catch these people in the rugged terrain. Usually, the drug smugglers will NOT bother tourists - because they want to keep a low profile. But you should avoid going into the mountains alone, and definitely not at NIGHT. Avoid driving on the dirt roads that go into isolated canyons of these mountains, unless you are accompanied by a local person who knows the area. If you travel on isolated dirt roads in the canyons, you can guarantee that you are being watched. If you see any suspicious activity, LEAVE immediately. Do not confront people directly, and do NOT use a cell phone immediately. Report the problem after you have left the area and you are safe.
I do not know of any incidents that have affected tourists. But in 2013 a woman park ranger at the Chiricahua Monument was attacked by a man suspected as being a Mexican drug scout. The female ranger was beaten and badly injured (but not killed). The attacker stole her vehicle, and used it to escape to the town of Douglas on the border. It is believed that he escaped over the border.
These comments should not discourage anyone from visiting the Apache areas, but stay in the main locations where there are other tourists. Do not become isolated, and definitely do not be in the wilderness areas after dark. Stay with the safety of other people, and you should be perfectly fine.
dT
