Surprise inspections by Mexican army in Los Algodones

  The Mexican Army set up a checkpoint Monday in Los Algodones, Baja Calif., a few yards away from the U.S. port of entry.

 According to Francisco Navarrete, director of tourism and convention center, the army has been inspecting vehicles for several hours a day as the vehicles wait to enter the United States.

   The inspections continued Tuesday, much to the surprise of the people waiting in line to cross to the United States.

   "In the 40 years that I have been here, I had never seen the army do this type of operative," Navarrete said.

 According to Navarrete, the activity was a surprise. No authorities were notified prior to the army's arrival.

 "This will hurt tourism here in Los Algodones. We do not know what their objective is, but we have begun to receive numerous complaints and concerns from the public concerning the presence of the army.

 "It could be that since there is a new general in Baja California, he could have new policies, but Los Algodones is not Tijuana; here we have worked in coordination with the public safety division successfully to assure tourists return," Navarrete said.

 As it is, tourist visits are down, he noted. Inspecting cars as they wait to re-enter the United States is a job for the American authorities, he said.

 According to Jorge Cochran, public affairs officer for the Mexican Police in Los Algodones, there was no official notification of the checkpoint, but he did say that it is a preventive activity that the army can do without any prior notice.

 "It is a federal zone, and they can do it. But this is the first time they have done this. I think they are trying to prevent trafficking to United States," Cochran noted.

 According to Navarrete there will be a meeting today in Mexicali to address the issue before the Baja California State Tourism Department, but he said "these operatives are unnecessary and are not healthy for tourism."

 "At this time we have been unable to contact anyone from the Mexican Army to explain the operative."