There have been recent kidnappings of American Citizens in TJ. Doe anyone know if these problems have happend to anyone mongering at Adelitas or the Alley?

Almost all kidnappings in TJ or most of the rest of Mexico for that matter, are directed at successful Mexicans who have achieved somewhat better than average financial status and are perceived as able to pay ransom. A smaller percentage are drug related. Targeting average Joe American tourist with that particular crime is almost unheard of. Any American citizens who have been kidnapped are most likely associated with the former two groups in some way. American citizens of Mexican decent with some money, who still have strong business and/or family ties in Mexico. These folks are legitimately quite afraid of kidnapping. And of course those involved in drugs in some way are asking for trouble. But the average tourist could get shaken down, outright robbed, ect. ect. but is pretty damned unlikely to get kidnapped for ransom.

I will take exception to the "successful Mexicans who have achieved somewhat better than average financial status" part. They target people who can pay big money, and it is often thought they have some "bank" connections to know what kind of money is readily available.

True though the American tourist need not worry. They know who they are targeting well ahead of time and don't take anyone randomly.

I personally know two San Diego Mexicans who have had family kidnapped back in Mexico. In one case a cousin of a co-worker who was the son of a wealthy ranch owner who has thousands of acres outside of Guadalajara. That one ended poorly. Ransom was paid and the guy was released but not before he suffered some permanent injuries. Classic case of rich family gets targeted.

But the other guy, the father in law of an associate of mine is a US green card holder and had at one time owned two restaurants in San Diego that have long since failed. He now runs a small taco stand type restaurant in Tecate and rents a house there. He is up to his eyeballs in debt as are all the rest of his family. They basically have long since borrowed every cent they could from anywhere and anyone who would ever loan them any money. Doesn't own a shred of property on either side of the border. However his relatives here presume he liked to shoot his mouth off and brag about how he used to own restaurants in San Diego and someone figured he had money. He was held for about a day and a half before they figured out they were actually holding a pennyless deadbeat. In the end they robbed him of about 2000 Pesos which is all he could come up with and let him go unharmed.

Maybe it is just the Mexicans I know in San Diego but they are talking about ALOT of kidnappings of family members of Tecate land owners. Not rich people but people who own small ranches or land outside of Tecate. The opinion is that kidnapping is rampant there. Modest ransoms are usually paid and they are rarely reported to authorities. And that authorities basically do nothing if they are reported.

The only example I am knowledgeable of supports Sancho's comment (Sampson took exception, but then essentially offered the same scenario).

We all remember the farmacia that used to be titled in huge neon letters across from the taxi stand (= CASTANEDA). Mr Castaneda used to defiantly refuse to pay extortion money from the thugs who offer protection (whatever that means). Mr C claimed he could get released from jail in 2 hours if wrongly jailed. He had a good attorney.

The reason he no longer does business next to McDonald's is that he was taken for a ride, riddled with bullets, and dumped along a ditch.

Tragic!

Probably explains why it's hard to find a border farmacia that is not a hustler operation.