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Off-road trip full of surprises

dondonbabyraptor

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Hello friends,

Warning: a long long story about my off-road adventure last night. Involves border patrol, illegal immigrants, NVG’s and more.


Boy oh boy, where do I start… so I went out to Otay Mountain truck trail to help a friend go through some tough times. You know, get out, show him different things. Man did we get that. The trip was riddled with surprises or problems…

First problem.. google maps took me through private land full of chains and trespassing signs. Found a different route and re-routed to get to the trail.

Second problem. Guess what, big big illegal immigration border crossing night! There’s a sign before the trail with mile indicators. 5 miles otay mountain summit -> and Mexico <- 4 miles.

Drive a few miles into the trail as sun is setting, border patrol is stopped on the side but whipped in front of me and blocked me in. Usually they just wave and let you go along the trail.. BP asks to search my vehicle, asks to open rear doors and my trunk to look under my bed of my camper shell, etc. I say sure because I get it’s just their job and I have nothing to hide. We talk about my truck since he mentions how nice it is.I go “I put 12k in this truck” “haha I can tell” he asks me to open my tail gate, I oblige since again, just doing his job. He notices I have body armor in the back and he goes “body armor huh?” “Yeah I enjoy shooting” “are you Navy or Army?” “Nope” he looks down at my appendix and notices my CCW belt clip showing “okay have a good day”

Second issue, had multiple bp stop me and ask what I was doing in the area. “Just off-roading and taking pictures” and they went on their ways. Probably was notedthat I’ve already been searched and stopped.. but here’s the real issue, I get to the end of the trail and usually you can hop on the freeway shortly after the hour and a half long trail you just did, but NOPE. Hard ass border patrol sat in his van at the gate until I turned on my interior lights, stepped out the vehicle and asked with a wave “is this border patrol here” he stepped out, “I asked is this gate closed and can I go through?” Points at sign of “trespassing private property gate closed” even though I have gone through here and yesterday SoCal off road group confirmed it was open. Tells me I have to go all the way back I came through. Even though technically I’m on the “trespassing” side and the side he was on was a public freeway entrance… so now I’m here at the supposed end of my trail at 9pm and I have to go back the way I came and I get home at 11 pm. Luckily I gassed to full before I went on the trail…

Just my luck on the big illegal border crossing night huh? However, what was SUPER COOL. Apparently they have contracted military operators… on my way back through the trail in pitch darkness on the mountain a contracter full kitted stepped out of the bushes with the best bush camouflage I have seen with full NVG’s, body armor and rifle/pistol… he just watches me as I go by, no big deal…. Drive 25 ft… and 5 bush operators come out with full nvg and kits… lead operator(I am guessing) as I wave hi he has a “quick”
chat with me. “Oh so you’re the raptor we saw earlier huh? “Haha, no sir I am a ranger but sort of a raptor, tuned by ford performance and all” “cool truck, but disguised as a raptor huh haha” as we have this conversation, and before he asks the next question… another operator and DOG come out the bush to walk around my truck. He continues the conversation “uhh don’t they have raptor rangers in other countries?” As the dog finishes the search, I say” yeah in Mexico, Canada, Australia, Hawai’i, anywhere but here in the main states” and he goes “ ahh I see have a good night” as the dog finished his duties.

honestly.. kind of worth it being turned around and going through the whole trail again. Got to see neat things and test my night time off-road skills.

if you read through all of this, thank you. Sorry it was just such a long night full of different experiences from 4pm to 11pm..

Warm regards,
Brandon

EDIT: had a woman BP scream at me st the arrest site “keep fucking moving on” maybe because I saw their paid off undercover Mexicans changing clothes without handcuffs while their compadres sat cross legged and handcuffed in the dirt.. idk just an assumption:inspect:

mexico at night
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mexico at night
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sunset at Otay mtn summit
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Another summit view
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Another summit sunset view
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Sunset, little hill climb with a specific line before sunset before summit.
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Pano of before summit, not quite as high but beautiful scenery
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Another pic of the beauty at summit and a friend
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mexico at night
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Summit sunset view of Mexico
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Chris M

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Truly a "cool story, bro", and a good read. Nice pics, too.
The best part is where you took your friend with you to do something neat because HE needed a friend.
Well done!
 

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Awesome photos, what camera/lens/settings were you using?

Fun fact about border patrol (customs) - they don't need a warrant or probable cause to search you, your vehicle, or any building or dwelling, so long as it's within 100 miles of a border. Given this includes the Great Lakes, the overwhelming majority of Americans live within 100 miles of these border zones. His asking you for permission was merely a courtesy and probably a test to see how you responded - you were getting searched regardless lol.
 


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Brandon, Your a good friend for helping your buddy out!? I agree that the BP are just doing their job and most are nice and very friendly, even on the MX side. There's a BP stop in Yuma and they scan your vehicle and ask if you have anything illegal in it. Last time I said "just her" and pointed at my gf (she's MX) and he lol talked for a bit and was really cool.

I've never run into them out here in the desert, it must of been cool ( and a little scary) when they jumped out in their bush camo. Good memories there and glad you didn't run into a pack of illegals but I would guess they're just as scared and would hide and not bother you. Especially seeing all those stickers they'd think you were under cover BP. :stop: :bandit:
 
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dondonbabyraptor

dondonbabyraptor

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Truly a "cool story, bro", and a good read. Nice pics, too.
The best part is where you took your friend with you to do something neat because HE needed a friend.
Well done!
Haha, appreciate the kind comments Chris! :bow:

Indeed, I try to be there for my friends as much as possible. Had to just show up at his house and told him "we are going on an adventure". :turkey:
 
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dondonbabyraptor

dondonbabyraptor

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Awesome photos, what camera/lens/settings were you using?

Fun fact about border patrol (customs) - they don't need a warrant or probable cause to search you, your vehicle, or any building or dwelling, so long as it's within 100 miles of a border. Given this includes the Great Lakes, the overwhelming majority of Americans live within 100 miles of these border zones. His asking you for permission was merely a courtesy and probably a test to see how you responded - you were getting searched regardless lol.
Thank you John. Surprisingly, just my iPhone XR.. No photo apps or editing done.

Woah, wasn't quite sure but I figured that as much after thinking about my story. Probably some type of national security type law. Nice guy to just make it seem normal and chat around.
 
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dondonbabyraptor

dondonbabyraptor

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Great story and worth the read. Tip my hat to you for helping a friend. That’s pretty rare today, especially down on the border. You got some great photos too! Well done mate!
Thank you Rick, appreciate the kind comments. :bow:

I try my best for those close to me. :fistbump:
 
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dondonbabyraptor

dondonbabyraptor

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The dudes you saw coming out of the bushes were probably SRT officers; they're usually dressed like they're on the way to kill Bin Laden.
Had to google SRT officers. Learn something new everyday. That's exactly what they looked like :crackup: Very very neat experience though to see all of it happen.
 
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dondonbabyraptor

dondonbabyraptor

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you should do paid tours.
i would pay for that adventure, even though i could probably use the "need a friend" excuse as well.

my friends likely would have been assholes
hinted at hidden drugs in the truck.
or maybe started running
either way, I'd likely still be somewhere being detained until it was sorted out.
Haha appreciate the comment RP. Tours for my friends is enough for now.

:crackup: oh dear RP, your friends sounds like they also create "fun" adventures :p
 
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dondonbabyraptor

dondonbabyraptor

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Brandon, Your a good friend for helping your buddy out!? I agree that the BP are just doing their job and most are nice and very friendly, even on the MX side. There's a BP stop in Yuma and they scan your vehicle and ask if you have anything illegal in it. Last time I said "just her" and pointed at my gf (she's MX) and he lol talked for a bit and was really cool.

I've never run into them out here in the desert, it must of been cool ( and a little scary) when they jumped out in their bush camo. Good memories there and glad you didn't run into a pack of illegals but I would guess they're just as scared and would hide and not bother you. Especially seeing all those stickers they'd think you were under cover BP. :stop: :bandit:
Thank you Dave, I try my best to be there. :fistbump::beer: BP were pretty chill for the most part except the one lady BP who screamed at me while the other BP just nodded as I waved. Oh dear, you would crack that joke :crackup:

It was really awesome to see. When I saw the first guy that just watched me before I ran into the group of the bush operators, I turned to my friend "Oh my god, did you see that? HE WAS DRESSED SO SICK, HE HAD NVGS and EVERYTHING" drive a few seconds more... "OH MY THERES FOUR OF THEM NOW, oh boy they are gonna stop us haha" I literally had a fanboy moment, giggling and excited to talk to them. :inlove:

Haha you're hilarious. "all those stickers" :crackup: Honestly, they probably did think that, all you see are trucks and suv border patrol, oh and these little funny looking delivery vans that somehow manage around there at very fast speeds... OH AND THEY ALL DRIVE AROUND IN DUNE BUGGIES TOO!! Saw a few on the road as me and veer off into the smaller off-shoots. Full body armor, a slim version though, camoed out. Military style buggie masks and helmets. Forgot about that, so many things happened last night.

The only pack of illegals I ran into was already found by the BP handcuffed and cross legged, surprisingly, just looked like any other normal Mexican in San Diego. Makes you wonder what kind of American dream they were chasing for. Either way, I don't want to get into a political discussion here. Just was a thought that crossed my mind as I looked at all their saddened faces.
 
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dondonbabyraptor

dondonbabyraptor

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an example of my "friends" activity

I was running from them, for whatever reason.
I ran out from the middle of two houses
there were cops looking for an impaired driver who ran from a crash.
I ran out of breath and slowed only to be tackled by two on Ontarios finest OPP officers.
I fit the description of the impaired perp. Running was a bad omen. So was being drunk.

I told them my story.
they took me to my friends for confirmation of the story.
my friends denied knowing who I was.

Since my story didn't pan out I was then detained until there was further investigation.

thanks guys. thanks alot.
I like how it starts off with "I was running from them, for whatever reason" :crackup: see now that is a hilarious story. Just your luck running, impaired perp, also drunk, and got to meet two wonderful Ontario officers :giggle: LMAO your friends man.
 

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Yeah the only reason I said that to him was because I was watching him with other cars and he seemed to be smiling and joking with others. At first I was like sh*t should I have said that :lipssealed:then he started laughing and asked her "Are you legal" with a smile on his face.? Of course she did smack me for that one. lol

It has to be sad seeing them cuffed like that. But in reality it needs to be done for obvious (to some) reasons. I'll leave it at that.
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