Every country has a police force whose role is to maintain law and order, safeguard the lives and property of citizens, and crack down on petty and violent crime. However, just like all other institutions, the police force is also likely to have officers who engage in corrupt acts while on duty. While their actions should never define the entire police force at large, it is still advisable to know what course of action you can take if you ever encounter a corrupt cop in Mexico.

If you get convicted by a corrupt police officer, or if a cop tells you that they can make a conviction go away if you agree to pay a bribe, do not hesitate to get in touch with a qualified criminal defense lawyer in Tijuana, Mexico. At Meneses Legal, our qualified criminal defense attorneys in Tijuana, Mexico, will be at your service if you are ever being harassed or extorted by a corrupt police officer.

In recent years, the Mexican police force has come under fire for some of its cops engaging in acts of corruption, such as bribery and extortion. If you ever find yourself being extorted by the Mexican police or being asked for a bribe, here’s what you should do.

1. Never bribe a cop

Many people, especially those for whom Mexico is a completely new, strange, and unfamiliar country, understandably get nervous when they are approached by the police. As a law-abiding citizen who does not partake in criminal activity, there is no reason why the police should ever pull you over. Even if you are pulled over for a slight misdemeanor, such as speeding or running a red light, you might be asked to pay a modest fine, but know that no upstanding police officer will ever threaten you with criminal charges just to get a bribe out of you.

Many people agree to pay a bribe to the police to make police harassment go away. While we understand the urge to bribe a cop to make them stop bothering you, bribing a police officer is a serious crime. You should remember that by asking for a bribe, it is the police officer who is disrespecting their badge and their station. They are in the wrong, and you are not, so you have nothing to fear.

If you ever have an unpleasant run-in with the police, you can get in touch with us at Meneses Legal to talk to one of our criminal defense attorneys in Tijuana, Mexico.

2. How common is police extortion in Mexico?

The majority of the Mexican police force is made up of honest, upstanding police officers who have never asked for a bribe, charged a peaceful civilian, or tried to extort a citizen in their entire career. However, rising cases of police corruption and police brutality in Mexico resulted in countrywide protests in June 2020. People took to the streets to protest the unlawful killing of unarmed civilians by the Mexican local and municipal police.

In the past few years, dozens of Mexican police officers have been arrested for extorting and threatening migrants, many of whom were minors.

If you are traveling to Mexico, our advice would be to stay within the remit of the law and avoid participating in riots or illegal activity that could get you into trouble with the police.

If the police ever ask you to come down to the station or pull you over on the road, do not be confrontational or aggressive. If they accuse you of a crime and launch into a full-blown police interrogation, you have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer their questions without the presence of your criminal defense attorney.

Our cross-border criminal defense attorney in Tijuana, Mexico, has helped many clients who were being extorted or blackmailed by corrupt police officers in Mexico.

Hire an experienced criminal defense attorney in Tijuana, Mexico

Have you been convicted of a crime at the Tijuana border? Our highly experienced bilingual criminal defense attorneys in Tijuana, Mexico, can take your case. Founded by Criminal Attorney Fabian Meneses, Meneses Legal is one of the best law firms fighting cases on behalf of people convicted of crimes such as drug possession, homicide crimes, and contraband and tax crimes on the US-Mexico border.

Our highly qualified criminal defense attorneys in Tijuana take cases of defendants convicted of cross-border crimes, sex crimes, drug possession, homicide crimes, gun crimes, and contraband and tax crimes. You can reach out to us on our website if you want a free legal consultation with one of our criminal defense attorneys to discuss your case.