TIJUANA OFF-LIMITS TO U.S. MARINES

Restriction Imposed Due to Violence

LOS ANGELES -- For tens of thousands of U.S. Marines in Southern
California, new orders from the brass amount to: Baghdad si, Tijuana
no.

Citing a wave of violence and murder in Mexico, the commanding officer
of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Pendleton has made
the popular military "R&R" destinations of Tijuana and nearby beaches
effectively off-limits for his Marines.

The order by Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland restricts travel into Mexico by
the 44,000 members of the unit, many of whom have had multiple tours
of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zones under their belts
- -- or are there now.

The limits were first put in place for the Christmas holiday. Last
week the commander extended the order indefinitely, said Mike Alvarez,
civilian public information officer for the unit at Camp Pendleton.

"The situation in Mexico is now more dangerous than usual," he said.
"The intent is just to look out for the Marines' safety and
well-being."

Tijuana has been a popular attraction for Californians since
Prohibition days, when legal liquor was unavailable north of the
border. In more recent times, its 18-year-old drinking age, cheap
prices, gambling, beaches, tourist-oriented businesses and bars have
attracted civilians and off-duty military from the San Diego area and
elsewhere.

San Diego, heavy with Navy and Marine presence, adjoins the Mexican
border and Camp Pendleton is in northern San Diego County, about 50
miles from the border.

These days, sidewalk restaurants along Tijuana's main tourist street,
Avenida Revolucion, often are empty. Tourists are buffeted by barkers
and merchants desperate for U.S. dollars. Visitors may be approached
with offers of drugs or prostitution as well.

Tijuana, like Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, has been
hit particularly hard by the drug violence that has spread across
Mexico. Tijuana saw its bloodiest year ever in 2008 with 843 killings,
compared with 337 the previous year.

The violence in Tijuana grew toward the end of last year and continued
this year with numerous execution-style slayings. Many of the bodies
were found decapitated. The State Department has issued a travel alert
for Americans going to Mexico.

Officials from the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana regularly check with
Mexican police and jails for Americans in trouble, and U.S. military
Shore Patrol officers check daily. Alvarez said "there have been
incidents from time to time" but did not know how many Marines have
gotten into trouble.

Helland's directive requires written approval from a lieutenant
colonel or higher-ranking officer for travel across the border --
whether for official business, to visit family or for leisure, known
in the military as rest and relaxation, or R&R.

Marines venturing over the border also must complete anti-terrorism
training, receive a military security briefing and "use the buddy
system," that is travel with a companion 18 or older, according to
Helland's order.

Most of the affected Marines are at Pendleton, but some are at other
bases in Southern California and Arizona. And 13,500 members of the
unit are currently deployed overseas, said Alvarez, a retired captain
and helicopter pilot who served three tours in Iraq.

As part of the order, Marines who cross the border on approved travel
must carry contact information for the U.S. Consulate General and the
Border Shore Patrol.

The restrictions don't apply to the more than 75,000 active duty Navy
sailors in the area, but they are required to inform their chains of
command if they cross the border, said Lt. (j.g.) Lenaya Rotklein,
public affairs officer for the Navy Region Southwest Command at San
Diego.

For Marines, the order is enforceable under the Uniform Code of
Military Justice. Violators could face a court-martial.

"It's a lawful order," Alvarez says. "As Marines, we obey lawful
orders."