EDITOR'S NOTE:  (Author's Intro) The business of hauling consumer goods (contraband) into Mexico with airplanes into grass strips avoiding the outrageous Mexican import duties has been going on ever since airplanes were put into commercial service, that is, until 1989 when Mexico repealed most 100% duties on imported goods. Known as Contrabandidos", pilots choosing this form of employment had to know the limits of their aircraft operating into extremely marginal landing strips and their own limits, operating under the most adverse conditions of unknown weather, overloaded, old unreliable aircraft without the benefit of navigation aids. Relying on the age-old method of dead reckoning navigation and pilotage, pilots had to make their own rules and follow them in order to stay alive.

These are the stories of Contrabandido Ron Fox and friends, veteran legal smugglers who lived life on the edge, and created a legacy of adventure...

RON FOX WRITES in his introduction of his smuggler's tales: The eastern coast of Mexico, from the U. S. border to the Bay of Campeche, is virtually littered with the hulks of wrecked aircraft which, for one reason or another, didn't complete their missions. It is important to note that, while Mexican law was being broken in the process of smuggling goods into Mexico, U.S. law was strickly observed.

Pilots flying into Mexico would first file export declarations and cargo manifests with the U.S. Customs Service and have their aircraft and cargos inspected by them, both going out and coming into the United States. U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations were also observed as far as filing flight plans with the Federal Flight Service Stations and observing correct procedures for penetrating the Air Defense Identification Zones. It was understood on the border that pilots would risk their lives but not their pilot certificates.

Corruption in every facet of government in Mexico has long been endemic to that culture and this was exploited by the owners of these fly-by-night operations and the receivers of merchandise in Mexico. State Governors, State Police Chiefs, Federal Customs Officials, Airport Commandantes and Tower Operators, local police and politicians and airport workers; all had their hand out in this lucrative business. For those operators refusing to pay tribute, the risks were high. Their pilots would be jumped at strips, shot down by Customs aircraft or aircraft would be sabotaged by unknown persons. The official penalty for being caught in this trade in Mexico was 9 years in a Mexican jail but few, if any of those caught, would spend more than a few months incarcerated.

One learned from those experienced in this trade to save the income from first trips in a safe place where a trusted friend could gain access in order to buy one's self out of jail. This could cost between ten and fifty thousand dollars, depending on where one was caught, who did the holding and how fast one wanted to get home. Many pilots were captured and released numerous times. Up until the collapse of the Mexican economy in 1982, this was a gentleman's game.

Weapons were rarely carried by pilots and seldom did capturing authorities use them either. If pilots gave themselves up without a struggle and behaved themselves, their treatment was usually quite good. For the sum of about $200 a month, one could live quite well in special wings of many prisons with air conditioning, laundry services, maid service, newspapers and many priviledges. Local authorities knew a good thing when they saw it. With the collapse of the Mexican economy in early 1982, suddenly getting dollars out of Mexico was very difficult.

Receivers usually could only pay for an operator's services with pesos and, in the time it would take to get them to the bank, their value could drop by half. With such a shock to the industry, operations became drastically reduced. With fewer trips in a shrinking pie, competition between operators became nasty. The competition between receivers became cut- throat and suddenly pilots started carrying guns. These guns were not just personal protection hand guns, but serious heavy caliber automatic weapons. Strips became armed fortresses with receivers willing to kill to protect their goods.

All of a sudden it was no longer a gentleman's game, but deadly serious business and many of the old timer's, such as those ex-Air America veterans experienced in this type of flying, got out of it. This left the business to those less experienced who were willing to take more chances and the number of strip accidents increased dramatically as did the number of tragic incidents at the point of capture. In 1989, the changes to the customs laws virtually eliminated an aviation industry which had been strong for over half a century, with consumer goods now being trucked into Mexico. Now the story can be told without danger to those involved. It should be understood however, that the best stories probably died with those who would have told them.

Reprinted with the permission of the author
Copyright 1998, BUSHPILOT, all rights reserved