M.I.S Mexico Facts - Mexico Private Investigators

At M.I.S we sthrive to become a more efficient and resourceful private investigative firm. However, we believe it begins by
educating our current, past and future clients, on the challenges at hand to perform investigative work in Mexico.
This page will identify and clarify the many "facts" about private investigative services in this country.

Online Databases
In the United States, Canada and some countries in Europe, an investigator with only a name, date of birth or a ( social
security number in the US ) can obtain a fairly detail profile of a person�s financial status, place of residence, friends,
neighbors, assets and everything in between.

In Mexico however, there are no Lexis Nexis, AutotrackXP, Merlin Data, iRB Search or similar online information brokers.
Most investigations have to be conducted the good old fashioned way, on the field. Although all states, and most
municipalities in Mexico already have an internet web page, they are usually limited to general state/county information
and are not optimized or designed to conduct searches. It is quite simply because millions of records have yet to be
digitized, and so the best way to obtain particular information is to visit the correspondent government office or have
contacts that can expedite such searches for you.

Legal Names
Most official documents and public services in Mexico ( telephone, gas etc) require a person�s complete name; that
includes first name, middle and both parents� last names, for example ( Julio Cesar Vasquez Gonzalez ), so when only
the name Julio Vasquez is available to locate, it may be like trying to locate a John Smith in the US. It is also a common
practice that a person may have a nickname since childhood, and be known as such throughout his town without people
ever knowing his real name. Therefore, every available identifiable detail should be a complement to every investigation.

Motor Vehicles
All vehicles must be registered in any one of the 31 Mexican States. The actual license plates are fabricated with a few
additional security features that include but are not limited to, bar codes, holograms, the type of vehicle assigned to and
which one is rear and front. View Mexican Plates Photo Library Vehicle Insurance is mandatory and recommended but
realistically only obtained by those who can afford it. Likewise in most cases vehicle insurance policies issued in Mexico
will not cover a vehicle traveling in the US, and a US registered vehicle with US insurance policy will not be covered when
traveling in Mexico. Terms and coverage may vary, according to insurance provider.

Foreign Nationals
Tourist Travel: U.S. citizens do not require a visa or a tourist card for tourist stays of 72 hours or less within "the border
zone," defined as an area between 20 to 30 kilometers of the border with the U.S., depending on the location. U.S.
citizens traveling as tourists beyond the border zone or entering Mexico by air must pay a fee to obtain a tourist card,
also known as an FM-T, available from Mexican consulates, Mexican border crossing points, Mexican tourism offices,
airports within the border zone and most airlines serving Mexico. The fee for the tourist card is generally included in the
price of a plane ticket for travelers arriving by air.

Business Travel: Upon arrival in Mexico, business travelers must complete and submit a form (Form FM-N) authorizing
the conduct of business, but not employment, for a 30-day period. Travelers entering Mexico for purposes other than
tourism or business or for stays of longer than 180 days require a visa and must carry a valid U.S. passport. U.S.
citizens planning to work or live in Mexico should apply for the appropriate Mexican visa at the Mexican Embassy in
Washington, D.C., or nearest Mexican consulate in the United States. Source: US Dept of State

Firearms
In contrast to what is believed, guns are taken very seriously in Mexico. Believe it or not Mexico has some of the
toughest gun control laws in the world, mirroring those in the United Kingdom, but with tougher sentences. Although
unfortunate, it has been reported that almost 95% of the illegal firearms seized from illegal activities can be traced back
to U.S. gun shops or others sources, then smuggled into Mexico. There are no public shooting ranges & bounty hunting
is illegal. Reference Link

Foreign Investigators
There seems to be a believe that a private investigator with a license in the United States or other country, that speaks
some Spanish qualifies them to conduct investigations in Mexico. Unfortunately, it is more complicated than that. People
in Mexico, especially those of low income status, are extremely skeptical about talking to anybody about anything.
Many of which do not trust the government itself, let along a person from another country asking questions. In other
words, people can tell they are foreigners, and that itself may be a disadvantage. Even our own local investigators, from
time to time run into dead ends and uncooperative individuals, it is a challenge that can only be learned to handle by
working and living in this country.