If you are looking for rustic locations for photoshoots be careful when you are close to the border. I recently drove 35 miles south of Phoenix and stopped at an old gas station along route 8 about 29 miles west of Casa Grand (I-10). We were about 65 miles north of the Mexican border. The rustic weathered gas tanks were the perfect background for these portraits of my 2 kids. Little did I know I was putting them in danger. 2 vigilantes from the Arizona Civil Sentinels approached us and told us that 3 people had been shot in this area lately. Their web site says this about the route 8 corridor: “This is an area where there have been at least 14 confirmed shootings involving illegal smugglers, and American citizens.” They warned us to leave the area before sunset.
CBS News reported on October 14th, “The department of homeland security has learned that the drug cartels are sending hit men to Vekol Valley to shoot bandits who are stealing drugs from the drug smugglers entering Arizona from Mexico. The Vekol Valley is a major drug smuggling corridor.
The above photos were taken 5 miles from Vekol Valley. Next time We’ll head north for rustic locations.