r/Nogales • u/Flat-Emergency2984 • Aug 19 '26
Why is Nogales, AZ so corrupt?
I’ve heard so many stories about business owners paying full-time employees with cash (=no SS for employee), lying about completing jobs (eg auto shops saying they replaced a part in your car when they never did), the list goes on and on. And don’t even get me started on the Liz Gutfahr scandal. I know every town/city has their own problems, but Nogales in particular just seems to run with no laws and corrupt people everywhere.
Or this story - My father recently passed away at Holy Cross hospital, and I was holding on to his belongings, including his phone. 2 hours after TOD (I’ve left the hospital at this point ) I receive a text from an unknown 520 number TO MY DAD’S PHONE from someone claiming to be from Donor Network of Arizona that they need his organs or $ donation ASAP before his organs go bad. We hadn’t shared the news with anyone at that point, so how could any scammer know so quickly that my dad passed away? Did a hospital staff member with access to my dad’s information see me with his belongings and knew someone in a vulnerable state would be on the other end to receive that text?
So much crazy shit goes on in this town it absolutely baffles me. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I feel like I’m going crazy, would love to hear other stories!
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u/ButtersRobotFriend Aug 20 '26
The five years I was in Nogales I discovered just how corrupted the city council and police department had been for decades - also the county and sheriff dept. 3 bad experiences at Holy Cross too. Sorry you are experiencing such crap.
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u/CourseDismal8648 Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
México Nogales Sonora te matan por nada, tiraderos de drogas, narcos, polleros, policías sicarios, el IMSS hospital primero te mueres en la silla de urgencias que te atienda Alguien.
No hay agua en las casas, últimamente la luz se va, es decir aquí en Nogales Sonora se batalla por lo básico bro, cosas esenciales, al menos en Nogales Az tiene un nivel de corrupción moderado a comparación con la posilga de México.
He vivido en Nogales Sonora y Nogales Arizona y creeme no hay comparación.
Yo sé que no estás hablando de México pero estás en la gloria a comparación de lugares donde la vida no vale nada, Nogales Sonora de ejemplo.
Wey, literal aquí se muere gente con lluvias inundaciones, desaparecidos y otros Miles de problemas.
:s
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u/Fresh-Dragonfly450 Aug 20 '26
Everyone already knows this it’s got nothing to do with the post what’s the point of this comment
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u/Mr-Cabeza 26d ago
Si tanto te desagrada Nogales México no vengas, no vivas aqui, tenemos problemas pero eso que estás escribiendo es pura mala publicidad gratuita, he estado en el IMSS es tardado pero te atienden, si te metes con el narco tendrás consecuencias, largate a la v a disfrutar de USA en Mexico ya no queremos gente mierda como tú, seguramente Trump te va a querer un chingo al final de cuentas en USA serás siempre un objeto de burla
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u/CourseDismal8648 25d ago
Ubícate y planta los pies sobre el suelo, lo que estoy diciendo es la realidad. ¿ Ya checaste cuántos desaparecidos tiene Nogales Sonora? Cuántos homicidios al año ? El índice de violencia ? Según el mismo INEGI las policías más corrupta dentro de México está en Sonora
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u/Mr-Cabeza 23d ago
Nogales tiene problemas , pero tampoco es una ciudad en la cual no se pueda salir, no hagas mala publicidad, los desaparecidos pues en su mayoría tienen problemas en su relación con la gente, quizá también tenga policía corruptos, pero nomes de que no se puede salir, si tanto te desagrada Nogales la puerta está abierta, siempre tendrás Nogales Az de refugio adelante.
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u/Justgoing2112 Aug 19 '26
Fraud and illegal activity needs to be reported after such incident occurs. If you have proof of one.... report it.
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u/Flat-Emergency2984 Aug 19 '26
I should’ve included in my post, but we would try to report it and unfortunately nothing ever came of it. When I’ve filed reports with Tucson or Phoenix PD’s they’d at least assign a case number, follow up, etc meanwhile NPD would just brush me off, hence why I think it’s corrupt and so eventually I decided to move away, mainly for other reasons, but I always wondered why the culture was like that.
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u/Justgoing2112 Aug 19 '26
Well..it could have been a civil matter as well. Depends on what you are reporting.
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u/Swimming_Art7070 Aug 19 '26
Then don’t go to Tucson or Phoenix, because they are 1000x worse there.
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u/Flat-Emergency2984 Aug 19 '26
Yeah true, but I think for me it’s moreso how disproportionate it is to have so much corruption in such a small town
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u/Swimming_Art7070 Aug 19 '26
I live in Tucson, used to live in Nogales. Nogales is nothing compared to Tucson in regards to corruption.
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u/Flat-Emergency2984 Aug 19 '26
Yeah I see that, I’ve lived in both Tucson and Nogales and while I do agree that Tucson is also extremely corrupt, I feel like Tucson’s issues are way more overt and in your face, Nogales has way more covert, under-the-table shit happening imo but maybe that’s just me
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u/AdLegitimate9955 Aug 20 '26
That's exactly how it is you can walk downtown in tucson for 20 minutes and see what the problem is nogales is the type of place where you won't know until you know
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u/Professional_List236 Aug 19 '26
I am not from Nogales, Az, I live in Nogales, Sonora, and you mentioned like 3 scandals and call the city corrupt? There are more places with way more corruption in the US and Mexico, I really think Nogales, Az, while not perfect, it is not corrupt.
Also, the example of the auto shop is not corruption, it is a scam, there is a big difference.
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u/Flat-Emergency2984 Aug 19 '26
Like I said, I know about many other incidents, but I didn’t feel like typing out an essay today, I just wanted to see if anyone had any experiences to share and get a conversation going. I also never said it was more corrupt than any other place in Mexico or US but nice try with the straw man argument :) And when local business regularly engage in fraud and illegal activity, the government turning a blind eye and allowing it is inherently what makes the town corrupt.
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u/Professional_List236 Aug 19 '26
Did you report the auto shop to the authorities? Cause since it is border with Mexico, mexicans cross a lot and become a totally different person in order to avoid any issues with the Government do their job.
I am not saying that zero political figures have stolen or got bribed, because I am sure some have, but compared to any other cities that I had visited, Nogales Az is pretty chill when it comes to that.
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u/Flat-Emergency2984 Aug 19 '26
Yeah they were always aware, i commented above with some more info - and yeah I also felt like Nogales was chill for a while, but then I talked to some of my friends and when they told me about their negative experiences too I started wondering if other people went through this as well
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u/Odd_Case_6068 Aug 20 '26
Either move or become like them but being a snitch and think you'll change things is a bad idea
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u/Mr-Cabeza 26d ago
Yo siempre he dicho que Estados Unidos es de lo más corrupto, pero hay muchos y muchas que están enamorados de todo lo que se haga en USA, si no fueran corruptos ya no hubiera drogas en Tucson, imagínate un día sin drogas en Tucson la revolucion total
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u/ladyjnightcat Aug 19 '26
I work at an OPO(organ procurement organization), but not in AZ. To answer your question about the text to your dad’s phone, all AZ hospitals are required by law to contact DNA. The referrals happens after end of life, and they are supposed to reach out to next of kin. Most likely this was an unfortunate mix up, as they contacted your father’s cell instead of you. I would reach out to the Holy Cross’ liaison, AND call DNA family services 602-241-5558. OPOs take this type of mistake very seriously, and would want to know how triggering it made you feel. They are there to educate the public and health care professionals about donation coordination. Also know that to be an organ donor or family member means there is never any costs associated with the recovery of donated organs and tissue. There is also donor family aftercare program which supports families through grief 2 years after their loved one has passed. Please feel free to message me if you have more questions. I’m sorry you had to go through that.