At this point it may be too late to pay a bribe.
It is not a bad idea to carry a few hundred bucks on you while in Mexico and $1000 should get you out of most problems at the onset of an issue with the police.
But when you enter Mexico, they will offer search your vehicle and they are looking for guns.
The Second Amendment does not apply south of the border.
I am an American of Mexican Ancestry and every 2 years my family and I would go down to Mexico City to visit my father’s family. We would drive down there. I recall my father being stopped by a police and I vividly remember my father “paying” him and the officer just went back to his patrol car. Being a child then I for some reason knew it was a “Payoff”. Then there was another incident with the immigration. We were traveling on the coastal side of Mexico so we had to pass Tijuana. Every mile or so there were like Custom office that looked like a small house. Well there were some that were empty but we came across one that had 3 Mexican agents. They came out and inspected our car and my mother & father (both RIP) stood watching them. My mother then asked “what are you looking for?”. This fat agent stated they are looking for a gun. My mother said “What! your looking for a gun in that small hole (where the passenger door handle was) then they went and open the back trunk and took everything out including our suitcases and opened them up and dragged out clothes onto the dirt. My mother got so pissed she went after the fat agent and told him off and order him to put everything back. So all 3 agents placed everything back.
Now I for one WILL NOT ever return to Mexico. It is so corrupt that is why my father never wanted to work for the Mexican government. My father had so many opportunities to get a government job from the high position but he gave it up and came to the US and worked as a farm worker when he could be living a comfortable life in Mexico. My father knew the whose whose in Mexico and that was thru my grandfather. My father was a man who rather struggle and keep his integrity than to accept a cushy job and become like them.
As for this soldier, I am sorry that he wanted to do this now he is learning the hard way. American people must remember that the US Constitution does not follow you around the world.