What is "garitas"

Garitas or Retenes (singular: retén) are federal inspection stations operated by the Mexican government. They are officially known as a "Garita de Revisión." They are usually located within 50 kilometers of a national border (with the United States, Belize, or Guatemala) and they function as immigration checkpoints, where documents and cargo are to be inspected.

The United States Border Patrol operates a similar series of checkpoints. These are also referred to as garitas by the Latin American community.