Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. On the afternoon of 9 October, as Brianna Rojass mother came to recover her daughters corpse, the cloying stench of decomposing bodies hung in the air. Part of the problem, Caballero said, was previous political leaders in Mexico had either accepted the cartel violence or looked the other way when it happened. In one of the most disturbing episodes 12 corpses were abandoned with their tongues hacked out and placed nearby in a black plastic bag. While very high, the number is expected to be lower when compared to last year, when 2,000 people were murdered. Police were busy yesterday in the northern border state of Baja California, where at least 18 bodies were found, the victims of homicide. A drug cartel had hijacked and burned more than a dozen vehicles across his home city of Tijuana, and rumors spread that they had announced a curfew. hide caption. Gonzlez, a Lpez Obrador ally, claimed that had not happened in several years and voiced frustration the media had ignored the achievement. The army and National Guard on patrol in Tijuana, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. More than 60,000 Mexicans 'disappeared' in drug war, Mexican drug cartel threatens to kill TV reporter, Third journalist killed this year in Mexico, Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, Final celebrities arrive at Met Gala red carpet, Trump rape accuser says her generation stayed quiet, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. The rumor about the cartel imposing a curfew on Tijuana wasn't true, but the 23-year-old decided to skip his work at a local restaurant that weekend anyway and stay at home with his girlfriend. Checkpoints have been set up in some areas and troops can be seen stopping and inspecting cars close to where one of the vehicles was set on fire last Friday. 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The leftwing populist Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador took power in December, promising a dramatic change in tactics. Fernando Sanchez Arellano, alias 'El Ingeniero,' kept control of one part, creating a non-aggression pact with the Zetas and an alliance with the Beltran Leyva Organziation, while Eduardo Teodoro Garcia Simental, alias 'El Teo' or 'Tres Letras,' formed a new faction, allied with the Sinaloa Cartel. Most of the killings are attributed to the ongoing wave of violence between rival cartels just south of the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana. Strip clubs, nightclubs and bars that do not serve food are not supposed to be open in Tijuana amid current coronavirus restrictions, but apparently the business was operating anyway, city leaders said. Members of the National Guard patrol a beach in Playas de Tijuana on August 16. A white forensic science van waits to remove the body of Brianna Rojas from her Tijuana workplace after she was murdered there on 8 October 2019. At night its like there are 60 dead dogs lying out here, the woman complained of the reek. Multiple Spanish-language media outlets reported that Tijuana police identified the man as a United States Marine, however, a spokesman for the United States Marine Corps media operations chief said there is no record of the man ever serving in the Marine Corps. We wont allow this unfortunate situation to continue and this we shall do with the work of police.. "The population had to follow [rumors of a curfew] from criminal groups, whether or not these were verified," said Cecilia Farfn-Mndez, the head of security research at the Center for U.S.-Mexico Studies at UC San Diego. The latest killings, including that of a 7-year-old boy gunned down next to his father, bring the citys murder toll to 117 so far this year. The bill would still shorten the duration of mining concessions granted and be contingent on consults with local communities. Kelley then runs away with a security guard chasing behind him while the victim appears to be struggling on the floor. A State Department official said the agency was aware of the case. By the time Pea Nieto left office in 2018, Mexico had suffered another record year of murders, with nearly 36,000 people slain. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. Quijano said the region was doing well early on in the year with a low total of murders, but as of June, the numbers and the bodies started piling up with 211 murders for that month. Tijuana, Baja California, ranked first with 749 homicides for an average of 150 per month or five per day. It was the scene of pitched battles between rival factions, and the discovery of mutilated bodies in public places became a regular occurrence. Tijuana residents take part in a peaceful rally outside a military base during a visit by Mexico's president. TIJUANA (Border Report) With the discovery of six bodies inside a van five men and a woman Tijuana has surpassed its murder total from last year and is getting closer to eclipsing the 2,000-murder mark for the year, according to Baja Californias Prosecutors office. The latest involved a dry cleaning business where the thieves brutally assaulted one of the employees. Heres my invitation link: https://abnb.me/e/AksSQQ8hxUHERE IS MY FILMING GEAR YOU CAN BUY IT IN AMAZON BY CLICKING IN THE LINKS FOR EACH ITEM ;1. And the people just walk past and come out with bags full of drugs. The situation was worse in Tijuana, where 12 homicides were reported. Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive storiesand breaking newsabout issues along the United States-Mexico border. Tijuana police arrested the suspect, identified as Logan Matthew Kelley, 26, at the crime scene after he was detained by security guards at the bar. (Bloomberg) -- The New York author who claims Donald Trump raped her in the 1990s testified at the trial of her civil lawsuit that one of the former president's most outspoken critics played a key role in her decision to sue.Most Read from BloombergJPMorgan Ends First . The mission of BorderReport.com is to provide real-time delivery of the untold local stories about people living, working and migrating along the U.S. border with Mexico. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero says residents of her city can trust officials to keep them safe. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. "This aligns really well with data that we have on the perception that criminal groups have the firepower capacity to effectively confront the state. This story was originally reported by NBC 7's sister station, Telemundo 20. Pea is tapping into a sentiment felt by many. A public security citizens council wasnt quite as optimistic. Toya Sarno Jordan for NPR Mexico in the drug war: A cemetery of bodies with no story, and stories with no body. A man, who told Telemundo 20 he wants to be named as just Cal, was one of the last victims to file a lawsuit with the authorities, he said he suffered the worst moment of his life when these assailants pointed a gun at his 7-year-old son. I cannot allow citizens to pay the consequences of these criminal acts we need them to trust our police.". Forty-eight hours later as the week reached a bloody peak - emergency workers from Mexicos Red Cross raced westwards to collect their latest cargo from a tumbledown community called Francisco Villa. The year is shaping up to beat last years homicide total, which was a record 2,114. Tijuana-Rosarito highway violent assaults increasing, citizens demand police action November 23, 2021 7313 - Neighbors of Playas denounce that they put stones and spiked wires on the stage to puncture the tires of those who travel at dawn so that they stop and thus assault them with violence. Members of the National Guard stand guard outside a military base in Tijuana. Colombia's New Security Policy Faces Challenges on Environmental Aims, Colombias Coca Market Crash Unlikely to Impact Cocaine Trade, InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports, Cocaine and Marijuana Fuel Ever-Higher Homicides in Costa Rica, Corruption Takes Center Stage in Paraguay Presidential Election, In Lara, Venezuela, Criminal 'Colectivos' Control Public Services. The northern state of Baja California was hit by a wave of. "Because they gained what they were seeking: to have a lot of problems and fear in the population. So far nothing has changed absolutely nothing, he said of Lpez Obradors first year in power. What had happened? Summary. Mayor Gonzlez admitted it was unreal to expect an immediate end to Tijuanas murder crisis but hoped the body count could be reduced and insisted the citys economic dynamism remained unaffected. Source: El Universal(sp), Telemundo (sp), Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC. Last month Mexicos security chief, Alfonso Durazo, claimed the crisis was reaching inflection point only for his upbeat message to be imploded by a week of mayhem which saw cartel gunmen slay 13 police officers and then paralyze a major city in order to free the son of Mexicos most famous drug lord, Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn. Brianna Rojas seemed her usual breezy self as she set off for work. In fact, many believe such tactics served only to pulverize the world of organized crime, creating even more violence as new, less predictable factions squabbled for their piece of the pie. But the violence went on. Police identified the victim as 19-year-old Isis Atalia Montoya Romero and said she was employed at the strip club and bar. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Simultaneously Caldern also began pursuing the so-calledkingpin strategyby which authorities sought to decapitate the cartels by targeting their leaders. "But in this government, there is no pact with criminals. "The situation is serious, but it is not dire. A member of the National Guard stands watch over the Gran Tenochtitlan neighborhood of Tijuana. Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero says she understands that many residents do take their cues from the cartels, and she is determined to change that. Despite the government's vaunted security increases, little has changed in terms of the murder rate since then. And it is no coincidence that the river runs through some of Washington D.C.'s poorest communities in the south-eastern sections of the city. Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero says residents of her city can trust officials to keep them safe. Despite a decline in homicides in Tijuana following the implementation of a new security strategy in early February, the total number of murders in the northern border city in the first . Weather. "It was definitely a flashback of other times where you saw this spectacular violence playing out in the city," said Farfn-Mndez, the security expert. hide caption. A 2021 study by the Center for U.S.-Mexico Studies found that 64% of Mexicans think organized crime or drug trafficking groups buy public officials. The spate of killings in the first months of 2011, while alarming, mark a significantly lower murder rate than the same months in 2010. This may be due to the cartels ordering their operatives to keep a low profile and not attract too much attention from law enforcement. Ciudad Jurez, Chihuahua, was second with 515 homicides between January and May followed. Red Cross first responders treat 30-year-old Jess Bernal after he was found with at least four separate gunshot wounds in his legs and wrists. Mayor Nereida Fuentes blamed the clashes on warring criminal gangs, adding that the federal government and its judicial branch were also to blame for not prosecuting crime and releasing dangerous criminals. However, the latest murders likely do not signal a return to the wave of horrific violence which swamped the city in 2008, but are rather aftershocks from the major realignment that took place within the region's dominant cartel at that time. Migrants encamped in Tijuana tell their stories as they await asylum Migrant family stuck at border fleeing violence in homeland 2 bodies found in Tijuana identified as missing OC couple 5th. Toya Sarno Jordan for NPR 2. What's more, this model of sending in the National Guard might not do much to calm residents who are resigned to violence. In this essay, the author. The vehicle, which had California license plates, was found in the parking lot of a strip mall that belongs to ex-Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante Anchondo. "I think these events should encourage us to really think seriously, precisely about what are these structural conditions that allowed this violence to take place. TIJUANA, Mexico Moses Zazueta Ramirez was at home last Friday when he started getting messages from his mom and seeing the chaos unfold on social media. A drug cartel had hijacked and burned. The latest breaking news, comment and features from The Independent. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Carlos de la Mora intends for the prestigious international biennial celebration to have lasting impacts on both sides of the border. Authorities hope the arrests prove they are in control and that they make people feel safe. The Guardians week had an unusually peacefully start, with not a single murder recorded in the first 24 hours, according to the newly elected mayor, Arturo Gonzlez Cruz. The drug cartels had flexed their power in Tijuana in a way not seen for more than a decade and reignited fear and debate over who is it that really wields influence in the country: the government or the gangs. After a 10-minute race to the hospital, he was carried in past police with white skulls stamped on to their black uniforms and rifles slung from their shoulders. The mission of BorderReport.com is to provide real-time delivery of the untold local stories about people living, working and migrating along the U.S. border with Mexico. "My wife's son got a gun to his head. Canon 70D ; https://amzn.to/2EVsHIT3. Many bus services also stopped running. The prosecutor's office confirmed having detected these criminal groups that had taken at least three homes of Americans in Tijuana, today the army and the authorities guard the houses. The borough's Holy Week passion play the oldest, most elaborate and best-known in the country celebrated its 180th edition this year. ", A member of the National Guard patrols Playas de Tijuana. Members of the National Guard patrol a beach in Playas de Tijuana on August 16. Toya Sarno Jordan for NPR Police stand guard as people take part in the peaceful rally outside the military base. Thats the number of murders so far this year. When a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, the State Department provides all appropriate consular assistance. Only about 2% of all murders in Mexico are ever solved, let . Tijuana is ranked as the most dangerous city in the world 2019 with a homicide rate of 138 per 100,000 and a total of 2,640 murders.Zona Norte is an official neighborhood, as well as a red light district located in Tijuana, Mexico, which present themselves in public as and bars, similar to gentlemen's clubs in the United States.#PayPal ; [email protected] https://www.patreon.com/iam_marwa?alert=2kindly subscribe to my Youtube channel by clicking here : http://www.youtube.com/c/iammarwaorhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi2uaWdy6OTf4Ty7DVC_7lw/joincheck out my awesome instagram photos here: https://www.instagram.com/iam_marwa/Facebook page here : https://www.facebook.com/iamMARWAofficial/SUPPORT MY WORK VIA #iam_marwaAIRBNB ; SAVE MONEY ON YOUR 1ST AirBnB booking by using this link to SIGN UP ; Sign up for Airbnb and get $36 off your first adventure. Our work is costly and high risk. The U.S. Coast Guard says Mexicos navy has suspended a search for three Americans who went missing along with their sailboat off Mexicos northern Pacific coast, Six of eight victims, including final two identified Wednesday, were from state of Puebla, according to Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego, Mexicos president has vowed to try again to give control of the National Guard to the Army, despite a Supreme Court ruling against such a move, Republicans are jump-starting an immigration and border enforcement package, Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. Its the same parking lot where two other people were found shot to death on Dec. 1, though the two incidents do not appear to be related and investigators have not liked them. How a Priest in Mexico Resists the CJNGs Incursions, In the Riviera Maya, Cartel Extortion Schemes Know No Limits, InSight Crime Staff Cited as Experts by International Media, Media Looks to InSight Crime for Ecuador Knowledge, The Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory Continues to Be a Benchmark in the Region. ", "I think there's a concern that rather than developing civilian institutions that are devoted to law enforcement, we're seeing increasingly the armed forces getting more duties.". "It has happened a lot, some of their leaders have had these pacts. Amlo also pledged to chair daily 6am security meetings and create a 60,000 strong "National Guard". A member of the National Guard pats down a driver who was stopped at a checkpoint in the Gran Tenochtitlan neighborhood in Tijuana. Read about our approach to external linking. Four recent murders in Tijuana The level of violent robberies is also up according to stats furnished by Baja State Police. Theyre fighting over the local market, said Clark. How much safer do you feel in Mexico City now compared to years ago. Police officers interrogate one of four men injured in a drive-by shooting at a Tijuana petrol station on 8 October. But those measures have yet to pay off, with the new security force used mostly to hunt Central American migrants. With 11 days left in the year, Quijano predicted the city of Tijuana will easily get beyond 2,000 murders in 2022. The prosecutor said they were able to uncover the kidnapping ring in 2020 thanks to the collaboration of the U.S. and Mexican governments. "We also ask them to settle their debts with those who didn't pay what they owe, not with families and hard-working citizens.". The central government has blamed the chaos on the powerful Jalisco New Generation drug cartel. Local paper Zetaidentifiesdisputes between microtraffickers as the main cause for the rash of executions that have taken place in the state of Baja California this year. And a gang riot at a prison in the border city of Ciudad Juarez quickly spread onto the streets, killing 11 people on Thursday. A spike in violence in those three months, with 146 organized crime-related murders, signified another period of fast readjustment following the arrest ofGarcia Simental in January 2010. This phenomenon can be observed in the rising violence in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez and less dramatically in Medellin, Colombia. At 11.35am a decomposing pair of legs were spotted on wasteland in the citys south. Mexican border city Tijuana saw a grisly weekend of eight murders, raising fears that the city is returning to the days of decapitated bodies hanging from bridges. The sun sets in Tijuana, Baja California, on the border with San Diego. Corpses were hung from bridges and shootouts raged, even in the citys most glitzy corners. Under Calderns successor, Enrique Pea Nieto, the governments rhetoric on crime softened as Mexico sought to shed its reputation as the headquarters of some the worlds most murderous mafia groups. When first responders arrived they encountered a fearful scene: the victim slumped backwards in a black swivel chair, her arms flopping downwards towards a pool of blood as if she had been caught completely by surprise. Six people have been arrested in the week since, according to the president. Caldern hoped to smash the drug cartels with his heavily militarized onslaught but the approach was counter-productive and exacted a catastrophic human toll. That policy resulted in some high-profile scalps notably Arturo Beltrn Leyva who wasgunned down by Mexican marines in 2009 but also did little to bring peace. Tijuana Killings: A Return to the Bad Old Days? Caution tape is visible around the entrance of Adelita Bar in Tijuanas Zona Norte after a man identified by police as a U.S. citizen was arrested for killing a woman inside the club on Wednesday night. That appeared to be what was at stake on the night of 8 October when dozens of heavily armed police descended on a petrol station after a drive-by shooting left four men injured, one critically. Mexicos war on drugs began in late 2006 when the president at the time, Felipe Caldern, ordered thousands of troops onto the streets in response to an explosion of horrific violence in his native state of Michoacn. BAKERSFIELDToday, April 21, 2023, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office special agents returned wanted fugitive Gustavo Ubaldo Soria, 53, to Kern County to face murder . Violence in the state has cost the lives of as many as 1,476 people between January and June, with 60% of the violent murders being reported in the border city of Tijuana.
