The U.S. Consulate in Tijuana issued a shelter in place alert after cartel members torched numerous vehicles and cars in five of the main cities in the border state of Baja California. The attacks are tied to an apparent demand by one of Mexico’s most violent drug cartels to release some jailed members.
The violence began on Friday evening when numerous gunmen reportedly from Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) began torching passenger buses, cars, and businesses in several cities. According to the message from the U.S. Consulate, the cartel attacks took place in Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito, Tecate, and Ensenada.
1/2 The U.S. Consulate General Tijuana is aware of reports of multiple vehicle fires, roadblocks, and heavy police activity in Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito, Ensenada, and Tecate. U.S. government employees have been instructed to shelter in place until further notice. pic.twitter.com/oghBX1P7qX
— U.S. Consulate Tijuana (@ConsuladoUSATJ) August 13, 2022
Alleged members of CJNG sent out a series of threats on social media where they claimed the state would be in a state of siege as a way to pressure authorities to release some of their jailed members. The gunmen claimed that they would be kidnapping any citizen that they encountered out in the streets during the siege.
Various local residents used social media to share images of the numerous torched vehicles and businesses the cartel gunmen set ablaze. An early report by state authorities points to at least 17 arsons.
#Videos La violencia que se registró esta semana en Jalisco, Guanajuato y Ciudad Juárez se trasladó este viernes a Baja California, con ataques simultáneos, bloqueos y vehículos incendiados en Tijuana, Tecate, Mexicali y Ensenada. https://t.co/S52XLPWUFc pic.twitter.com/8ZUeKKIwzW
— Proceso (@proceso) August 13, 2022
During a nightly newscast, local TV anchor Johana Gilvaja called out the state governor, the state attorney general, and other state officials for their lack of response to the crime wave and their focus on local politics instead.
“She is showing herself as weak, while they are imposing their will,” Gilvaja said. “They are showing strength, they are showing that they impose the rules.”
During a morning news conference, Tijuana’s Mayor, Montserrat Caballero, asked for drug cartels to “’collect what is owed’ only from those who owe them” and to not collect from the public and the working public.
Qué barbaridad.
Esta declaración es muy lamentable.
Validación de las extorsiones del narco por parte de una autoridad. Patético. https://t.co/OJkIP2sQmY
— Leti RoblesdelaRosa (@letroblesrosa) August 13, 2022
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
Dharma Fernández from the Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report.
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