CJNG and CDS Clash Again for Control of the Nueva Colonia Hindú in Tecate

For over 40 minutes, alleged hitmen from criminal groups—identified by authorities as belonging to the CDS and CJNG—clashed this Thursday in the rural district of Tecate known as Nueva Colonia Hindú. They riddled homes with bullets and attempted, once again, to execute an alleged local criminal leader. More than 100 spent shell casings were recovered at various points throughout the town. One man was found alive after having been “stuffed in a trunk,” while another was found dead on the highway.

Three convoys—comprising a total of six SUVs and pickup trucks—traveling along the Tecate–Ensenada highway entered the Nueva Colonia Hindú district in the early hours of Thursday, April 23. They split off onto various local roads to encircle a residence located on Rubén Adame Street, opening fire on it for the second time this year.

In response, other vehicles arrived at the scene and returned fire against the attackers, sparking an armed confrontation involving high-caliber weapons—including .223 caliber rifles and AK-47s (locally known as *cuernos de chivo*). The exchange of gunfire lasted for over 35 minutes without any intervention from law enforcement authorities.

Two 2024 Jeep models were seized on the outskirts of the area, along with a gray Honda sedan found directly in front of the attacked residence.

During this period, the vehicles—including pickup trucks, Jeep Rubicons, and Tahoes—roamed through the town, leaving bullet holes in at least five homes inhabited by civilians, including minors.

The ongoing turf war between the two cartels—a conflict into which the Arellano Félix Cartel has now also entered as an ally of the Sinaloa Cartel—centers on territory currently controlled by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). This territory encompasses Nueva Colonia Hindú, Valles de las Palmas, and San Pedro (Tijuana). Until Friday, April 17, this territory was controlled by Salomón Barragán—known as “El Salo”—who was captured in the Alfonso Garzón neighborhood (also known as “Nido de las Águilas”). This event fractured security in the area and forced a reshuffling of power as factions vied for control.

Authorities reported that, thus far, no gunshot victims have been recorded in the Nueva Colonia Hindú neighborhood as a result of the confrontation that began minutes after 4:00 a.m. However, at 6:26 a.m. this Thursday—in the section known as Mirador—a 53-year-old woman was taken into custody. She was found inside a vehicle, concealed within the trunk compartment, and is believed to be a resident of the nearby home. She presented several injuries and bloodstains; although her life wasn’t deemed to be in danger, she was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation.

Ten minutes later, at 6:36 a.m., an emergency call was placed to 911 reporting that the body of a man—lying face down and motionless—had been found on the Tecate–Tijuana highway, specifically at kilometer marker 127, near the Bicentenario neighborhood. Paramedics and law enforcement officials rushed to the scene, where they determined that the man—estimated to be between 40 and 50 years old—showed no signs of life. He bore visible signs of torture—injuries believed to have been inflicted hours earlier—which were identified as the probable cause of death; notably, he didn’t have any gunshot wounds.

Around 8:00 a.m., a fire was reported in the vicinity of the Tecate River, just meters away from the Tecate State Center for the Arts. This incident triggered a security operation involving approximately 60 personnel drawn from all three levels of government. During his weekly press conference—titled “Tecate at 10″—Mayor Román Cota announced that this specific area had been the target of a security operation, conducted concurrently with another operation taking place in the Nueva Colonia Hindú neighborhood.

Source: Zeta Tijuana