The Dispute Between Two Cartels Leaves a Fatal Toll

Meanwhile, this week, Tecate, Baja California, has become the scene of crimes and violent acts—incidents that have even resulted in the death of a female police officer. In this so-called “Pueblo Mágico” (Magical Town), there is a hope that tranquility will one day return. Daniel Andrade reports. 

“Sadly, a colleague from the state police force has lost her life following an attack by criminals—specifically, a criminal cell belonging to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. To answer your question, this occurred during a confrontation with a cell from the Sinaloa Cartel, specifically the ‘Los Mayos’ faction.” 

The dispute in Tecate between two criminal groups has had a fatal outcome. Astrid Manzano, a member of the state police force, has lost her life. During the clashes, one of her colleagues was also wounded, though he is now out of danger. 

According to the Baja California Secretariat of Security, a strategy to contain homicides has been active in that part of the state over the last few months. However, they acknowledge that there are still actions to be taken. They even mention that they have identified several areas. 

“There are seven priority areas in Tecate, and we have also identified the person responsible for the attack on our colleague from the state force.” Unfortunately, they only managed to arrest two of these individuals. We are still looking for the individual who actually fired the weapon against state security forces; we have already identified him, and we hope to bring him to justice soon. 

Regarding the situation in Tecate, an operation has been announced involving more than 200 personnel and 66 units that will conduct patrols and sweeps. This effort includes security agencies from all three levels of government—from municipal authorities up to the Mexican Army. 

This isn’t unique to Tecate or Baja California; it affects the entire northwestern region of the country, due to its well-known geographical situation. It is a route used by organized crime groups to traffic drugs, weapons, and people into or out of the United States. 

Therefore, it a matter of national security. That is the reality. Amidst these violent events, a state security officer was also struck by a vehicle during a pursuit. Furthermore, as a result of the strategies employed in that municipality, the arrest of a 43-year-old Russian citizen—who was the subject of an international search alert issued by Interpol—has been reported. 

During the operation, a fragmentation grenade, electronic devices, and forged documents were seized from him; the documents purported to identify him as a CIA agent. He has been placed at the disposal of the Prosecutor’s Office.

Source: Telemundo 20 San Diego