Tecate receives 520 security personnel after killings

Reporting and context

Federal and state authorities deployed 520 security personnel to Tecate, Baja California, after a wave of killings in recent weeks, according to El Diario de Chihuahua. The deployment began on the Saturday before the November 1 report and includes personnel from the Defense Ministry, Navy, National Guard and state police.

The newspaper reported that the operation comes amid a local dispute between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. State public security chief Laureano Carrillo described Tecate as a priority hotspot for drug, people and arms trafficking, as well as fuel theft.

Carrillo told local reporters that personnel would establish checkpoints to prevent further crimes and protect residents. He said patrols would extend along the corridor toward La Rumorosa, Valle de las Palas and Valle de Guadalupe. Authorities also announced a permanent coordination center and regular meetings with business representatives to discuss the operations.

At least five people were killed in Tecate between Wednesday and Thursday of the preceding week, the report said. State police officer Astrid Manzano was killed in the Nido de las Águilas neighborhood, while four other people were killed inside a home in El Escorial.

The deployment follows a broader rise in the state’s homicide ranking. Citing the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, El Diario de Chihuahua reported that Baja California surpassed Guanajuato as the state with the most intentional homicides recorded from January through September 2026. The article did not provide a statewide total.

Original report: El Diario de Chihuahua.