Tecate officers recorded receiving alleged bribes
Original reporting: ZETA Tijuana
What happened
ZETA Tijuana reported that two newly graduated Tecate municipal police officers were recorded receiving alleged bribes from citizens. The report said no sanctions had been announced and described wider allegations of corruption and cartel links involving the city’s police force.
Reporting and context
Two newly graduated municipal police officers in Tecate were recorded receiving what citizens described as “moche,” or bribes, from people who had allegedly violated traffic regulations, ZETA Tijuana reported. The officers were identified as Valeria Félix and an agent whose surname is Manzanares, both assigned to Tecate’s Directorate of Citizen Security.
According to ZETA Tijuana, citizens who said they were victims of extortion recorded the encounter. The report says Manzanares is shown taking bills directly from a citizen, while Félix approaches and then asks the person to hand over the phone after realizing she is being recorded. The citizens involved said the payments amounted to $200, but the report did not establish whether any disciplinary or criminal finding had been issued.
ZETA Tijuana reported that Félix graduated from the police academy on November 27, 2025. As of the report’s publication, the government led by Mayor Román Cota Muñoz had not announced sanctions, while the municipal comptroller’s office, headed by Sarai Osuna Arce, had delayed opening suspension proceedings. The report also described broader 2026 irregularities involving Tecate police, including alleged cartel links and the detention of two officers accused of acting as lookouts for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.