Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño removed Police Chief Fernando Sánchez González from his post on Wednesday, just four months after appointing him. The firing caps a turbulent stretch for the city’s law enforcement leadership and leaves Tijuana searching for its third police chief in under a year.
Sánchez González Took Over in February After Previous Chief’s Abrupt Exit
Sánchez González assumed command of the Tijuana Municipal Police in February 2025. He replaced Alejandro González Limón, who served only seven months before his own removal. That pattern of short tenures at the top of Tijuana’s police force has become a recurring problem, with the city cycling through leadership faster than any meaningful reform can take hold.
Before his appointment, Sánchez González had served as operational director of the municipal police. Mayor Burgueño promoted him from within, framing the move as a way to bring institutional continuity. But by June, Burgueño had reversed course.
The mayor cited the need for a “new vision” in public safety, though he did not publicly detail specific failures or incidents that prompted the change. Municipal police oversight in Tijuana falls under the city’s Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana, the local public safety department. Leadership changes at that level require only the mayor’s decision.
Tijuana Recorded Over 1,000 Homicides in 2024
The revolving door at the top of Tijuana’s police force plays out against one of the most difficult security environments in Mexico. Tijuana recorded more than 1,000 homicides in 2024, ranking it among the most violent cities in the country. While the first months of 2025 showed a slight decline in some crime categories, cartel activity, street-level drug dealing, and extortion remain constant pressures on municipal police.
Tijuana’s police force has about 2,700 officers for a metropolitan area of roughly two million people. That ratio, approximately one officer per 740 residents, falls well below international recommendations. Officers face chronic equipment shortages, low pay relative to the cost of living in a border city, and persistent recruitment challenges. Many leave for better-paying jobs with state or federal agencies, or cross the border for work in San Diego County.
Corruption within the ranks compounds the staffing problem. Federal trust evaluations, known as “control de confianza” exams, regularly flag municipal officers. Those who fail the polygraph and background checks are supposed to be removed, but the process creates further turnover without a pipeline of qualified replacements.
The security situation directly affects daily life across Tijuana’s neighborhoods. Residents of Playas de Tijuana, Zona Río, and colonias along the border corridor routinely adjust routines around safety concerns. Petty crime, car theft, and home burglary rates remain high, and response times from an understaffed force can stretch well beyond 30 minutes in outlying areas.
Interim Chief Named as City Seeks Permanent Replacement
Mayor Burgueño appointed Julio César Rodríguez Torres as interim police chief effective immediately. Rodríguez Torres had been serving as a senior operational commander within the force. Burgueño described the appointment as temporary while the administration evaluates candidates for a permanent replacement.
The mayor did not provide a timeline for naming a permanent chief. He said the administration would prioritize candidates with experience in intelligence-led policing and community engagement strategies. Those are familiar talking points in Tijuana’s security discussions, echoing language used during previous leadership transitions.
Rodríguez Torres inherits immediate challenges. Summer months historically bring increased crime activity in Tijuana, driven partly by seasonal population movement and tourism. The city also faces ongoing coordination demands with state and federal forces operating in the municipality. Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila has maintained a state police presence in Tijuana since 2022, but municipal police handle the bulk of street-level patrols and first response.
The new interim chief will also need to manage morale within a department that has now seen three leadership changes since October 2024. Rank-and-file officers often view frequent turnover at the top as a sign that political considerations outweigh operational stability.
Tijuana’s municipal government has not announced any structural changes to the public safety department alongside the personnel move. The next city council session is scheduled for the second week of July, where security policy could appear on the agenda. This story was first reported by Debate.