An illegal dump in Tijuana’s Colonia Los Alcatraces has been burning tons of waste daily for more than two years, causing chronic respiratory illness among children and elderly residents in the neighborhood near La Gloria.
Neighbors say armed men operate the site, charging trucks between 200 and 500 pesos (roughly $10 to $25 USD) per load to dump waste. The materials burned include wood, charcoal, construction debris, and unidentified substances that produce thick toxic smoke. Residents report a constant chemical smell that permeates their homes.
Those who have tried to intervene say they have been threatened. Residents told local media that when they called firefighters or reported the operation to city authorities, the dump’s operators retaliated with intimidation. The armed presence at the site has discouraged further complaints.
Health Toll on Children and Elderly
The health consequences are serious and ongoing. Families in Colonia Los Alcatraces report chronic coughing, respiratory infections, and breathing difficulties, particularly among children and older adults. The toxic smoke blankets the neighborhood daily, and residents say they have seen no improvement in more than two years of exposure.
The situation in Los Alcatraces fits a broader pattern in Tijuana, where rapid urban growth has outpaced waste management infrastructure. A 2014 peer-reviewed study published in MDPI’s International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that residents of Tijuana neighborhoods near illegal dump sites reported significantly higher rates of respiratory illness, skin infections, and other health problems compared to those living farther away.
City Law Prohibits Open-Air Burning
The operation is a clear violation of Tijuana’s own municipal regulations. Article 44 of the city’s Municipal Cleanup Code (Reglamento de Limpia Municipal) explicitly prohibits the open-air burning of solid waste within city limits. Despite this, authorities have not shut down the dump.
Residents secured a meeting with the local district delegate, scheduled for Monday, April 6. The delegate had canceled at least two previous appointments with the community. Neighbors hope the meeting will finally produce action against the illegal operation.
Colonia Los Alcatraces sits in Tijuana’s eastern periphery, an area of the city where informal settlements have expanded rapidly and municipal services often lag behind population growth. For residents there, the daily burning represents both an environmental crime and an immediate health crisis with no resolution in sight.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte.