Tecate’s regional prosecutor Genaro Adrián Guzmán García was forced out of his position on April 7, and both the local business council and families of disappeared persons are demanding his reinstatement.
The Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (CCE) of Tecate and the search collective Madres, Hasta Encontrarte Tecate issued public statements calling on the Baja California Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE, the state Attorney General’s office) to reverse the decision. Both groups say the departure was not voluntary. They allege the FGE itself requested Guzmán García’s resignation.
Rare Trust Between Prosecutor and Community
Guzmán García had built an unusual level of cooperation with victims’ families in the border city of roughly 115,000 residents, located about 35 miles east of Tijuana. The mothers’ search collective credited him with keeping families informed on active case files for missing persons, ensuring timely DNA testing, and providing field support during physical searches.
That kind of coordination between a prosecutor’s office and victims’ groups is uncommon in Baja California, where families of the disappeared have long criticized state authorities for slow responses and lack of communication. Tecate, despite its smaller size compared to Tijuana or Mexicali, had become a relative exception under Guzmán García’s tenure.
Protest Planned, Attorney General Silent
Madres, Hasta Encontrarte Tecate announced plans to protest at FGE offices. The CCE, which represents local business interests, issued a separate statement backing the prosecutor’s reinstatement, a notable move for a business group to publicly challenge a state-level appointment decision.
Neither the FGE nor General Prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez has responded publicly to the demands. The office has not provided an official reason for Guzmán García’s removal.
What This Means for Tecate
The Tecate regional prosecutor’s office handles criminal cases across the municipality, including drug offenses, property crimes, and missing persons investigations. As recently as February 2025, the office was actively prosecuting cases involving narcotics and other crimes. A change in leadership could disrupt ongoing investigations and the working relationships that families of the disappeared depend on for progress in their cases.
For Tecate’s expat and cross-border community, the regional prosecutor’s office is the primary local point of contact for criminal complaints and legal proceedings. The unified pushback from both civil society and the business sector points to a deeper institutional conflict between state authorities in Mexicali and local stakeholders.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte on April 8.