Baja California security forces have arrested at least 20 suspected criminals during a nearly three-month operation in Valle de la Trinidad, a remote area southeast of Ensenada, launched after four 19-year-olds were killed on March 28.
Baja California’s Public Safety Secretary Laureano Carrillo Rodríguez announced the arrests on June 9 at Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda’s weekly press conference. More than 300 personnel from state police, the Mexican Army, the National Guard, and the Navy have been deployed to the region since the quadruple homicide.
Drug Labs and Marijuana Fields Discovered
During the operation, security forces uncovered marijuana cultivation sites and a large-scale drug laboratory in the area. The discoveries point to the remote mountain region’s role as an active zone for drug production, not just trafficking.
The operation stretches across a wide swath of northern Baja California’s interior. Forces are covering Valle de la Trinidad, the Kiliwa indigenous territory, areas near the San Felipe municipality border, and mountain trails leading toward Laguna Hanson in the Sierra de Juárez. Laguna Hanson sits within the Constitución de 1857 National Park, a forested highland area roughly 80 kilometers east of Ensenada.
Criminal Groups Still Active in the Zone
Despite the sustained military and police presence, authorities acknowledged that criminal organizations continue to operate in the zone. Carrillo Rodríguez did not name specific groups or provide details about the identities of those arrested.
Valle de la Trinidad is a small farming community located about 140 kilometers southeast of Ensenada along Highway 3, the road connecting Ensenada to San Felipe. The area is sparsely populated and sits at the edge of the Sierra de Juárez mountain range. Travelers heading between the two cities pass through the town.
The March 28 killings that triggered the operation claimed the lives of four young people, all 19 years old. No further details about the victims or the circumstances of their deaths were provided at the press conference.
Northern Baja California’s rural interior has seen periodic security operations in recent years. The Sierra de Juárez and surrounding valleys have long been linked to marijuana and methamphetamine production due to their isolation and difficult terrain.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte on June 9.