A joint security force of 380 police, military, and naval personnel launched a large-scale operation Thursday morning in Valle de la Trinidad, a remote agricultural community about 100 kilometers east of Ensenada along Highway 3 (the Ensenada-San Felipe corridor).
The operation, called “Operación Valle de la Trinidad,” involves six agencies at all three levels of government: the Baja California Citizen Security Secretariat (SSCBC), the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA), the Mexican Navy (MARINA), the state Attorney General’s Office (FGE), the National Guard, and the Ensenada Municipal Public Safety Directorate (DSPM). The force deployed with 70 vehicles, six drones, and a civilian helicopter on standby.
Three Goals for the Operation
Authorities said the operation has three core objectives: dismantle criminal organizations and capture those responsible for recent violence, strengthen the government’s social presence in the area, and encourage residents to report crimes. Valle de la Trinidad has been designated a priority attention zone by state security officials.
The operation follows a prior security deployment on March 30 that resulted in the arrest of three suspects found with high-caliber weapons. Those individuals are believed to be connected to a violent attack in the area the previous weekend. Authorities said that incident was linked to disputes between criminal groups over drug trafficking routes through the valley.
Background: Cartel Disputes and Recent Violence
At a press conference following the March 30 arrests, General Laureano Carrillo, head of the SSCBC, was joined by Ensenada Public Safety Director Alejandro Monreal Noriega and representatives from SEDENA, MARINA, the National Guard, and the FGE. General Carrillo stated that authorities would not allow criminal activity to harm the residents of Valle de la Trinidad.
Valle de la Trinidad sits along a corridor used by drug trafficking organizations to move narcotics between the Pacific coast and the Sea of Cortez side of the peninsula. Highway 3, which connects Ensenada to San Felipe, runs through the valley. Travelers using this route should expect military checkpoints and increased security presence in the coming days.
The operation was first reported by Zeta Tijuana and Periodismo Negro.