Mexicali municipal police arrested a 34-year-old security guard on Thursday after he allegedly threatened workers from Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) with a loaded handgun at an electrical substation in the city’s Reacomodo San Fernando neighborhood.
The suspect, identified as Silvano de Jesús, was stationed as a guard at the Wisteria substation when he began shouting profanities at CFE employees conducting routine maintenance. According to police, he challenged the workers to a fistfight and repeatedly simulated drawing a firearm from his waistband while threatening to harm them.
911 Call Led to Quick Response
The confrontation prompted a 911 call, and officers from the Mexicali Municipal Public Security Directorate (DSPM) responded to the scene. Police detained Silvano de Jesús and seized a Glock .380 pistol loaded with nine rounds from his possession.
Authorities said there was no apparent motive for the guard’s outburst against the CFE crew. The workers had been performing standard maintenance at the substation, located in a residential area on Mexicali’s east side, when the confrontation began.
Suspect Turned Over to Federal Prosecutors
Because the incident involved a firearm, which falls under federal jurisdiction in Mexico, officers transferred the suspect to the FGR (Fiscalía General de la República), the federal attorney general’s office. He faces potential charges related to weapons possession and threats.
Under Mexican law, unauthorized possession of a firearm is a federal offense that can carry prison sentences of several years, depending on the type of weapon and circumstances. The Glock .380 is classified as a weapon reserved for military and law enforcement use, which could result in additional charges.
The arrest comes amid broader concerns about the safety of utility workers in Baja California. Just two weeks ago, Mexicali authorities assigned a protective security detail to the director of the city’s water utility, CESPM, after a series of threats targeting the agency. CFE workers across Mexico have faced periodic violence in recent years, including a deadly 2022 attack on employees in Sonora.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte and confirmed by Canal 66.