Baja California’s Secretary of Citizen Security, Laureano Carrillo Rodríguez, announced on July 3 a plan to install surveillance cameras at strategic points along highways in and around Tecate. The cameras will target rural stretches of road that have been difficult to patrol due to limited manpower.
The proposed camera locations include the El Hongo stretch, La Rumorosa, and the free road No. 3 between Tecate and Valle de Guadalupe. All three routes are well traveled by residents and visitors heading between the border, wine country, and the mountains east of Tijuana.
Existing Cameras Already Producing Results
Carrillo Rodríguez pointed to cameras already operating inside La Rumorosa as proof the approach works. Those cameras have contributed to recent seizures of weapons and drugs, as well as arrests, according to the secretary. He described the technology as a force multiplier for state security agencies that lack the personnel to maintain a constant presence on long, isolated highways.
The announcement came the same day Tecate’s municipal government received a delivery of new patrol vehicles. Carrillo made the camera proposal alongside local officials during the vehicle handover ceremony.
Routes Popular With Tourists and Wine Country Visitors
The free road No. 3 connecting Tecate to Valle de Guadalupe is a key route for tourists visiting Baja California’s wine region. The highway passes through rolling hills and rural terrain with few gas stations or services. La Rumorosa, meanwhile, sits along the steep mountain road between Mexicali and Tijuana, a route known for dramatic elevation changes, sharp curves, and occasional fog.
El Hongo is a small community along the Tecate to La Rumorosa highway, located at a junction where several rural roads converge. Criminal activity on these isolated corridors has long been a concern for both residents and travelers.
No timeline or budget for the camera installations was included in the announcement. Carrillo did not specify whether the cameras would be monitored in real time or used primarily for recorded evidence. The state has not disclosed how many cameras are planned or which agency would operate them.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte.