A civilian search collective discovered a body and a separate set of skeletal remains Sunday afternoon in a streambed in the El Sauzal area of Ensenada municipality. The group “Buscando A José Ángel” made the dual find during an organized search operation in the arroyo.
No clothing was recovered at the scene. Agents from the Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE, the state attorney general’s office), the Search Commission, Fuerza Estatal (state police), and the Municipal Police Search Unit supported the operation.
Remains Sent to Medical Examiner for Identification
Both sets of remains were transported to the Servicio Médico Forense (SEMEFO), Baja California’s state medical examiner, for forensic analysis. Authorities will conduct DNA comparison testing to establish the identities of the deceased. No information about possible causes of death has been released.
El Sauzal sits along Highway 1 (the Transpeninsular Highway) roughly 10 kilometers north of downtown Ensenada. The coastal community is home to fish canneries, a growing number of wineries, and is a regular pass-through point for travelers heading between Tijuana and Ensenada.
Civilian Collectives Fill a Painful Gap
The discovery is the latest by one of dozens of civilian search collectives operating across Baja California. These groups, typically formed by families of disappeared persons, organize their own fieldwork to locate clandestine burial sites and human remains. They often work in arroyos, vacant lots, and remote desert terrain.
Baja California is one of Mexico’s hardest-hit states for disappearances. Mexico’s National Registry of Missing and Unidentified Persons lists tens of thousands of open cases nationwide, with Baja California consistently ranking among states with the highest numbers. The collectives coordinate with state authorities but frequently rely on their own tips, maps, and volunteer labor to carry out searches.
The Ensenada region has seen multiple discoveries of human remains in recent months. In August 2025, a man was found executed in an arroyo near Maneadero, south of the city. Finds in streambeds and rural areas are common because seasonal rains can uncover shallow graves or expose remains that were deposited in dry washes.
Authorities have not announced any suspects or lines of investigation related to Sunday’s discovery. The story was first reported by Ensenada.net.