Municipal police in Mexicali discovered the body of an unidentified man at a vacant lot in the eastern part of the city on Monday afternoon. The victim was found wrapped in a blanket near the intersection of Calzada Independencia and Calle Cuarta, with apparent signs of violence on the body.
Officers responded to the scene after receiving reports from nearby residents about the discovery. The manner in which the body was wrapped and discarded is consistent with methods commonly associated with organized crime killings in the region.
Investigation Underway in East Mexicali
Authorities have not yet released the victim’s identity. Investigators from the Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE), Baja California’s state attorney general’s office, are expected to take over the case as a homicide investigation.
The location, near Calzada Independencia, is a major east-west thoroughfare in Mexicali that runs through residential and commercial areas on the city’s eastern side. Calle Cuarta sits in a part of the city that includes a mix of older neighborhoods and undeveloped parcels of land.
Mexicali’s Ongoing Security Concerns
Mexicali, Baja California’s state capital and a border city of roughly one million people across from Calexico, California, has seen periodic spikes in violent crime tied to cartel activity. The discovery of bodies in vacant lots, irrigation canals, and other locations has been a recurring problem. In past years, similar cases in the city have involved victims found wrapped in blankets or plastic in areas including Colonia Villas del Colorado and southern Mexicali.
Baja California recorded more than 1,700 homicides statewide in 2024, with Tijuana accounting for the majority. Mexicali’s homicide rate, while lower than Tijuana’s, remains a persistent concern for residents and local officials.
No arrests have been announced in connection with Monday’s discovery. Authorities have not disclosed whether any evidence at the scene pointed to a specific motive or suspect.
This story was first reported by Zeta Tijuana.