Jesús Yadiel, a 16-year-old who disappeared on May 25 while selling cookies and donuts in Tecate, was found dead near kilometer 25 of the Tecate-Ensenada highway, close to the Valle de Las Palmas area. Forensic tests confirmed his identity ten days after he went missing.
The teenager’s body showed extensive signs of torture. His hands had been bound, and he had multiple stab wounds and bruising. Investigators determined he had been shot 12 times with an AK-47. Shell casings were recovered at the scene.
Cartel Symbol Found at the Scene
Near the body, investigators also found a pink pig figurine. That symbol has been linked to violent incidents in Culiacán, Sinaloa, where rival cartel factions have used it as a calling card. Its presence at the scene points to possible organized crime involvement in the killing.
Tecate, a small border city of roughly 110,000 people located about 35 miles east of San Diego, has long been regarded as one of the calmer crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border. The city is known for its brewery, its wine country connections to the Valle de Guadalupe, and its relaxed pace compared to Tijuana.
A Pattern of Violence Against Minors
The killing of Jesús Yadiel is not an isolated case. According to the report, more than five minors have been murdered in Tecate so far in 2026, and nearly a dozen others have gone missing. No arrests have been made in any of those cases.
On June 3, a five-year-old boy was found dead in the Nueva Hindú neighborhood of Tecate. The perpetrators had attempted to burn his body. That case also remains unsolved.
Tecate has faced a broader pattern of violence and impunity in recent years. In early 2024, Angelita León, an activist who worked on missing persons cases in Tecate, was murdered after publicly reporting threats against her. She was the second activist killed in the municipality that year, following the murder of human rights defender Óscar Eyraud Adams.
No Arrests in Any Case
The lack of arrests across all of these cases points to a serious enforcement gap in Tecate. State prosecutors have not publicly commented on suspects or lines of investigation in the killing of Jesús Yadiel.
The Tecate-Ensenada highway, where the body was found, runs through sparsely populated terrain south of the city. Valle de Las Palmas, the nearest community, sits roughly 25 kilometers from Tecate’s urban center. The isolated stretch of road has been the site of previous body dumps linked to cartel activity in the region.
This story was first reported by Baja California Post.