Three suspects have been formally charged and placed in preventive detention for the April 24 ambush killing of Ángel Pantoja Pantoja, the homicide unit coordinator for Baja California’s State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) in Ensenada. A judge released two other suspects arrested in connection with the case, prompting a public objection from Attorney General María Elena Andrade Ramírez.
Pantoja Pantoja led the Crimes Against Life Unit, overseeing all homicide investigations in the Ensenada and San Quintín regions. He was ambushed and shot while driving his official vehicle near the intersection of Lázaro Cárdenas and Hortizores in the Villas del Rey I neighborhood in southern Ensenada. His vehicle was struck by more than 100 rounds of gunfire.
Swift Arrests, Contested Releases
Andrade Ramírez announced the arrests during a press conference alongside Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda. The attorney general said the five suspects were detained within hours of the attack through search operations and intelligence work by state investigators.
Of the five, three were formally bound over for prosecution and ordered held in preventive detention. A judge released the remaining two, a decision Andrade Ramírez publicly contested. She stated that sufficient evidence existed to support charges against all five individuals.
Targeted Attack on State Prosecutors
The killing of Pantoja Pantoja ranks among the most serious attacks on law enforcement in Ensenada in recent years. As the coordinator responsible for solving murders across Ensenada and the agricultural corridor south to San Quintín, he held one of the most sensitive positions in Baja California’s state prosecutor’s office.
The ambush occurred around 9:16 a.m. on April 24 and was carried out by an armed group, according to official reports. Andrade Ramírez vowed the crime would not go unpunished and said the FGE considers the case a top priority.
Ensenada, located roughly 80 miles south of the U.S. border at Tijuana, is a popular destination for American tourists and a growing hub for expatriate residents. The city has struggled with periods of cartel violence, though most incidents target individuals involved in criminal activity rather than tourists or residents.
The case remains under active investigation by the FGE. The story was first reported by Ensenada.net.