Tijuana municipal police arrested two individuals on separate weapons charges this week, both near school zones in the city’s eastern neighborhoods. The arrests, announced by the Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana (SSC), Tijuana’s municipal public safety department, involved a firearm and ammunition seized during routine patrols in the Mariano Matamoros and Camino Verde areas.
Two Arrests in 24 Hours in Mariano Matamoros and Camino Verde
The first arrest took place on Calle Durango between calles Quintana Roo and Guerrero in the Mariano Matamoros Sur neighborhood. Officers on a routine patrol spotted a man behaving suspiciously near a school. A search turned up a .380-caliber handgun loaded with six rounds. The suspect was identified only as a male adult, consistent with Mexican privacy protocols that restrict naming non-public-figure suspects.
The second arrest occurred in the Camino Verde neighborhood, also near a school. Officers detained an individual carrying ammunition, though the SSC did not specify the caliber or quantity. Both suspects were transported to the municipal detention facility and handed over to the Agencia del Ministerio Público, the state prosecutor’s office, for formal processing.
Under Mexican federal law, civilian possession of firearms requires authorization from the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA), Mexico’s defense ministry. Permits are difficult to obtain and restricted to specific calibers. Carrying a weapon without a SEDENA permit is a federal offense that can carry sentences of three to seven years. Carrying near a school or government building can increase penalties.
Tijuana Logged Over 1,500 Murders in 2023
These arrests fit a broader pattern of weapons enforcement in Tijuana, a city that has struggled with gun violence for more than a decade. Tijuana recorded over 1,500 homicides in 2023, making it one of the deadliest cities in Mexico by raw numbers. While most of that violence is linked to organized crime, illegal firearms circulate widely. The SSC has made weapons seizures a visible priority, with patrol units conducting regular sweeps in high-traffic and school-adjacent areas.
The Mariano Matamoros neighborhood, where the first arrest occurred, is one of Tijuana’s largest and most densely populated colonias. It sits in the city’s southeastern sprawl, an area that has grown rapidly over the past two decades as migrants and workers settled on formerly informal land. Camino Verde, the site of the second arrest, is a similarly working-class neighborhood east of the Alamar area. Both colonias have limited infrastructure and have historically seen higher rates of street crime compared to Tijuana’s central and coastal zones.
School-zone enforcement has become a particular focus for Tijuana’s police force. In 2024, the SSC launched a program called Escuela Segura (Safe School), deploying officers to fixed posts near primary and secondary schools during arrival and dismissal hours. The program was a response to parent complaints about drug sales and weapons activity near campuses. The SSC has not published comprehensive data on how many weapons have been seized near schools since the program began, but individual arrest announcements like this week’s have become more frequent in official communications.
Eastern Tijuana Patrols and What They Cover
The areas where these arrests occurred are far from the tourist corridors of Avenida Revolución and the Zona Río. But they are relevant to anyone who crosses the border regularly or lives in Tijuana’s sprawling residential zones. Mariano Matamoros is located roughly 20 minutes southeast of the San Ysidro port of entry, along routes that many cross-border commuters use daily. Camino Verde sits near the Alamar boulevard, a major east-west artery.
Tijuana’s municipal police force operates separately from the state-level Guardia Estatal and the federal Guardia Nacional, though all three overlap in jurisdiction. The SSC handles street-level patrols, traffic enforcement, and neighborhood policing. Weapons cases, once documented by municipal officers, are typically transferred to state or federal prosecutors depending on the charges. Federal prosecutors handle most firearms cases because gun regulation falls under SEDENA’s national jurisdiction.
The SSC did not announce any connection between the two arrests or suggest either suspect was linked to organized crime. Both cases were described as the result of routine patrols rather than targeted operations or intelligence-led raids.
The suspects remain in state custody pending formal charges. The SSC’s next public security report is expected later this month. The arrests were first reported by the Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana de Tijuana through its official channels.