Baja California state police arrested two people wanted by U.S. law enforcement in separate incidents in downtown Tijuana on June 8, recovering a vehicle that had been stolen in California earlier that same day.
Officers from the Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Ciudadana (FESC), the state citizen security force, first detained a 31-year-old California woman identified as Shaina N. in the Zona Centro neighborhood. She was found carrying marijuana. A check with the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed she had three active arrest warrants for child abuse, domestic violence, and theft.
Same-Day Stolen Lexus Found on Avenida Coahuila
Minutes after the first arrest, FESC officers stopped a 47-year-old man identified as Omid N. on Avenida Coahuila in the Zona Norte district. He was driving a white 2026 Lexus. Coordination with the California Highway Patrol confirmed the vehicle had been reported stolen earlier on June 8, meaning it crossed the border into Mexico the same day it was taken.
Both individuals were turned over to Mexico’s National Immigration Institute (INM) for transfer to U.S. authorities. The arrests were made possible through the FESC’s Interinstitutional Liaison and International Relations Coordination unit, which maintains direct communication channels with American law enforcement agencies.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Cross-Border Arrests
The detentions are the latest in a steady stream of fugitive arrests along the Tijuana border corridor. In February 2026, the same FESC coordination unit captured three U.S. fugitives within 24 hours, including two suspected murderers and a robbery suspect. Those arrests also relied on real-time information sharing between Mexican and American agencies.
The FESC operates a specialized fugitive-tracking program that has drawn international attention. In April 2025, a member of the unit’s elite team, known informally as the “Gringo Hunters,” was killed during an operation to arrest a convicted murderer who had escaped from California corrections custody. Commander Abigail Esparza Reyes, 33, had led more than 400 operations targeting U.S. fugitives in Mexico over eight years.
The recovery of a same-day stolen vehicle is notable because it shows how quickly stolen cars can cross the border. Drivers crossing southbound at the San Ysidro port of entry typically face minimal inspection compared to the northbound lanes.
This story was first reported by The Baja Post.