Gunmen on a motorcycle killed one man and critically wounded another outside a drug rehabilitation clinic in Tijuana on Sunday afternoon. The attack took place around 3:51 p.m. at the JIREH clinic, home to the well-known “Patrulla Espiritual” organization, in Fraccionamiento Residencial del Bosque.
According to Semanario ZETA, the shooters opened fire on two men standing near the front entrance of the facility. One victim died at the scene. Emergency responders transported the second to Tijuana General Hospital in serious condition. Investigators found at least 12 bullet casings on the facade and entrance area.
The clinic’s spokesperson, known as Chikilín, told reporters that the two victims were not residents or staff members. He said they had arrived at the clinic claiming to request a scholarship but appeared to have other intentions. Chikilín described the shooting as a “settlement of accounts” between the victims and their attackers, calling it unrelated to the rehabilitation center’s operations.
The Baja California State Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation and said agents were reviewing surveillance camera footage from the area to identify the gunmen. No arrests had been made as of Sunday evening.
Attacks near and inside drug rehabilitation centers have a long and grim history in Tijuana. Cartels have targeted these facilities for years, sometimes over disputes about recruitment or territorial control. The city saw a 16% increase in violent clashes involving armed groups between mid-2024 and early 2025, according to the ACLED conflict data project. Sunday’s shooting, while smaller in scale than some past rehab center attacks, adds to the pattern of violence around these facilities in one of Mexico’s most contested border cities.