A threatening message found in the men’s restroom at CBTis 155, a technical high school in Tijuana’s Jardines del Rubí neighborhood, forced the school to activate emergency security protocols for the second time in five days on the morning of April 21.
Municipal police, state security forces, and military units responded to the campus. Classes continued as scheduled, but the school placed enhanced security filters at all entrances and left attendance to parental discretion.
Second Threat in Five Days
The first incident occurred on April 16, when a note found in the women’s restroom warned of an armed attack planned for April 17. That threat did not materialize, but many parents kept their children home the following day. CBTis (Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Industrial y de Servicios) 155 is a federally administered vocational high school serving students ages 15 to 18.
The new message, written directly on a bathroom wall rather than on a separate note, prompted the same multi-agency response. Authorities swept the campus and found no weapons or evidence of a credible plot.
A Pattern Across Tijuana Schools
CBTis 155 is not the only campus affected. On April 20, municipal police deployed to Escuela Secundaria No. 16 in the Terrazas de la Presa neighborhood after a similar threatening message appeared in its restrooms. Weeks earlier, a Cecyte (Colegio de Estudios Científicos y Tecnológicos) preparatory school in the city experienced its own scare.
In total, at least three Tijuana schools have reported written threats in the past several weeks. According to Tijuana en Línea, the string of incidents has forced repeated security deployments that divert police and military resources from other duties across the city.
Authorities Warn Against Hoaxes
Tijuana’s municipal security secretariat has said many of these threats appear to be hoaxes, likely written by students. The city’s crime prevention division has begun giving talks at affected schools about the legal consequences of making false threats and about the responsible use of emergency lines and apps.
Officials are asking students and parents to report any suspicious messages immediately through 911 or the Botón de Emergencia (Emergency Button) mobile app. Municipal police plan to maintain random patrols around affected campuses in the coming days.
Parents who choose to send children to school during these alerts can expect bag checks and identification screenings at entrances. The original report was published by Punto Norte on April 21, 2026.