Baja California state security forces arrested two men Wednesday night in Tecate after officers spotted a suspicious vehicle blocking traffic in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, according to authorities.
Officers from the Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Ciudadana (FESC), the state’s security force, noticed a Honda CRV with U.S. license plates stopped on Calle Texcoco with its doors open. Inside the vehicle, police found a loaded Glock 27 pistol, 60 packets of methamphetamine, and an electronic concealment device.
Suspects Tied to Organized Crime Group
The two men, identified as Alejandro, 34, originally from Toluca in the State of Mexico, and Marco Antonio, 39, from Tepic in Nayarit, told officers they reside in Tijuana. Both identified themselves as members of an organized crime group, according to the report.
Authorities said the pair had been operating as contract killers and running a “cobro de piso” operation, a form of extortion in which criminal groups demand regular payments from local businesses in exchange for allowing them to stay open. The practice is one of the most common ways cartels generate income beyond drug trafficking.
Extortion a Persistent Problem in Tecate
Tecate, a small border city about 35 miles east of Tijuana, has faced recurring issues with organized crime extortion. In October 2021, state and federal authorities dismantled a similar extortion ring linked to the Cartel de La Línea that had been shaking down commuters and vendors near the international border crossing. That operation resulted in 20 arrests, including a former municipal official.
The presence of a U.S.-plated vehicle and the electronic concealment device, typically used to hide contraband in modified vehicle compartments, led authorities to treat the case as a significant cartel-linked arrest rather than a routine drug stop. Both suspects were handed over to the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), Mexico’s federal prosecutor’s office, which handles organized crime cases.
Federal Charges Expected
The transfer to federal jurisdiction indicates prosecutors intend to pursue charges related to organized crime, which carry stiffer penalties than state-level offenses in Mexico. Cobro de piso extortion has become increasingly common across Baja California in recent years, affecting businesses ranging from taco stands to larger commercial operations.
Tecate is a popular border crossing for expats and day-trippers heading between San Diego County and Baja California wine country in the Valle de Guadalupe. The city’s smaller port of entry typically sees less congestion than Tijuana’s crossings.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte.