State and military forces arrested two Colombian nationals on Thursday afternoon in Mexicali after an anonymous tip linked them to an organized criminal cell. The joint operation took place on Avenida México in Ejido Estación Coahuila, a rural area southeast of the city center.
Darwin Ferney, 35, known by the alias “El Zarco” and originally from Villavicencio, Colombia, was detained alongside a 33-year-old man identified as Alexander, from Bogotá. Officers from the Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Ciudadana (FESC), Baja California’s state security force, and the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena), Mexico’s military, responded after receiving the tip through the 089 anonymous crime hotline.
Weapons, Ammunition, and Spike Strips Seized
Authorities recovered a Glock 19 handgun loaded with 17 rounds from the suspects. They also seized multiple loaded magazines, including one designed for a 7.62x39mm rifle, a caliber commonly associated with AK-47 style weapons. A box of tire spike strips, devices used to puncture and disable the tires of pursuing vehicles, was also found in their possession.
Both men were driving vehicles with Arizona license plates that had been reported stolen in the United States. One was a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee reported stolen in California in April 2026. The other was a 2019 Subaru reported stolen more than two years ago.
Federal Prosecutors Take the Case
The suspects, the weapons, and the stolen vehicles were all turned over to the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) for prosecution. The referral to federal rather than state prosecutors points to a potential organized crime investigation, as the FGR handles cases involving criminal networks, weapons trafficking, and offenses with cross-border elements.
The combination of spike strips, military-caliber ammunition, and U.S.-plated stolen vehicles is consistent with the tools and methods used by organized criminal groups operating in the border region. Spike strips are typically employed to disable law enforcement vehicles during pursuits or to stop rival vehicles at improvised checkpoints.
Ejido Estación Coahuila sits along a corridor that connects Mexicali’s agricultural outskirts to areas near the U.S. border. The 089 tip line, which allows callers to report criminal activity anonymously, played a direct role in prompting the operation. Residents and visitors in the Mexicali area can reach the line by dialing 089 from any phone in Mexico.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte and En Línea BC.