Fifteen armed, masked men abducted two government inspectors Wednesday night on the San Quintín-Ensenada highway near Punta Colonet, and neither victim had been located as of Thursday evening. One of the victims is Erick Zertuche López, the son of Baja California federal congresswoman Rocío López Gorosave.
Zertuche López and his colleague José Héctor Olivero Carabita, 46, both work for the Instituto de Movilidad Sustentable (IMOS), Baja California’s Institute of Sustainable Mobility. The two had just completed an enforcement operation targeting unlicensed transport vehicles when three vehicles carrying the armed group intercepted them on the highway.
Abduction Tied to Transport Enforcement
The kidnapping took place on the Transpeninsular Highway (Highway 1), the main route connecting Ensenada to San Quintín and points south. Punta Colonet, the area where the abduction occurred, sits roughly 70 miles south of Ensenada in a largely rural stretch of coastline. The highway is regularly traveled by residents, truckers, and tourists heading to wine country or the Pacific coast.
IMOS inspectors enforce regulations on public and commercial transportation, including cracking down on unlicensed vehicles that operate outside the legal system. Illegal transport operators, sometimes called “piratas,” have long been a source of tension in the region. The scale of the armed response, with 15 gunmen in three vehicles, points to organized involvement rather than a spontaneous confrontation.
Congresswoman’s Muted Response Draws Criticism
Congresswoman López Gorosave, who represents Baja California in Mexico’s federal Congress, has not issued a direct public statement about her son’s disappearance. She posted an oblique message on Facebook referencing family peace and safety, without mentioning the kidnapping by name.
The indirect response drew sharp criticism on social media. Commenters compared her silence to the anguish of thousands of Mexican mothers who publicly search for disappeared family members, often with little government help. Mexico’s national registry of missing persons includes more than 100,000 cases nationwide, and Baja California consistently ranks among the states with the highest disappearance rates.
Investigation Ongoing With No Leads Made Public
Authorities said Thursday that the investigation remains active but offered no details about suspects, motives, or the victims’ whereabouts. The Baja California state attorney general’s office (FGE) has not publicly confirmed arrests or identified any of the armed individuals involved.
The case raises questions about the safety of government workers conducting enforcement operations in remote areas of the state, particularly when those operations target sectors with known ties to organized crime. Transport regulation enforcement has been a flashpoint in several Mexican states where criminal groups control or profit from informal transit networks.
This story was first reported by Jornada BC.