Two inspectors from Baja California’s Instituto de Movilidad Sustentable (IMOS), the state’s sustainable transportation agency, were kidnapped at gunpoint near Punta Colonet on Wednesday evening, June 10. The inspectors were returning to Ensenada after a work operation when armed suspects overpowered and seized them around 9:00 p.m.
Gunshots were fired during the abduction. According to Semanario ZETA, three vehicles carrying approximately 15 masked and armed individuals intercepted the inspectors. The vehicles displayed lights similar to those used by law enforcement agencies. At least two shots were fired at IMOS unit 34 during the attack.
San Quintín Authorities Respond
The San Quintín municipal delegation received the initial report and authorities are responding. No information has been released about the suspects, their motive, or the current status of the two inspectors. The story remains developing as of Thursday morning.
Punta Colonet is a small agricultural town of roughly 3,700 residents located about 115 kilometers (71 miles) south of Ensenada along Highway 1 (the Transpeninsular Highway). The stretch of road between Ensenada and San Quintín passes through sparsely populated terrain with limited cell service in some areas.
What Travelers Should Know
The Punta Colonet corridor on Highway 1 is a common route for expats and tourists driving between Ensenada and destinations further south, including San Quintín, El Rosario, and points along the Baja peninsula. The fact that government officials conducting an official operation were targeted on this road segment is notable. IMOS inspectors typically enforce transportation regulations, including permits and vehicle compliance for commercial operators.
This incident comes amid broader security concerns along rural stretches of Baja California’s highways. In 2024, three foreign surfers were killed near Punta San José, also in Ensenada municipality, in a case that drew international attention to safety risks on remote Baja roads.
Authorities have not issued any travel advisories related to this specific incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact local authorities through the San Quintín municipal delegation. This story was first reported by Semanario ZETA.