Two state transportation inspectors kidnapped by armed gunmen Wednesday night on the Transpeninsular Highway were found alive Thursday after a joint law enforcement and military operation south of Ensenada.
The inspectors, identified as Héctor Olivero, 46, and Erik Zertuche, 36, both work for the Instituto de Movilidad Sustentable (IMOS), Baja California’s state sustainable transportation agency. Authorities located them at Ejido Díaz Ordaz, roughly 130 kilometers south of Ensenada and 70 kilometers north of San Quintín, after obtaining a search warrant.
The Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE), Baja California’s state attorney general’s office, confirmed the two men were found in good health about 24 hours after their abduction.
Armed Convoy Ambushed Inspectors on Highway 1
The kidnapping took place the night of Wednesday, June 10, in the Punta Colonet area. Olivero and Zertuche were driving back to Ensenada after completing a supervision operation in the municipality of San Quintín.
Three vehicles, a white Chevrolet Silverado, a GMC Yukon, and a green and gray Jeep Cherokee Rubicon, boxed in the IMOS vehicle near Ejido 27 de Enero on the Transpeninsular Highway. Approximately 15 masked and armed individuals got out, opened fire on the official vehicle, and pulled both inspectors from it.
Reports indicate the attackers then took Olivero and Zertuche to an unknown location. Heavy law enforcement and military mobilization was reported Thursday morning in communities at the southern edge of the Ensenada municipality.
Rescue Operation and Ongoing Concerns
Multiple agencies participated in the rescue, though specific details about arrests or suspects have not been released. The FGE confirmed the operation was carried out under a judicial search warrant.
The stretch of Highway 1 between Ensenada and San Quintín passes through the Colonet and San Quintín agricultural belt, a major farming region that is also a primary transit corridor. Law enforcement agencies maintain a permanent presence along this route, yet criminal groups continue to operate in the area.
The targeted abduction of state officials carrying out routine inspections marks an escalation in this part of the peninsula. No information has been released about a possible motive, though IMOS inspectors regularly conduct operations against unlicensed or illegal transportation services.
This story was first reported by Ensenada.Net, El Imparcial, and El Vigía.