The ongoing cartel violence is becoming a serious concern in California, particularly as the situation escalates in the Mexican city of Tijuana. This unrest has intensified following the assassination of a prominent drug lord.
On Monday, suspected members of the cartel set vehicles ablaze, created roadblocks, and targeted local businesses near the border wall in Tijuana, which is just a short distance from San Diego.
Alarming visuals emerged, showing a key highway used for border crossing completely shut down, while law enforcement examined the charred remains of a vehicle.
The chaos erupted after Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the head of the Jalisco cartel, was killed during a military operation in the mountain town of Tapalpa.
In retaliation, cartel members unleashed violent attacks across various Mexican cities, with Puerto Vallarta, a well-known tourist destination, experiencing significant turmoil.
The violence has now crept closer to the U.S., with reports of disturbances in Baja California and Tijuana, regions adjacent to the border.
Reporter Jorge Ventura provided chilling insights into the situation, noting that multiple vehicles were set on fire as they entered Tijuana on Monday.
In one clip, a burned car was seen with its trunk ajar, closely monitored by armed soldiers mere meters from the border fence.
Another video captured a car engulfed in flames on a major roadway that parallels the U.S. border.
“Right next to us is the U.S.-Mexico border wall. About an hour ago, cartels burned vehicles on this major highway,” Ventura reported.
He cautioned that this could potentially ignite unrest in Tijuana that may continue late into the night.
Local authorities have apprehended 25 suspected gang members since Sunday, on charges including arson, blockade setups, and assaults on businesses.
Tijuana serves as a crucial entry point between California and Mexico, with about 200,000 people crossing daily at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, totaling around 50 million annually.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection reassured the public that all Southwest border crossings remain “open and fully operational” with no planned closures.
This surge in violence was triggered by the dramatic capture and subsequent death of cartel leader Oseguera Cervantes during a bold operation on Sunday.
According to Mexican Defense Secretary Ricardo Torrevira, intelligence agents located him at a remote hideout through one of his companions.
The authorities discovered that the woman had been brought to Tapalpa, a resort area in Jalisco state where Oseguera and his followers were concealed.
While she fled, El Mencho and his crew fortified their location until military forces intervened to oust them.
As soldiers moved in, heavily armed gang members opened fire, resulting in a fierce shootout and pursuit through the nearby woods, which led to the deaths of four cartel members.
Three others, including Oseguera, suffered severe injuries and succumbed while being transported to a hospital in Mexico City.
