Tijuana police arrested two Sinaloa Cartel suspects after three bodies were discovered across the city, highlighting a growing wave of cartel-linked violence in Baja California.
Tijuana, Baja California – Three bodies were discovered in separate incidents across Tijuana, prompting swift arrests of two men believed to be linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. The violence erupted over a 24-hour period, adding to the city’s already rising homicide count in June.
The first incident occurred Thursday afternoon, June 12, in the Los Laureles neighborhood. Local authorities responded to reports of gunfire at 2:19 p.m. and found the body of a man identified as Vicente Chávez García, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Police on the scene detained two suspects: José Ángel Solís Bueno and Manuel Munguía Moreno. Both men are under investigation for alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Hours later, early Friday morning, police discovered a second body inside a vehicle abandoned in the Herrera neighborhood. Around 1:27 a.m., officers located a maroon Toyota Camry with Baja California plates (A49NWB4). In the back seat, they found a body wrapped in a red-and-yellow blanket, shaped and bound to resemble a human form. The victim has not yet been publicly identified.
Shortly after, authorities recovered a third body on the beach in Playas de Tijuana. Initial reports indicate the man was shot before being dumped along the coast. Like the second victim, he remains unidentified as of Friday morning.
The Baja California Attorney General’s Office confirmed that investigations are ongoing in all three cases. Prosecutors are working to determine whether the same criminal group is responsible for each killing.
The arrests of Solís Bueno and Munguía Moreno are part of a broader push by security forces to dismantle cartel networks operating in Tijuana. Local and federal authorities have stepped up surveillance and tactical patrols following a string of violent events attributed to organized crime.
June has proven especially violent for Tijuana. According to figures published by Semanario Zeta, the city recorded 44 homicides by mid-month. Most of these killings remain unsolved, though authorities consistently cite territorial disputes between rival criminal organizations as a primary cause.
The Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful and well-resourced drug trafficking organizations, maintains an active presence in Tijuana. Its operatives compete with other factions, including remnants of the Arellano Félix Organization and Jalisco New Generation Cartel, for control over the border city’s lucrative smuggling routes.
Tijuana’s proximity to the U.S. border makes it a strategic hub for trafficking drugs, weapons, and people. Control over the area grants access to San Diego and beyond. This reality has fueled an ongoing cycle of violence, often carried out in public and with extreme brutality.
In response, the Mexican government continues to deploy military and federal police through coordinated operations. While these efforts have led to sporadic arrests, critics argue they have not disrupted the deeper criminal infrastructure operating in the region.
Residents of Tijuana say they live in fear, especially in neighborhoods like Los Laureles, Herrera, and Playas de Tijuana, where bodies appear regularly and gunfire is no longer shocking. Local community leaders have called for more preventive measures, including social programs, stronger oversight of police forces, and better coordination between municipal and state authorities.
Meanwhile, Baja California’s security officials have promised to increase patrols and invest in investigative units focused on organized crime. They also urged the public to report suspicious activity anonymously, offering protection for those who come forward.
As of Friday afternoon, authorities have not linked the three deaths directly, but the close timing and the arrest of two cartel-linked suspects suggest a pattern. Forensic teams are working to determine if the killings involved similar weapons or methods.
Families of the victims are being contacted, and the bodies have been sent to the state medical examiner for autopsies. Officials expect to release more details in the coming days.
This week’s violence adds to growing concerns about the effectiveness of law enforcement in curbing cartel activity. With nearly 50 murders this month alone, Tijuana remains one of Mexico’s most dangerous cities, caught in the middle of an unrelenting drug war.
