Fourteen state police agents in Baja California are off the street after Baja police cocaine heist allegations upended a high-profile drug case in Tijuana. Investigators say about 180 kilos of cocaine vanished during an early-October operation in Ojo de Agua. Surveillance video and official vehicles are now at the center of a federal probe, while state authorities insist the suspensions are preventive. The case has revived old fears about collusion, turf taxes, and who actually controls the routes at the border’s edge.
Baja police cocaine heist
The Baja California government has suspended 14 state police agents. At the same time, investigators examine whether officers helped steal roughly 180 kilograms of cocaine that disappeared during a Tijuana operation in the Ojo de Agua area the first weekend of October. State Security Secretary Laureano Carrillo Rodríguez confirmed the suspensions as preventive measures while the internal probe continues.
According to state and federal records reviewed by local outlets, the alleged theft happened on Saturday, October 4, 2025, in Ojo de Agua. A surveillance camera on Calle California recorded vehicles later identified by the state Security Secretariat, prompting the federal attorney general’s office to open a case file. That file is listed as FED/BC/TIJ/0002996/2025, a detail reported by La Jornada.
By mid-October, the story had already spilled into the open. Zeta Tijuana reported the timeline and location details; their coverage also noted the unusual way the load was allegedly intercepted, sparking questions within the force. State officials then confirmed the administrative suspensions while the internal control unit and federal authorities pursued the criminal side.
What investigators are zeroing in on
The federal probe is leaning on video, radio logs, and the use of official vehicles that allegedly appeared at the scene but were not logged as part of a sanctioned operation. State authorities have insisted the suspensions do not prejudge guilt; they say the move protects the integrity of the inquiry. La Jornada’s reporting underscores how the video evidence triggered the federal case and put the spotlight on the unit’s chain of command.
One thread drawing attention is whether the missing load ties back to the Arellano Félix network, the long-running Tijuana group that still polices routes and “right-of-way” fees. Infobae reports that preliminary lines of inquiry are exploring a possible link between the officers and that organization, though prosecutors have not filed charges naming a cartel. Officials caution that all suspects remain presumed innocent while evidence is reviewed.
If the evidence holds, the case could test how Baja California polices its own police. For residents who live with the daily reality of checkpoints, extortion rumors, and cartel turf taxes, the allegation cuts close to home. The government says 14 officers remain off duty, the federal file is open, and the timeline—video, vehicles, and missing cocaine—will decide what happens next.
