Two weeks after two National Guard agents vanished in Tijuana, state prosecutors say two bodies found in Nido de las Águilas match the missing men’s clothing and gear. One was recovered near a dry arroyo; the other from a nearby pit. An alleged crime boss linked to an earlier bar dispute is already in custody for forced disappearance, and prosecutors now point to homicide. DNA confirmation is pending, and investigators say more arrests could follow as the Tijuana National Guard case moves forward.

Two weeks after two National Guard agents vanished in Tijuana, state prosecutors say the bodies of two men found on the city’s southern edge match the clothing and gear the officers wore the night they disappeared. The remains were located in Nido de las Águilas, one next to a dry arroyo and another in a nearby pit. Officials say both showed signs of violence. DNA tests are still pending. Tijuana National Guard case investigators believe the discovery is tied to an altercation in a neighborhood bar on August 30.

Authorities named the missing agents as José Luis Villaseca Rodríguez, 40, from the State of Mexico, and Omar Eliseo Alonso Padilla, 35, from Puebla. Reporters at the scene and state officials said belts marked “Guardia Nacional” and matching clothing were found with the bodies, details that align with the last images of the men before they vanished. Formal identification will come with forensic results, prosecutors said.

What we know so far

According to the Baja California prosecutor’s office, the agents were off-duty and at a bar in the Nueva Tijuana area when a dispute broke out with a man identified as Felipe “N,” known as “El Pantera” or “El Perro Negro.” Witness accounts and camera footage place the group together before the agents left the bar to continue the night elsewhere. They were not heard from again.

Days later, prosecutors arrested Felipe “N” in Playas de Rosarito on a judge’s warrant for forced disappearance committed by private individuals. Authorities describe him as part of a local criminal cell. Prosecutors now say the bodies found on September 15 in Nido de las Águilas match the agents’ description, while lab work proceeds.

Tijuana’s violence is the backdrop to the case. By September 9, the city had logged at least 877 homicides in 2025, according to local tallies, even as officials point to month-to-month dips. Families here also live with Mexico’s broader crisis of disappearances, with more than 125,000 people missing nationwide, a number that keeps growing and haunts border cities.

Tijuana National Guard case

The search for Villaseca and Alonso moved fast after the arrest. On September 15, municipal police responded to a call in Nido de las Águilas and found a body near a channel with cable marks on the neck, then a second body about 50 meters away in a concealed pit. Forensic teams recovered both and notified state prosecutors. Reporters later confirmed that the clothing matched the missing agents. Officials say the investigation remains open and more arrests are possible.

The National Guard has not issued a detailed public statement on the discovery. Baja California’s attorney general said her office is proceeding with forensic identification and building a homicide case. For relatives, the update brings a measure of clarity after 15 days of uncertainty, but not closure. In a city where investigations are slow and impunity is common, families often shoulder the burden of searching—and waiting.