Mexico

‘We Are No Longer Safe': Van With 6 Bodies Abandoned in Tijuana Shopping Center

Telemundo

One of Tijuana, Mexico's armored areas, Plaza Conquistador on Agua Caliente Boulevard, is once again a crime scene.

On Monday morning, authorities reported an abandoned van with six lifeless bodies inside in the parking lot of a shopping center.

A growing list of homicides that keep Tijuana residents living in constant fear.

"They told us they found some bodies, but that's it," said Joel Muñoz, a worker in the area.

Authorities just three weeks ago reported a double homicide in the same shopping center.

"Experts in field criminalistics [are] working on processing the scene to obtain clues as the investigation continues. The State Attorney General's Office has the resources it has to identify the bodies, as well as the participants and those responsible so that we can locate them and lead them to criminal proceedings so that they pay and receive the just punishment for their atrocities," the FGE said in part of a statement.

The state investigation agency, state and municipal police, National Guard and the Mexican army were all present in the area investigating.

An operational deployment that dismayed citizens like José Robles.

"I'm very nervous right now. To see all this movement and so much homicide that there is in the city. One has to be vigilant because we are no longer safe. We do not want to leave the house," said the Tijuana resident.

According to statistics from the citizen security council, 1,892 homicides had been reported in Tijuana from January to November. While last year in this same period, there were 1,834 and in 2020 the figure was 1,872.

However, a decade ago only 338 victims were counted.

Baja California ranks third nationally in the number of intentional homicides with more than 2,520 in the first 11 months of 2022. And although there has been a decrease in the state, despite the military reinforcement in the streets, the strategies did not give the expected results in this border city.

This story was originally reported by NBC 7's sister station, Telemundo 20. To read the article, click here.

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