Mexican Mayor forced to reside on military base amidst skyrocketing violence

As homicide rates continue to soar in Tijuana, the largest city in Mexico’s Baja California state, right at the border with California, Mayor Montserrat Caballero has taken the unusual step of moving her residence to a military base.

This decision comes in the face of threats from organized crime syndicates, in a city grappling with one of the world’s highest levels of violence.

Despite a halt in crime growth since 2018, Tijuana’s murder rates have tripled in the past seven years without substantial decline.

With 598 intentional homicide victims in the first four months of this year, the city sees an average of five murders per day.

The security situation has led to a significant increase in perceived insecurity among residents.

As per a recent Urban Public Safety Survey, 71% of Tijuana’s citizens consider their city unsafe, a rise from 66% in December.

Upon receiving threats, Mayor Caballero took the federal government’s advice to relocate to the 28th Infantry Battalion’s headquarters.

This decision also allows the security measures initially intended for her private residence to be redirected to the city’s most vulnerable areas.

Caballero said this move is temporary and won’t hinder the city hall’s operations.

The surge in violence and related threats also target other public officials, including Baja California’s governor, Marina del Pilar Ávila, and ex-governor turned senator Jaime Bonilla, as informed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Despite the challenging circumstances, local authorities have made strides in combating crime.

They have confiscated over 1,721 firearms and apprehended 785 identified violence instigators since October 2021.