Tijuana City Mayor Montserrat Caballero declared that she will be living inside an army base for her own safety following threats being sent to her.
Montserrat Caballero after being sworn in as the new mayor of Tijuana (Photo: The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Tijuana Mayor’s Declaration To Live In An Army Base
Montserrat Caballero, City Mayor of Tijuana, recently announced that she will be living inside an army base after she kept on receiving threats and after seven bodies were recovered by the police from a pickup truck last Monday. According to the police, the pickup truck was found at a gas station. A body wrapped in a blanket was found in the back seat of the truck. The remaining bodies were found under the tires and wooden boards of the truck. Cabellero said in relation to receiving threats that she will now live in an army base south of the city’s edge.
Cabellero did not state where the threats were coming from, but it is believed that the threats were due to the Tijuana government’s success in the apprehension of weapons and high-value criminals. It is known that Tijuana is a battleground for drug cartels fighting for territory. Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated that the threats are from “organized crime groups”, a term used to refer to drug cartels in Mexico. According to López Obrador, the governor of Baja California and another former governor are currently receiving the same threats Mayor Caballero is receiving.
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President Of Mexico In Support Of Caballero
López Obrador supports the Tijuana mayor’s decision to live in an army base, adding that her decision was made weeks ago in order to protect her. López Obrador did not add any additional information regarding the threats. In the past, mayors have been targets of the cartel. Last year, Mayor Conrado Mendoza was killed in Guerrero by gunmen, including his father and 16 others. Mayor Cesar Valencia was also killed last year by gunmen in Michoacan due to a turf war between rival cartels.
Caballero is highly aware of the cartels in the past. Just last year, Caballero made a direct appeal to leave civilians out of the violence after gangs from all over the city burned at least 15 vehicles. However, Cabellero added that the city will remain welcome for those who are willing to stop and end their violent ways.
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