U.S. consulate employees in Tijuana told to shelter-in-place amid wave of violent crime

The U.S. consulate in Tijuana is urging its employees to shelter-in-place until further notice as a wave of violent crime spreads through the city. 

Mexican authorities have seen widespread arson and shootings by drug cartels this weekend. According to Baja, California officials, more than 30 cars have been highjacked and set on fire. At least 17 people were arrested with ties to the high jackings. 

All this violence happening in Mexico right now is horrible, specially knowing that it’s happening in my home town Tijuana, situations like these always make me worry for my parents living there! #Tijuana #TijuanaArde #toquedequeda pic.twitter.com/61r9WC32Vx

— Chentzzz (@v_cente151) August 13, 2022

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel threatened violence against anyone who was seen on the streets of Baja California this weekend. 

"Be warned. As of Friday at 10 p.m. through Sunday at 3 a.m. we’re going to create mass chaos so the [expletive] government frees our people. We’re the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, we don’t want to hurt good people but it’s best they don’t go outside, we’re going to attack anyone we see on the streets on these days," the group said.

Because of the cartel’s warning, few people were seen wandering the streets of Tijuana. Most shops in Tijuana remained closed and several bus services also stopped running, according to a report by the BBC.  

Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero sent a video to the criminal gang urging them to stop the violence against innocent civilians. She added that the cartels were not going to force the city to shut down, reported Fox News. 

"We are not going to allow a single Tijuana citizen to pay the consequences of those who didn’t pay their bills," she said. "We ask that you make the people who owe you pay up, not the families and citizens who work." 

Around 350 members of the Mexican National Guard troops were flown into the city to support the thousands of federal troops that are trying to quell the violence in the region, according to Caballero. 

State Governor Marina Del Pilar promised to “apply all the strength of our Government so that there is peace and we find those responsible for these attacks."

Officials have suggested that the violence this weekend might have stemmed from a power struggle involving several cartels. As of Monday, no civilians have been harmed.