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-Editorial
Baja California authorities have seized 20 tons of methamphetamine between October 2024 and August 30, 2025, a financial loss estimated at $640 million for organized crime, Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda said.
Ávila cited data from the Secretariat of National Defense showing the seizures represent a 382% increase compared with a previous reporting period. She attributed the results to coordinated efforts by federal, state, and municipal agencies to strengthen security operations in the state.
One recent operation in Ensenada, led by the military and National Guard, resulted in the confiscation of more than 3,600 kilograms of methamphetamine from two vehicles, with an estimated value of $116 million.
Ávila said the state’s security strategy is focused on removing illicit substances from communities and reducing violence. She noted that President Claudia Sheinbaum recently reported a 25% decline in homicides nationwide, while Baja California recorded a 36% reduction.
The governor said authorities will continue to intensify operations against criminal groups, pledging to use available human and technological resources to prioritize public safety across the state.
Federal and state security forces reported significant results in Baja California as part of “Operation Northern Border,” with seizures that included more than 67,000 kilograms of drugs, 5,339 firearms, 931,000 rounds of ammunition, 4,644 vehicles, and 835 properties through early September. Authorities said the haul also included 387 kilograms of fentanyl. In Tijuana, operations netted 14 kilograms of methamphetamine, two geolocation devices, and a vehicle, while another seizure produced 60 kilograms of marijuana, firearms, and ammunition, according to the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.
Authorities have also used border inspections to disrupt trafficking networks. In February, officials said a commercial trailer was stopped at the Otay Mesa crossing in Tijuana and found to contain more than 600 kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine hidden in a double-bottom compartment. The seizure included 537 kilograms of methamphetamine and 60 kilograms of cocaine. The driver was detained as about 10,000 National Guard agents were deployed across the state to bolster security under the federal “Frontera Segura” plan.
Baja California has also pursued regional coordination to target organized crime. In 2023, the state joined with Sonora to create a single command structure for joint security operations in response to cartel violence in the Mexicali Valley and San Luis Río Colorado. Officials said the initiative led to a 50% reduction in homicides and the seizure of 403 kilograms of marijuana, 508 kilograms of cocaine, 91 kilograms of fentanyl, 1,662 kilograms of methamphetamine, and multiple weapons.