Friday, 17 July 2026, 6:01
On Tuesday, July 14, around 5:17 p.m., armed assailants fired on a black Kia vehicle carrying Tecate councilwoman María de Jesús Quijada, her husband Jesús Pereida, and their 15-year-old daughter on Coyuca Street in the La Hacienda neighborhood of Tecate, Baja California. The attack killed Pereida at the scene and left Quijada seriously injured, including a gunshot wound to the head. The daughter was traumatized but not hit by bullets. Quijada and her daughter were transported to a hospital in San Diego, California, where both are reported stable, according to Mexico's Security Cabinet. One source incorrectly stated Quijada died, but official reports confirm she is alive and recovering. Her father, Francisco Quijada García, later confirmed that both the councilwoman and her granddaughter were out of danger and that Quijada's condition is improving. The couple's daughter was reportedly on her way to a school graduation with her parents at the time of the attack.
According to Baja California Attorney General María Elena Andrade, the couple and their driver were inside a parked vehicle, planning to attend a graduation, when the suspects approached them from another vehicle and opened fire with long guns. The driver was not injured. Andrade said that on Tuesday night, authorities executed search warrants and found the vehicle suspected of being involved in the shooting burned. She declined to answer whether the couple had previously received threats.
Crime scene investigators found 48 shell casings from two calibers—15 of 9mm, 19 of .223 caliber, and 8 with additional markings—along with bullet impacts on a nearby house. A burned vehicle linked to the attackers was found three kilometers away. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage and conducting forensic analysis. Baja California Security Secretary Laureano Carrillo Rodríguez described the attack as a premeditated operation by organized crime groups disputing territory in Tecate. “We are talking about an operation that was previously planned, not a circumstantial attack,” he said during a Wednesday press conference. “This was a well-planned operation using surprise, the right people, and the right vehicles.” He confirmed that Tecate is considered a security hotspot due to ongoing territorial disputes between two organized crime groups with significant corrupting power, economic power, and operational capacity.
Attorney General María Elena Andrade said at a news conference on Wednesday that the case is under investigation by the Baja California Attorney General’s Office. No arrests have been made. “Due to the sensitive nature of the investigation and the current status of the case, I can’t share further details,” she said. She confirmed that authorities are following two possible lines of investigation. Mexico's security secretariat stated in a news release, “There will be no impunity,” without offering any details about the attack's possible motives. The secretariat is coordinating with local authorities to investigate the incident.
The victims were transferred to a San Diego hospital due to Tecate's proximity to the U.S. border, highlighting cross-border medical and security cooperation. This incident underscores safety concerns for officials near California's border region.
Quijada, a 40-year-old Morena party councilwoman since October 2024, had previously worked for Tecate's DIF system. She participated in a Morena assembly hours before the attack. As a councilwoman, she coordinates the Welfare, Water and Energy, and Child and Adolescent Protection committees, and participates in several other municipal committees. Before joining the council, she served as director of the city's Municipal DIF agency, working on social assistance programs. She has also been involved in Morena's political campaigns in Baja California. Additionally, she was pursuing a law degree at Universidad Humanitas, Tijuana campus, and had received specialized training in volunteer and human trafficking prevention programs in both Mexico and the United States. The day before the attack, Quijada posted on social media that she was visiting a local community, saying she “had the opportunity to spend time with neighbors, listen to their concerns, share ideas and strengthen that bond that allows us to work with greater commitment.” Tecate has seen increased violence from organized crime groups, with similar attacks targeting civilians in northern Baja municipalities.
Tecate Mayor Román Cota said in a social media post on Tuesday that the city is “going through a time of deep sorrow” following the “cowardly attack” on Quijada and her husband. “Those of us who have worked with María on the city council know how much she loves Tecate and how dedicated she is to serving our community,” he wrote. “Today, more than ever, she and her loved ones need to know that they are not alone.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called it a “very regrettable case” during her daily press conference on Wednesday and said it is being investigated. Federal security forces are assisting with the investigation.
The attack on a local official raises alarms about security for elected leaders in Baja California. Authorities are investigating two leads, with updates expected soon. The case remains open. Since the current government took office in October 2024, 13 mayors have been murdered in Mexico, according to Uno TV. President Sheinbaum said Tuesday that homicides in Mexico have fallen by nearly half since September 2024, touting the reduction as a result of her security policies. Mexico has been battered by years of spiraling violence since the government launched an offensive against drug gangs in 2006. Almost half a million deaths have been reported since then, as well as 130,000 disappearances, according to government reporting.
