EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Tijuana ranked ahead of Juarez on the list of world’s most dangerous cities in 2024. But this past March, it was the city across the border from El Paso that recorded the most homicides.
A total of 103 people were murdered in Juarez last month, the highest homicide tally since the 106 reported in June of 2024. The killings included a triple homicide on March 26 in which a fourth victim was left for dead but survived, and a spate of unrelated attacks that left 15 dead in three days to start the month.
That compares to only 99 murders reported in March in Tijuana – a city that has succeeded in toning down the violence since the start of the year through increased patrols in the urban sprawl and a better handle on border security.
Juarez authorities on Tuesday blamed the spike on a renewed fight for control of drug sales, particularly cristal, or crystal methamphetamine.
“Yes, it was a violent month with 103 homicides, which was 13 more than last March,” said Chihuahua Deputy Attorney General Carlos Manuel Salas.
He said eight kidnappings were also reported – three involving migrants held for payment of additional smuggling fees and five in which local businesspeople were abducted for ransom.
Salas said 15 of the alleged murderers were caught and are being prosecuted. He called on residents to not be afraid to call police when they witness violence or learn that a crime has been committed.
Ramping up crime-fighting technology
Meantime, the Chihuahua state police announced the installation of license plate readers and Bluetooth detection devices at a new high-tech highway checkpoint south of Juarez.
“This video surveillance will allow us to monitor vehicles, people and electronic devices in real time,” the State Public Safety Secretariat (SSPE) said in a statement. Cameras with facial recognition technology and devices with radio frequency identification (RFID) and the ability to detect WiFi and Bluetooth signals are also being placed on the arch to “detect threats and generate alerts on persons of interest.”
The state police said the cameras will facilitate the recovery of stolen vehicles, the tracking of suspects of crimes, and store information regarding who comes in and out of the city.
Eleven such high-tech checkpoints will be installed throughout the state in hopes of discouraging criminal activity, police said.
Border Report’s Salvador Rivera contributed to this report from San Diego.
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