SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Baja California’s Attorney General, María Elena Andrade Ramírez, confirmed this morning that a cartel used three drones to drop explosive devices on a state police installation targeting the anti-kidnapping unit.
The incident happened Wednesday night at the state police offices in Tijuana’s beach area.
No one was injured, although three vehicles were damaged, according to the investigation.
Andrade Ramirez says drones were used to drop and detonate plastic bottles filled with nails, pellets and other metal pieces.
She said the bottles were not Molotov cocktails.
“It was not an incendiary device, the bottles were set off.”
Baja’s AG said the incident was being investigated as an act of terrorism, saying the attack was directed at the office in general and not one particular agent.
“It was an attack directly on the patio of our installation,” she said. “As a way to ease the public’s mind, this was not an attempt on the residents, and we don’t believe it has anything to do with our proximity to the border.”
She also denied there were any shots fired at drones flying moments later in the area and did not blame any particular cartel or organized group in Mexico.
“We will continue to carry out our objective and follow all leads.”
On September 21, the anti-car-theft and anti-kidnapping offices of the state police in Ensenada, located about 60 miles south of Tijuana, were vandalized as several police vehicles were set on fire.
According to Andrade Ramirez, seven people were detained in connection with that arson case.
She said Wednesday night’s attack in Tijuana is likely related to the incident in Ensenada and the ensuing arrests, and stated cartels are retaliating due to the ongoing crackdown on their illicit activities and the decommissioning of hundreds of drug shipments.
The attack generated a warning from the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana asking Americans to stay away from the area where the explosive devices were set off.
It also tells Americans to let friends and relatives know about their status and movements.
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