Mayor of Mexican border city to live at military base following death threats

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) – The mayor of the city of Tijuana in northwestern Mexico has been moved to a military base following death threats from criminals and an armed attack on her bodyguards, the government said Tuesday.

Montserrat Caballero Ramirez, 40, will live indefinitely at the military headquarters, reportedly located in southern Tijuana on the city's outskirts, at the instruction of the National Guard.

At his morning briefing, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador pledged his support to Ramirez and shared that she has been living inside the military base for the past 15 days.

"She has been protected for about 15 days now because she has received threats, and it was decided to protect her. We talked to her and reached an agreement to help and protect her, and we will continue to do so," he said.

According to Obrador, the threats were not only directed at Ramirez but also toward the governor of the state Marina del Pilar and senator from Tijuana, Jaime Bonilla Valdez.

"It implies a sacrifice on the part of yours truly. It is definitely not easy. I have a son, a family, and the commitment to my city is what it implies. It does not imply being protected. It implies that the person who has given the best results regarding security in the entire state is protected," wrote Ramirez on Tijuana's City Hall Facebook page.

According to the mayor, criminals in her city are disgruntled at her government for her public security strategy, which has undertaken high-profile violent generators in Tijuana.

Bordering California, the US, Tijuana has become a battlefield for Mexico's leading crime syndicates, such as Jalisco Cartel - New Generation (CJNG), the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Arellano Felix Cartel which look to take over the drug trade in the state and exploit its proximity to the US.

Elected in the 2021 mid-term elections, Ramirez has taken a hard stance toward organized crime in Tijuana. The mayor recently reported the seizure of 1,721 weapons and the arrest of 785 generators of violence, 56 of which were considered high-profile.

On May 19, one of Ramirez' bodyguards was attacked by unknown assailants. Although the bodyguard was unharmed, the attack was considered a warning to the mayor. The shooting was then followed by the torching of two police patrols.