At least 10 people were killed and nine injured when an armed commando attacked a group of drivers at a rally in Baja California, northwest Mexico, on Saturday. Videos and images shared on social media show the results of the attack, competitive ATVs shot dead and bodies lying next to the vehicles. In one shot, several men can even be seen firing long guns at one of the participating vehicles, stunning the other participants and attempting to flee.
Although there is currently no clarity as to the location or locations of the attack, local media has reported that it occurred in Ensenada and the surrounding area south of Tijuana. The rally, known locally as the Chacanillazo, had started on a city beach in the morning. According to Zeta Tijuana and other media, citing reports from the city police, the attack began after 2:00 p.m. in the city of San Vicente, south of Ensenada.
The Mayor of Ensenada, Armando Ayala, referred to the events of this Saturday: “I am in constant contact with the Attorney General’s Office and with the federal authorities of the three levels of government to provide all the necessary information.” Monitoring in the delegations in the southern part was also carried out of the community has been intensified and efforts to identify those responsible for the attack remain active.
Baja California has for years been one of the states with the highest rates of violence in the country, with Tijuana leading the way. The violence is often explained as part of the struggle between criminal groups for control of territory, particularly in regions close to the border. Events like today, however, complicate explanations that point to these struggles. The Cachanillazo has been held in Baja California since 2018 and had never registered such a situation.
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