Hundreds of Mexican soldiers sent to Tijuana due to cartel violence

• 350 National Guard troops are in Baja California to support federal troops.
• Government employees were told to stay home and avoid the city.
• 17 people were arrested in four other Baja cities after hijackings.

Hundreds of Mexican soldiers arrived in Tijuana on Saturday after gangs burned and hijacked more than a dozen vehicles.

350 National Guard troops were flown into Baja California to support thousands of federal troops, Reforma reported. The Tijuana hijackings snarled traffic and temporarily blocked the busiest US border crossing. No injuries were reported.

After reports of increased violence, government employees were told to stay home and avoid the city.

At least 17 people were arrested in four other Baja cities after hijackings.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel threatened weekend violence in Northern Baja California.

“Be warned. As of Friday at 10 p.m. through Sunday at 3 a.m. we’re going to create mass chaos so the [expletive] government frees our people. We’re the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, we don’t want to hurt good people but it’s best they don’t go outside, we’re going to attack anyone we see on the streets on these days,” the group said in a warning translated from Spanish.

In a video message, Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero said criminal gangs wouldn’t shut down the city.

She said, “We are not going to allow a single Tijuana citizen to pay the consequences of those who didn’t pay their bills,” “We ask that you make the people who owe you pay up, not the families and citizens who work.”

Caballero said 3,000 federal troops would help Tijuana police in a separate press briefing. She said no civilians were hurt.

The mayor said, “The problem is serious, but it’s not that serious.”

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