The mayor of the Mexican border town of Tijuana has been forced to take up residence at an army base, following escalating threats from organized criminal groups.
Mayor Montserrat Caballero announced on Monday she would start living at the base due to threats, which she said were a result of her administration’s crackdown on gang members.
“Your representative saw herself in the need to live in an army base because we are the police force that has seized more weapons on a national level from criminals…without mentioning the thousands of arrests we did, and because of these actions I suffered an attempted attack,” Caballero said, referencing a shooting incident on May 17.
The mayor also said she believed the move would be permanent.
Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed the move on Tuesday, explaining that Caballero had already been under protective custody before relocating to the army base.
Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar and Senator Jaime Bonilla were also threatened by the same criminal groups, he also said.
“It was a threat against the governor, the mayor and Senator Bonilla. There are not many details, but it’s better safe than sorry,” Lopez Obrador said.