Well folks, looks like Baja’s rolling up its sleeves again — this time to take a serious swing at a nasty little beast we all know too well: extortion. Yeah, that thing that messes with hardworking folks, from fishermen to taco stand owners, and makes life just a bit harder for anyone trying to earn an honest peso.
Governor Marina del Pilar and her security team dropped a new state anti-extortion strategy last month, syncing it up with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s national push. The message? Enough is enough, Baja’s not letting the crooks collect “cobro de piso” like it’s some kind of twisted tax season.
Here’s the thing: while Baja isn’t among the country’s top eight states for extortion (we’re sitting at number 19, thank you very much), officials don’t want to wait around for that to change. As the general put it, “We’re not doing this out of obligation, but conviction.” That’s government-speak for: “We’re tired of the nonsense.”
So what’s the plan?
The state’s rolling out a 10-point strategy that reads like a military operation — and in a way, it is. They’re pulling together everyone from the Guardia Nacional, Marina, Fiscalía General, and the local cops to make sure no one’s working in silos anymore. The centerpiece? A State Anti-Extortion Coordination Center based in Mexicali that will oversee rapid-response teams in Tijuana, Ensenada, and Mexicali. These aren’t permanent squads, they’ll assemble whenever a hot lead or credible threat pops up, move fast, and disband when the job’s done. Like pop-up security SWATs.
Tech’s also stepping in. The team’s leaning on AI and digital platforms to track reports and spot patterns. And the humble 089 hotline, often ignored, is getting a glow-up. Operators are being retrained, new tech is coming, and they’re proud to say that last year, 92% of people who called in avoided being scammed. That’s about 132,000 pesos that stayed in honest pockets.
The sectors on the watchlist? Fishing, nightlife, business, and retail. Ensenada’s fish markets, Tijuana’s abastos, Rosarito’s auto shops, all fair game for this cleanup. If you’ve got a small business, they want you to call, not cower.
The human side of it
The Fiscalía also shared a few success stories. Remember those seafood stand fires in Ensenada? Turns out they nailed the crew behind it, same bunch that fled to Mexicali and got busted there. After that, more victims came forward, feeling safe enough to finally talk. That’s kind of the whole point here: trust breeds courage.
Of course, there’s still the old problem of dirty cops and shady “officials” running side hustles in intimidation. The governor didn’t shy away from that. She said it straight, “If they’re doing that, they’re not public servants. They’re criminals.” There’s even a Secretariat of Honesty (yes, that’s the real name) where people can file complaints anonymously via QR code. Gotta love 21st-century snitching.
Bigger picture
Some of this ties into federal plans to plug the leaks in telecom, like the fact that anyone can buy a SIM card for 60 pesos with zero ID. Lawbreakers love that anonymity. Lawmakers say reforms are on the way, but until then, the state’s focusing on what it can actually control: coordination, prevention, and quick reactions.
The goal isn’t just arrests. It’s changing the culture, making it normal to report extortion instead of hiding it. Every extra call to 089 is a small victory. Every crooked “lawman” caught is a step forward. Baja’s message is clear: no one, not even the bad apples in uniform, gets a free pass.
So yeah, it’s government talk mixed with a pinch of optimism. But if even half of what they’re promising sticks, Baja might just become a tougher place to pull off a con. And that’s news worth toasting over a cold Tecate.
