Police extortion in Tijuana is no longer a rumor or an isolated complaint. Since the National Chamber of Commerce (CANACO) publicly exposed and openly denounced this practice, the problem has intensified.
The accusation was explicit: alleged acts of extortion by municipal police officers, primarily targeting foreign citizens. This inevitably drew the attention of U.S. federal authorities, who have already established direct communication with CANACO leadership to understand the scope and seriousness of the issue.
The reason is simple. For the United States, its citizens must not participate— not even under coercion— in acts that involve financing illicit activities, especially when U.S. currency is used. When these incidents become recurrent, they stop being “isolated cases” and turn into a matter of institutional and cross‑border concern.
Here lies the troubling contrast: the business sector sees it, the victims experience it, and U.S. authorities have already reacted— yet the Tijuana government continues to behave as if the problem did not exist.
In a border city, inaction also carries a cost. Extortion not only harms those who suffer it; it damages the city’s reputation, discourages investment, and places Tijuana under a negative international spotlight.
Everyone sees the problem.
Everyone, except those who should be addressing it.
Source: Esteban Capella Ibarra
