In a brutal show of force, one of Mexico's most powerful drug cartels has left the body of a man hanging from a bridge in the border city of Tijuana, accompanied by a banner bearing a direct threat to rivals.
Grim Discovery on a Major Highway
Authorities in northwest Mexico were alerted to a grim sight on the morning of Wednesday, 15 January 2026. At approximately 6:40 am, reports came in of a body suspended from a bridge on the busy Tijuana-Tecate highway at Paseo San Pedro. Police arriving at the scene confirmed the male victim displayed visible signs of violence.
Next to the victim, a banner was found, which authorities believe was signed by the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The message was addressed to a rival figure, referred to by the nickname "Cabezón," which translates to "big head." The banner's text read: "What’s up, bast*** … here I’m leaving your people for you, big head!!! The one in charge with your ranchero. FROM: CJNG."
In a further gruesome discovery, state agents found a black plastic box with a yellow lid containing human remains roughly 100 metres from the bridge, according to local newspaper Zeta. The area was cordoned off for investigation, though no further details on the victim or the precise cause of death have been released.
A Pattern of Public Terror and Political Pressure
This act of public intimidation is a known tactic used by Mexican criminal organisations to send messages to rivals and terrorise the local population. Tijuana has already recorded over 40 homicides this month alone, including this latest incident. The violence echoes a similar event in June of last year, when 20 bodies, some decapitated, were displayed on a highway overpass in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
The CJNG, formed in 2009 as a splinter group from the Milenio Cartel, is led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho." Cervantes is one of the US Drug Enforcement Administration's most wanted fugitives, with the US State Department offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his capture.
The incident occurs amid heightened political tension over security. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recently released data claiming daily homicides have fallen by 40% since she took office. The government recorded 17.5 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2025, down from 29.1 in 2018.
International Tensions Over Security Strategy
Despite this reported decline, President Sheinbaum faces significant pressure, particularly from the administration of US President Donald Trump, to intensify the crackdown on organised crime. Last week, Trump suggested that land attacks against cartels could follow recent US military operations in the Pacific and Caribbean.
Sheinbaum has firmly rejected any foreign military intervention on Mexican soil. On Monday, she stated that when Trump "said something along the lines of: ‘If you want us to help you more with our forces in Mexico'," she told him any US troop deployment was "not on the table." She emphasised cooperation on security must respect national sovereignty, focusing on reducing drug trafficking, trade, and investments.
Her government has extradited dozens of cartel leaders to the United States and collaborated on border enforcement, but the horrific display in Tijuana underscores the severe and ongoing challenge posed by the cartels' ruthless violence.
