Kids Hid Under Desks as Gunmen Fought Outside 2 Schools in Tecate, Across From Tecate, California — Zeta Says Investigators Blame U.S.-Sanctioned ‘El Ranchero’s’ Armed Wing; One Car Had California Plates
Students at two schools in Tecate, Baja California, a border town across from Tecate, California, were ordered “¡al suelo!” (to the floor) as gunmen in a Chrysler 300 and a Cadillac pickup chased each other and fired on the street outside on the morning of Sept. 29, 2026. Semanario Zeta, in a report published Oct. 5, said investigators blame the armed wing of a Sinaloa Cartel lieutenant the U.S. has sanctioned. One car carried California plates. Two men were killed.
What happened outside the schools
According to Zeta and Infobae, which cited Zeta on Oct. 6, the shooting began around 8:45 a.m. in Nueva Colonia Hindú, a rural community of Tecate. It reached Calle Michoacán, beside Telesecundaria No. 3 Libertadores and the Fernando Montes de Oca preschool. Students in the middle school hid under their desks. Some preschool parents ran with their children to nearby homes. A CECyTE high school campus also sheltered students. Zeta said the black Chrysler 300 had California plates.
Zeta reported that Marco Antonio Salceda, “El Many,” whom authorities describe as a CJNG gunman, was found in the street with more than 30 bullet wounds from AK-47- and AR-15-type rifles. A second man, aged about 50 to 55 and not yet identified, was found dead in the yard of a nearby home. Investigators collected 68 shell casings.
Arrests and who police blame
A 15-year-old was caught running from the Chrysler, and three more men were detained elsewhere in Tecate, Zeta and El Imparcial reported. Zeta said investigators attribute the attack to the “Fuerzas Especiales El Ranchero,” which it calls the armed wing of the Sinaloa Cartel’s “La Mayiza” faction in Baja California. The group is named for Franklin Ernesto Huezo Hernández, “El Ranchero,” a lieutenant of the Los Mayos faction whom the U.S. Treasury sanctioned in September. Zeta said the attackers filmed the killing and posted it online. No one has been convicted, and early reports differed: El Congresista first reported one wounded.
A town at war
Zeta says the split between the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG has turned Tecate into “un campo de guerra” (a battlefield) for 10 months. It counts 141 homicides in 2026, more than 100 disappearances and eight minors killed, disappeared or tortured. Residents also reported a U.S. aircraft over the border that afternoon; its purpose was not confirmed. Travelers can follow the area on our Tijuana–San Diego safety page.
Sources
- Semanario Zeta, “Causa terror en escuelas de Tecate guerra entre CDS y CJNG,” Oct. 5, 2026
- Infobae, “Alumnos de escuelas en Tecate se tiran al piso durante ataque entre Cártel de Sinaloa y CJNG,” Oct. 6, 2026
- El Imparcial, “Enfrentamiento armado en Tecate deja dos muertos y cuatro detenidos,” Sept. 30, 2026
- El Congresista, “Tecate: enfrentamiento armado deja un herido en Nueva Colonia Hindú,” Sept. 29, 2026
- Photos: Border Zoom, via El Imparcial
Reported Oct. 7, 2026, from the outlets above. The cartel attributions come from investigators and security officials as reported by Zeta; they are not court findings. Baja California’s state prosecutors had not published a full official account, and the detainees’ legal status was not reported.