More Than 20 Shots Outside a Soda Shop in Downtown Tecate, Across From Tecate, California: Alleged CJNG Member ‘El Pálido’ Killed 10 Weeks After a Signed Threat Named Him

By The Narco Blog · October 4, 2026 · Updated October 4, 2026

Gunmen fired more than 20 shots at a man identified by authorities as Edwin Alberto Salazar, alias “El Pálido,” as he walked out of a soda shop on Avenida Benito Juárez, the main street of downtown Tecate, Baja California, a border town across from Tecate, California, and about 30 miles east of Tijuana. Semanario Zeta reported the killing on Oct. 3, 2026. Authorities identify him as a member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) operating in Tecate. Zeta also reported that he had been named in a threat left with a body in the city in July.

What witnesses described

According to Zeta, witnesses said two men had been watching Salazar. They got out of a dark compact car while a third man waited at the wheel. When Salazar came out of the shop, the two shot him repeatedly in the limbs, torso and head, then fled. Witnesses counted more than 20 shots, causing panic among customers of nearby businesses, including HSBC and Banamex bank branches. El Blog del Narco reported the same details on Oct. 4. It said municipal and state police secured the scene, and Baja California’s state prosecutor’s office (FGE) opened a homicide investigation. El Congresista reported on Oct. 3 that authorities had released no information on suspects and that no arrests had been reported.

The July threat

Zeta identified Salazar as the brother of Isaac Nuño, alias “El Soury,” whom it also describes as a CJNG member. Zeta said both men, along with two others known as “El Charro” and “El Panker,” were threatened in a handwritten message found on July 22 next to a body wrapped in black bags and tape. The message named “Edwin Salazar Nuño ‘Pálido'” and told the men “salgan a jugar” (“come out and play”). It was signed “Los Cabezones” and “El 19.” None of the outlets said who those names refer to, and no group has been officially tied to this killing.

Why it matters near San Diego

Tecate, a designated “Pueblo Mágico” that draws visitors from Southern California, sits on the border about 40 miles east of San Diego. On Oct. 3, Zeta separately reported that Baja California’s security cabinet described a Sinaloa Cartel war with the CJNG in Tijuana and Tecate. Travelers can follow the region on our Tijuana–San Diego safety page.

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Sources

• Semanario Zeta, “Ejecutan al ‘Pálido’ en el centro de Tecate,” Oct. 3, 2026
• El Blog del Narco, “Sicarios ejecutaron en Tecate a Edwin Alberto Salazar ‘El Pálido’ integrante del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG),” Oct. 4, 2026
• El Congresista, “Edwin Salazar ‘el Pálido’, presunto integrante del CJNG, es asesinado en Tecate con más de 20 disparos,” Oct. 3, 2026
• Photos: July 22 message via Semanario Zeta; Tecate street file photo by Comisión Mexicana de Filmaciones, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Reported Oct. 4, 2026, from the outlets above. Salazar’s alleged CJNG membership is how authorities identified him, according to Zeta. It is not a court finding. Prosecutors have not publicly named suspects or a motive, and the outlets did not give the exact day of the shooting.