Attorney general's office building in Tijuana bombed in drone attack

Alexandra Mendoza, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Oct 16, 2025

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Three drones carrying explosive devices targeted a Baja California attorney general’s office facility in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday night, prompting the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana to issue a security warning, authorities said.

No one was injured in the attack, believed to be the work of an organized crime group, Attorney General Maria Elena Andrade said at a midnight news conference.

The assault happened about 7 p.m. at a parking lot of the facility in Playas de Tijuana, a beach neighborhood just south of the border fence. The building is used by the attorney general’s anti-kidnapping unit. The improvised explosive devices, filled with nails and pieces of metal, caused some damage to the building and to employees’ vehicles, Andrade said.

Officials said they believe they know which group is behind the attack, but declined to name it or provide further details due to the ongoing investigation.

Andrade said she believes the attack may have been in response to arrests her office made related to organized crime. She added that it might be the first time drones have been used to target any of their facilities in Baja California.

“My entire team is working with all the resources available to the state prosecutor’s office to ensure that this cowardly attack is not left unpunished,” she said.

The case is being investigated as an act of terrorism, officials said.

Officials suspect that three explosive devices were dropped in the parking lot.

“It wasn’t an attack on the community,” she said. “It was directed straight at the courtyard of our facilities because of the precision with which these devices can be operated.”

The U.S. Consulate issued a security warning for U.S. citizens on Wednesday night. “Monitor local news and stay away from the area. Inform your friends and family of your status,” the Consulate said in a post on social media.

Andrade said that her office had been in communication with the U.S. Consulate on Wednesday night.

There have been other attacks on attorney general officials in Baja California, including vehicles burned last month in Mesa de Otay and Playas de Tijuana.

Drug cartels have embraced the use of drones and improved explosive devices in their assaults against rival groups and law enforcement across the country.

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