### Deputy Municipal Police Commander of Tecate Assassinated
Humberto Cota Contreras, the deputy commander of Tecate’s municipal police, was tragically ambushed around midday on Wednesday, September 4. The incident occurred on Los Pirules street while he was driving his dark-colored Ford F150 truck. Two groups of hitmen, armed with high-caliber rifles and handguns, fired more than fifty shots at the officer.
Witnesses identified that one of the groups traveled in a gray pickup truck. They got out of their vehicle to continue firing at the deputy commander before fleeing the scene. Cota was found wounded inside his truck, with a firearm reportedly used in an attempt to repel the attack nearby. It is believed he may have injured one of his attackers.
Authorities from multiple levels of government quickly arrived at the scene and requested an ambulance. Paramedics later confirmed the officer’s death. Cota was off duty at the time of the attack.
Nearby, students at Leopoldo Zea Elementary School were sheltered in their classrooms and instructed to lie on the floor by their teachers to avoid being hit by stray bullets.
Humberto Cota had previously been mentioned in narco-banners in various locations within Tecate, accused of providing information to local drug cartels, particularly the Sinaloa Cartel. On April 26, 2021, Cota, along with another municipal officer, Antonio Ortega, faced off in an armed confrontation at a crime scene where Olivia Martínez, a fellow Tecate police officer, had been murdered.
On the same day of the attack on Cota, officers found a narco-banner signed by the CJNG near the crime scene. The message accused state and municipal officers of sharing information, including images and videos, with the Sinaloa Cartel, threatening them with dire consequences.
### Related Incident: Attack on Tecate Police Commander
In a related development, Tecate continues to witness escalated violence against law enforcement. Just days before the ambush on Humberto Cota, Juan Carlos López, another high-ranking officer, was targeted in a similar attack. López was patrolling the outskirts of Tecate when his convoy was intercepted by heavily armed assailants.
Witnesses reported seeing several black SUVs speeding away right after the attack. The assailants sprayed bullets mercilessly, causing substantial damage to the convoy. Although López survived the incident, he and several of his officers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the nearest hospital for immediate medical attention.
Following these two incidents, the local police force has reiterated its call for additional federal support to combat the escalating violence and maintain law and order in Tecate.
These consecutive ambushes have put the entire region on high alert, fearing a potential rise in cartel activity and a subsequent wave of violence. As law enforcement agencies continue to investigate these incidents, the local community remains on edge, wary of further violence erupting in their neighborhoods.
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