The number of cartel-related homicides in Tijuana for 2019 now sits at 1,925 as of this week. Among the dead is a decapitated person dumped in a trash bag.

Police responded to a call in colonia Sánchez Taboada shortly after midnight Tuesday. They found a black plastic bag secured with duct tape which contained a headless human corpse with the head included. The unidentified remains are believed to be of a male approximately 20 to 25 years of age, according to local reports.

Statistics released by the state attorney general’s office show for November-to-date 60 registered homicides.

In response to the ongoing cartel violence in the city, the federal government announced the arrival of 200 National Guardsmen late last week. The deployed personnel are tasked with intelligence and investigative work, according to State Attorney General Guillermo Ruiz Hernández.

Most of the new investigative personnel will focus on open cases to prevent detained suspects from release in Tijuana and across the border state. Suspects are often freed due to lack of evidence.

In nearby Playas del Rosarito, police arrested two suspected cartel operatives carrying a black suitcase holding the dismembered body parts of a presumed homicide victim. The two men tossed the luggage and attempted to flee when approached by the police early Sunday morning.

Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce completed work assignments in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year tour in Monterrey, Mexico, for the U.S. Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program.