A heavily armed squad abducted two inspectors from the Baja California Institute for Sustainable Mobility (IMOS) near the Punta Colonet district in the municipality of Ensenada. Among the victims is Erik Zertuche López, son of current Morena federal deputy Rocío López Gorosave.
The incident occurred on the night of Wednesday, June 10, 2026, approximately 122 kilometers from the municipal seat of Ensenada. The victims—identified as 34-year-old Erik Zertuche López and his colleague, 46-year-old José Héctor Olivero Carabita—were returning to the port city after completing a roadside inspection operation in the neighboring municipality of San Quintín.
Local police reports indicate that around 9:00 PM, the state officials were traveling in an official IMOS vehicle when they were violently intercepted by a group of approximately 15 masked gunmen carrying long guns. The criminal group was traveling in three vehicles, including a Jeep Cherokee Rubicon equipped with off-road tires.
To force the inspectors to stop, the assailants fired at least two shots at the official vehicle. They then subdued both workers, forcibly placed them into one of the SUVs, and fled to an unknown location.
Erik Zertuche is the son of federal legislator Rocío López Gorosave and attorney Juan Antonio Sánchez Zertuche—figures historically linked to the Labor Party (PT) in the state. It is worth noting that López Gorosave also served as Chief Administrative Officer in the administration of the current state governor, Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda, between 2021 and 2023.
To date, neither the federal deputy nor the governor of Baja California has issued public statements on their digital platforms regarding the kidnapping of the officials; their recent posts have focused exclusively on topics related to the 2026 World Cup.
However, in response to inquiries from the media, the State Government officially confirmed the abduction of the two IMOS employees. The state administration stated that the agency’s leadership is “fully cooperating with the authorities in charge of the investigation” to clarify the incident.
For its part, the Baja California State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) reported via an official statement that the corresponding emergency protocols have been activated:
“Search and location operations have been deployed in coordination with other government authorities. As part of the ongoing proceedings, investigative work and various operational actions are being carried out with the aim of locating both employees.”
Personnel from the Mexican Army, the National Guard, and the State Citizen Security Force are conducting search operations along the backroads and within the districts of southern Ensenada and San Quintín in an effort to locate the two mobility inspectors.
