Inmate Noel Orlando Bustamante Martínez escapes El Hongo I prison

Noel Orlando Bustamante Martínez escaped from the El Hongo I Penitentiary in Tecate, Baja California, early Wednesday, November 4. According to the State Commission of the Penitentiary System (CESISPE), the inmate bypassed security measures around 4:00 a.m. Preliminary reports suggest he may have broken the bars of his cell to facilitate the escape.

Bustamante Martínez, who was serving time for aggravated robbery, is a repeat escapee. On August 5, he escaped from the Mexicali Cereso by scaling a perimeter wall shortly after a court hearing, though he was recaptured hours later in the Pasadina neighborhood. Following that incident, he was transferred to El Hongo I, where he has now escaped a second time.

Security forces have activated search protocols and are conducting operations in the areas surrounding the penitentiary. Authorities are also investigating the circumstances of the escape to determine if prison staff bear any responsibility.