Mexicali grapples with teen disappearance and police-linked feminicide

A 17‑year‑old girl, Mariana Isabella Herrera Sánchez, vanished from her home in the Cucapáh neighborhood of Mexicali on 1 June 2026. Her family suspects a former worker of the local DIF shelter, Villa de los Niños, may have been involved. The Baja California prosecutor's office issued an Amber alert on 22 June, but authorities have not located her.

Separately, municipal police officer Luis Mario was detained on 10 July for his alleged role in the 11 June feminicide of 43‑year‑old Selene Agramont Soria. According to the investigation, a shooter fired at the victim from a Hyundai Sonata driven by the officer, who then fled the scene. The case adds to a pattern of gender‑based violence in Baja California, where 50 women were killed between January and May 2026, including six feminicides, three of them in Mexicali.