Baja California’s Public Security Secretariat has unveiled a new statewide strategy to combat extortion, presenting the plan to the business sector this week. The initiative aims both to investigate and prevent different forms of extortion, from “protection fees” to threatening phone calls.

The program, led by Infantry Major Juan Ventura Quiroz, will coordinate efforts among state and federal agencies, including the State Attorney General’s Office and the Mexican Army. Ventura emphasized that the plan is rooted in a national policy and will rely on technology, digital tracking, and shared databases to investigate cases.

One of the central goals, he said, is to rebuild public trust in law enforcement and encourage citizens to report crimes. “Unfortunately, across the state we only have three formal complaints on record, even though many people are victims. They often don’t report out of fear or distrust. What we want is to give people more options: if they don’t trust local police, they can go to state or federal agencies. Every authority is obligated to take the report and file it with the Attorney General’s Office,” Ventura explained.

The hotline numbers 088, 089, and 911 remain available for reporting. Business leaders welcomed the government’s openness but urged authorities to deliver concrete results, noting that previous meetings have often failed to move beyond promises.