BORDER
Missing Anaheim woman reunited with family after rescue near San Felipe
A 40-year-old American woman reported missing in the United States is back with her family following a coordinated rescue operation by Mexican authorities across two municipalities.
Heather Michelle Jonson was located and taken into protective custody by San Felipe Municipal Police earlier this week. Officials quickly determined that Jonson was in a highly vulnerable state due to an ongoing psychiatric condition, prompting a request for specialized assistance from the Mexicali Police Department.
The rescue involved a hand-off at La Ventana, a small community along the highway connecting San Felipe and Mexicali.
MEXICALI POLICE DEPARTMENT PHOTO
The rescue involved a hand-off at La Ventana, a small community along the highway connecting San Felipe and Mexicali. Members of the Unit for the Attention of Persons in a State of Vulnerability (UNAPEV) met San Felipe officers there to transport Jonson to Mexicali under specialized safety protocols.
“Our priority was ensuring she received the medical and social support necessary for a safe return,” the police said.
Once in Mexicali, Jonson was taken to the Psychiatric Institute of Baja California (IPBC) for a professional medical evaluation.
MEXICALI POLICE DEPARTMENT PHOTO
Once in Mexicali, Jonson was taken to the Psychiatric Institute of Baja California (IPBC) for a professional medical evaluation. Meanwhile, UNAPEV social workers used digital tools to track down her relatives. They successfully contacted Jonson’s mother, a resident of Anaheim, California, who immediately traveled to the border to retrieve her daughter.
Social workers used digital tools to track down her relatives. They successfully contacted Jonson’s mother, a resident of Anaheim, California, who immediately traveled to the border to retrieve her daughter.
MEXICALI POLICE DEPARTMENT PHOTO
The reunion took place at the Mexicali-Calexico international port of entry. UNAPEV officers and members of the Citizen Proximity unit escorted the women to the pedestrian crossing, where they were met by U.S. immigration authorities to facilitate their safe return to California.
ECONOMY
Baja California agricultural exports plummet to historic lows amid farmer protests
Agricultural exports in Baja California fell by 24% in 2025, marking the lowest levels recorded since tracking began in the 1990s, according to new data released by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
The sharp decline has intensified a growing crisis in the region’s farming sector, sparking highway blockades and desperate calls for federal intervention as growers struggle with rising operating costs and plummeting market prices.
Data shows that between January and December 2025, the region exported a total of $1.077 billion in agricultural goods. This represents a massive drop from the $1.542 billion exported during the same period in 2024.
While 2024 saw a temporary rebound in trade, the 2025 figures erase those gains and continue a volatile downward trend seen over the last several years.
Roberto Valero Berrospe, president of the Center for Economic Studies of Baja California (CEEBC), noted that the primary drivers of the collapse are a reduction in harvestable acreage and a lack of financial viability for local farmers.
Key exports affected by the downturn include high-value crops destined for U.S. markets, such as strawberries, raspberries, green onions, and asparagus.
“Farmers are abandoning their activities because the prices they receive simply don’t cover their operating expenses,” Valero Berrospe said.
The crisis is particularly evident in the Mexicali Valley, where wheat producers have taken the lead in demanding “fair prices” and government subsidies for modern technology to enhance efficiency.
Earlier this week, frustrated growers blocked the highway connecting Mexicali to San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora. The farmers lifted the blockade, which had disrupted travel between the two states for nearly two days, only after federal officials agreed to a high-level meeting scheduled for Friday, April 10.
Farmers argue that without immediate support programs and better price guarantees, the backbone of the region’s rural economy may face a total collapse.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Authorities raid Los Pinos home in search for missing guard Kevin Moreno
Law enforcement officials conducted a search warrant at a residence in the Los Pinos neighborhood early Thursday morning, marking the latest development in the high-profile investigation into the disappearance of Kevin Moreno.
Moreno, then 20, last appeared on March 27, 2022. It was his first day working as a security guard at “Shots,” a popular nightclub in the city’s nightlife district, La Voz newspaper reported.
The Célula de Búsqueda (Search Cell), a grassroots organization led by Moreno’s parents, confirmed the search. Despite their leadership in the search efforts, the family expressed frustration, stating they were only notified of the raid this morning and were not permitted to attend as observers.
There have been no real advances in the investigation into our son’s disappearance,” the Moreno family said in a statement, echoing years of procedural frustrations.
The property targeted Thursday, located on Avenida de los Obeliscos, is not new to the investigation. Records show authorities previously raided the same home on Dec. 20, 2025. Officials have not yet disclosed what prompted the return to the residence or if any new evidence was recovered during this morning’s intervention.
The raid follows a somber vigil held Wednesday night outside the now-shuttered nightclub where Moreno vanished. The gathering also honored David Melecio, another young man who disappeared from the same nightlife zone on April 8, 2023.
The cluster of disappearances in the Los Pinos area has become a flashpoint for local activists, who accuse authorities of moving too slowly to address a pattern of violence and missing persons linked to the city’s bars and clubs.
No arrests were immediately reported following Thursday’s raid.
– Staff Report,