Three Captured after CJNG Car Bomb in Ojocaliente, Zacatecas

By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat

Five days after a devastating CJNG car bomb attack at the Municipal Police station in Ojocaliente, Zacatecas which injured eleven and damaged dozens of buildings, Mexican authorities have provided additional information on the attack.

Last Sunday, August 30, around 7:50 p.m., a parked vehicle detonated right outside the Municipal Police station in Ojocaliente, a city 45 kilometers south east of the state capitol.The detonation injured eleven people, 2 police officers and 9 civilians, completely destroyed the police station, as well as damaging dozens of vehicles and residences in the city center. The bombing, the third using explosives against state forces in Zacatecas state in the last seven days, was part of a CJNG campaign against local authorities.

Today, Mexico’s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed that three men have been arrested for the bombing, including Juan Pedro "N," who allegedly placed 200 kilograms of improvised explosive (IEDs) inside the car, who was arrested on August 31. Authorities also seized a fragmentation grenade, another IED, ammunition, tire spikes, drugs, a telephone and a vehicle.

Juan Pedro "N"

Later, authorities arrested two other men, Hipólito "N" and Miguel "N", who allegedly carried out surveillance prior to the attack.

Zacatecas authorities say the attack was retaliation by an organized crime group for the capture of one of its members on Saturday in the municipality of Villa García, near the border with Aguascalientes. The arrest followed an earlier remotely detonated explosive attack against a state police patrol on a highway in Villa García, in which a state police officer and a civilian were injured.

According to figures from the Zacatecas government, 17 incidents involving the use of explosive devices linked to the CJNG were recorded between 2024 and 2026. At least 10 explosive attacks have occurred in Zacatecas so far this year, including seven targeting security forces, according to El Universal. Security researcher David Saucedo wrote that the CJNG was behind this attack as well. The CJNG are currently fighting the "Mayiza" faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Sources: Borderland Beat, NTR Zacatecas, SinEmbargo, El Universal, El Universal