EDUCATION
New public college campus brings free higher education to Mexicali
More young people and adults in Baja California will have the opportunity to pursue higher education for free with the opening of a new campus of the Rosario Castellanos National University in Mexicali.
Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda announced the opening and urged residents to apply, emphasizing that the initiative is part of a broader federal push by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo to expand public higher education.
“We are working in full coordination so that more youth and adults have opportunities to access higher education through this campus,” Avila Olmeda said, noting that the university aims to help hundreds of residents start, resume, or finish their college degrees at no cost.
The new campus will be located in the Los Santorales area of western Mexicali, bringing professional degree programs to a community that has long demanded greater educational resources.
Initially, the campus will offer 504 slots across six undergraduate programs: Law and Criminology, International Relations, Accounting and Finance, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence Engineering, AND Control and Automation Engineering.
To accommodate working students and those with family responsibilities, classes will follow a hybrid model, combining in-person and online coursework with flexible scheduling.
The campus represents an initial investment of 80 million pesos (approximately $4 million USD) and aligns with Mexico’s national strategy to boost public university enrollment.
Baja California Education Secretary Irma Martínez Manríquez praised the federal commitment to strengthening education in the state. She noted that the Mexicali site joins an existing campus in Tijuana, providing vital continuity for local high school graduates.
The registration window closes today, on June 26.
Prospective students can review admission requirements and complete their registration on the university’s official portal at urc.cdmx.gob.mx.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Security guards arrested after attempted safe heist at Mexicali Soriana store
Two security guards were arrested early Thursday morning after they were caught using tools to break through a wall and into a safe at a local supermarket, municipal police said.
Officers responded to a 911 call at the Soriana grocery store on Calzada Francisco L. Montejano after the store's manager reported structural damage inside the building, according to the Mexicali Police Department.
The manager told emergency dispatchers that upon entering the business, he heard the distinct sound of tools echoing from the manager's office. When he went to investigate, he discovered that his own security guards had chiseled a large hole through the wall to gain access to the store's safe.
The safe itself was also heavily damaged during the break-in attempt, police said.
“Responding officers arrived quickly at the scene to interview the complainant,” the police said in a statement. “Following his direct statement, officers detained the two watchmen pointed out as those allegedly responsible for causing the damage.”
Police identified the suspects as 27-year-old Sergio Alberto “N” and 28-year-old Raúl “N.” In accordance with Mexican legal custom, their full last names were withheld.
Both men were transported to the central police headquarters, where they are being held pending formal charges by state prosecutors. Authorities also recovered and seized the tools used to breach the wall and the safe at the scene.
– Staff Report,
