In a press conference that took place this morning at Municipal Palace facilities in Tijuana, mayor Ismael Burgueño announced he was proposing Juan Manuel Sánchez Rosales as the new Secretary of Public Security, who is part of a shortlist of three candidates with José Alonso Sepúlveda and Carlos Arturo Huacuja Betancourt.

The mayor stressed that choosing Sánchez Rosales is a strategy in collaboration with the federal government and responds to an analysis of Tijuana's security needs and the candidate's experience in intelligence and crime prevention matters.

"Tijuana is a priority for the federal government due to the current situation; through constant dialogue, we determined that the new secretary's skills and lieutenant colonel Julián Leyzaola will form a strong and united team. Citizens will feel safe in this municipality," Burgueño Ruiz stated.

The mayor said that if he is approved by the City Council, Juan Manuel Sánchez Rosales will work in the development of intelligence strategies to improve the city's security. "He perfectly knows Tijuana's conditions as he has worked in several different intelligence institutions, and this includes his work as state delegate of CISEN in Baja California," he added.

Though initially the mayor had announced lieutenant colonel Julián Leyzaola Pérez as the candidate for the head of the Secretariat of Public Security in the city, he explained that after an agreement, he would instead be an advisor on security matters.

He added that Leyzaola Pérez was present in security meetings and councils to provide his experience regarding drops in crime rates in the city. "There was no fight, the lieutenant has always known that it is not about the position, it is about the work," he said.

Who is Juan Manuel Sánchez Rosales, candidate to head the Secretariat of Public Security of Tijuana?

Juan Manuel Sánchez Rosales is a Mexico City native. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Law from Centro Universitario CUGS and another one in International Relations from Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM). He also has taken several diploma courses in security related areas.

He has experience in intelligence, as he has professionally developed in several different Secretariats of Security at state and federal levels for over 35 years; among them there's the Center of Investigation and National Security (CISEN) and the Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City.

It should be noted that the City Council voting session will take place tonight and that Burgueño said that he is confident that, due to his profile, Sánchez Rosales will be elected.

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