San DA seeks Tijuana factory records

The San Diego County District Attorney's Office filed a formal request with Mexican authorities on Thursday to obtain environmental inspection records for industrial facilities in Tijuana. The move targets specific manufacturing sites, known as maquiladoras, that maintain ownership ties or parent companies in the United States.

Prosecutor Summer Stephan stated the office intends to use these documents to determine if cross-border industrial discharge is harming local residents. The request was directed to Mexico's Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection, or PROFEPA. This agency functions similarly to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in regulatory enforcement.

The investigation follows a report by the nonprofit group San Diego Coastkeeper. The 2025 Tijuana River Valley Water Quality Report documented high levels of industrial pollutants in the waterway. The organization identified volatile and semi-volatile compounds in the samples. These included heavy metals, pesticides, PFAs, acetone, phenols, and benzoic acid.

Coastkeeper attributed the contamination to factory discharge practices. The report indicated that many facilities dump pollutants directly into surface waters. Others allow waste to enter the sanitary sewer system because their on-site wastewater treatment is inadequate. The D.A.'s office cited this data as the basis for its legal inquiry.

The records request covers a 33 month period from January 2023 through September 2026. The prosecutor's office seeks specific data points including enforcement actions, sanctions, and citizen complaints. It also wants technical findings, administrative proceedings, fines, and warnings related to illegal discharges. The request specifically targets activities affecting the Tijuana and Alamar rivers.

Stephan compared the legal strategy to prosecuting crimes that cross state lines. She noted that just as a robbery starting in Mexico can be prosecuted if it continues into San Diego County, environmental violations should follow the same jurisdictional principle. The office aims to gather evidence on industries with U.S. financial interests to support potential legal action.

Billions of gallons of sewage already flow into the county annually via the Tijuana River. This existing flow has long posed health risks to South Bay residents. The new investigation adds a focus on industrial chemical loads to the existing sewage volume. The D.A.'s office will review the received records to determine which entities fall under U.S. jurisdiction for potential prosecution.