Overview
- A 27-year-old detainee identified as Noel Orlando “N” escaped from Centro Penitenciario El Hongo I in Tecate in the early hours of Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, by breaching his cell.
- Preliminary reports say he cut a metal bar in his cell to get out, though that detail remains subject to official confirmation.
- This is his second recorded jailbreak after a prior escape from the Cereso de Mexicali on Aug. 5, 2026.
- State and local police mounted coordinated search operations after the breakout and as of the latest reports authorities have not located or recaptured him.
- The incident raises direct questions about physical security and supervision at Baja California detention centers and is expected to trigger an investigation and review of custody procedures.