Skip to Content
Video

A Raw Interview with Ed’s Manifesto About Tijuana’s Narco-Violence, Tacos, and Its Ska-Punk Scene

"Tijuana is the closest thing that the U.S. has to the Wild West."

What is it about Tijuana that keeps you going back? This sentence by Ed Calderón in our latest Youtube interview with him perfectly sums it up. The more you go to Tijuana, the more you understand it, but more importantly the more you respect it and learn to navigate its complex taco universe as safely as you can. You can't hide the fact that since this interview was filmed earlier this year,  two different journalists were killed in Tijuana, respectively. After all, since 2020, Mexico remains to be one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists to work and live in.

After eating our way through the best of Tijuana's not-so-touristy tacos, L.A. TACO sat down with Tijuana's native son, Ed Calderón, for a one-on-one interview in an undisclosed location in Tijuana to talk about his safety as a commentator on Mexico's thriving narco-violence, his skater-punk youth, and of why he keeps going back despite it all.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Daily Memo: They Met in ICE Detention. Despite a Language Barrier, These Women’s Bond Helped Them Survive

They found a way to spend the nights talking, developing a friendship that got them both through their ordeal. Tania says she saw Masuma as a motherly, grandmotherly figure who took care of her, and Masuma says she wouldn’t have survived without Tania. 

Father of Four Dies After Alleged Medical Negligence in Adelanto, 15th ICE-Related Death in 2026

ICE agents took Cruz Nape last Fall after being confused for another target. Despite not being their initial suspect, they took him anyway. He was soon transferred to Adelanto.

From Prison to Major Museums and His First Book, Mr. Wash Is Now Building a Community Art Center

Mr. Wash will celebrate the release of his book, “Artists In Space,” with a launch and artist conversation at his studio in Compton on March 7.

March 6, 2026

Weekend Eats: Octopus Tentacle Sandwiches Wriggle Into Burbank

Plus Korean burgers, a new Afro-Latin restaurant in Silver Lake, and cereal milk French toast on Japanese milk bread.

March 6, 2026

Daily Memo: People Are Being Taken From Downtown L.A.’s Hidden ICE ISAP Check-ins

We’re not seeing much ICE activity in the L.A. area, but we can confirm that people are being taken from their check-ins. Not everybody who checks in gets taken, but some people do.

Donald Trump Reassigns Kristi Noem As Special Envoy—Markwayne Mullin To Take Over As U.S. Secretary of DHS

Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has been reassigned to the role of “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” which will have its first meeting with like-minded right-wing leaders from 12 Latin American countries. Mullin, who is currently a House Representative for Oklahoma’s 2nd district, will take on the role of Secretary of DHS at the end of the month, where he’ll likely be ready to take on all of the U.S. in a fistfight.

See all posts