Officials Targeted by Cartel Killed One After Another... Mayor Found Dead Just One Week After Inauguration

Beheaded Body Found on Pickup Truck
Local Cartel Organization Suspected Behind Incident

In a city in Mexico, the mayor was found murdered about a week after taking office. On the 7th (local time), foreign media such as AFP and Reuters reported, "The Guerrero state prosecutor's office in Mexico is investigating the murder case of Mayor Alejandro Arcos in Chilpancingo." The Guerrero state prosecutor's office explained in a press release, "We are confirming the necessary evidence with the police to clearly understand the circumstances of the crime."

The mayor of a city in Mexico was found murdered about a week after taking office. On the 7th (local time), foreign media including AFP and Reuters reported that the Guerrero State Prosecutor's Office in Mexico is conducting an investigation into the murder of Alejandro Arcos, the mayor of Chilpancingo. The photo shows the funeral of Mayor Arcos. [Photo by Reuters · Yonhap News]

The day before, Mayor Arcos's body was found with his throat slit. A photo of his head placed on a pickup truck was posted on social media, bringing the incident to light. Mayor Arcos belonged to the center-left opposition party, the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), and was elected in the general election last June, defeating the ruling coalition candidate, taking office as mayor on the 30th of last month. Shortly after taking office, his secretary was found murdered. Additionally, in the past ten days, a senior city council official and a former police chief were also killed.

The drug cartel organization in the region is considered the most likely culprit behind this incident. Guerrero state has been suffering from cartel violence in recent years, with cartels operating based in the area. Last year, when law enforcement arrested two senior members of the gang 'Los Ardillos' on charges of illegal possession of weapons and drugs, even those involved in businesses related to the gang took over highways and hijacked police armored vehicles. Amid this, controversy arose when it was revealed that the former mayor of Chilpancingo had met several times last year with the cartel leader.

President Claudia Sheinbaum, elected as the first female president in 200 years of Mexico's constitutional history
[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

Claudia Sheinbaum, the first female president elected in 200 years of Mexico's constitutional history, stated at a press conference that day, "We are conducting the necessary investigation to find out the motive behind the incident, and arrests corresponding to the investigation results will be made." She also announced plans to strengthen public security measures. However, less than a day after President Sheinbaum was elected, a female incumbent mayor was murdered, indicating that the security situation in Mexico remains unstable.

Above all, the main factor destabilizing security in Mexico is the drug cartels. In Mexico, high poverty rates combined with the thriving drug trafficking business headed to the United States have led to the growth of drug cartels. Since the 2000s, the Mexican government has declared a 'war on drugs' and has been working to dismantle cartels, but the unstable security issues remain an unresolved challenge.