The mayor of a city south of Mexico’s capital was shot to death on Saturday, less than one day after taking office, officials said.
Gunmen opened fire on Temixco Mayor Gisela Mota at her house in the city, Morelos State Government officials said.
Two suspected assailants were killed and three others detained following a pursuit, Morelos Security Commissioner Jesus Alberto Capella said, adding that the suspects fired on federal police and soldiers from a vehicle.
Photo: Reuters
On Twitter, Morelos Governor Graco Ramirez attributed Mota’s killing to organized crime, without citing a particular drug cartel or gang.
Cartels seeking to control towns have often targeted local officials and mayors in Mexico.
Mota’s left-wing Democratic Revolution Party released a statement describing her as “a strong and brave woman who on taking office as mayor, declared that her fight against crime would be frontal and direct.”
Temixco is a city of about 100,000 people neighboring Cuernavaca, a resort and industrial city which has been suffering kidnappings and extortion linked to organized crime groups.
Though Cuernavaca is the capital of Morelos State, Temixco is the seat of several state institutions including the Morelos State Public Security Commission, which coordinates state and local police forces.
Morelos also neighbors drug cartel-plagued Guerrero State.
Mota — a former Mexican federal congresswoman — was sworn into office on New Year’s Day.
Ramirez vowed that there “would be no impunity” over her killing and promised that state officials would not cede to what he described as a “challenge from criminals.”
Mexican federal and state forces are deployed in Cuernavaca and municipalities near the Guerrero State border in what is called operation “Delta.”
Capella did not provide more details about the attack on Mota, but said that when the suspects were detained, authorities found a 9mm gun, an Uzi, ski masks and a sport utility vehicle with Mexico State license plates.
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