Sheinbaum vows to investigate murder, beheading of Mexican mayor

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – The president of Mexico is vowing to bring to justice those responsible for the murder and beheading of a mayor in the state of Guerrero.

“We are conducting the necessary investigations to learn the motive and detain those responsible,” President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said on Monday. “Tomorrow, we will announce a general public safety strategy. We will work in some states bringing more resources, intelligence and investigations in coordination with the local governors.”

Her comments came in response to the Sunday morning murder of mayor of a local politician, Alejandro Arcos Catalan, who took office the same day she did last week.

Arcos’ head was separated from his body and placed atop the hood of a Volkswagen Robust in the Villas del Robles neighborhood in Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero. The state in western Mexico has long been a battleground for rival criminal organizations vying for control of drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion.

The conflict has led to multiple atrocities including the killing of seven people whose severed heads were left in a vehicle abandoned in front of a church in Chilpancingo. Several public officials perceived to favor one group instead of another have received death threats in the past. And on Monday, Sheinbaum said a second Chilpancingo city official was murdered a few days ago.

“We are collaborating with state prosecutors to see if it’s necessary the (federal) Attorney General’s Office takes over the case and find out the motive,” the president said.

Arcos belonged to the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, whose national leader said organized crime in Guerrero is out of control and disclosed that Chilpancingo’s city secretary also was murdered three days ago.

“They were in office less than a week. They were young and honest public servants that wanted their community to progress,” said PRI’s Alejandro “Alito” Moreno Cardenas. “Because of this situation of ungovernability, we will ask that the (federal government) take over the murder investigation.”

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