In Chilpancingo, Mexico, newly elected mayor Alejandro Arcos Catalan was brutally killed just six days after taking office. His decapitated head was discovered placed on top of his pickup truck, while his body remained inside. Chilpancingo, located in Guerrero state, is notorious for violent clashes between two rival drug gangs, the Ardillos and the Tlacos.
The shocking discovery was made on Sunday night, with Arcos, aged 43, found murdered in his truck. His head was placed on the roof, and his body was found within the vehicle. The city had recently experienced a change in leadership, transitioning from President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Morena party to a coalition of opposition parties led by Arcos.
This change in administration came amidst a backdrop of ongoing violence, with the two gangs vying for control of the local economy.
The previous mayor’s term ended prematurely after leaked audio and video surfaced, revealing her conversations with gang leaders. In contrast, Arcos was a staunch critic of political connections with drug cartels. In a July interview, he firmly stated that he would never negotiate with such criminal groups.
Since Arcos took office, the city had been dealing with the effects of heavy rainfall caused by Gulf of Mexico hurricanes. The mayor had been actively delivering aid to affected communities and was photographed visiting one on Sunday. On social media, he expressed his commitment to reopening roads and helping those impacted, saying, “Together we will rebuild Chilpancingo.”
Tragically, just hours later, he was assassinated. The attorney general’s office in Guerrero confirmed that it was a targeted killing, but no group has yet claimed responsibility for the murder.
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