The mayor of a Mexican town was killed on Tuesday, the latest episode of deadly violence against elected officials in the country.
Martha Laura Mendoza, mayor of Tepalcatepec in Michoacan, was killed on the town square after leaving her house, Infobae detailed. Her husband was also killed while their son was wounded.
The outlet added that Mendoza was being investigated for alleged ties with the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), especially considering she was believed to be the daughter-in-law of high-ranking cartel member Juan Jose Farias, known as "El Abuelo." She was being investigated for allegedly laundering money for the cartel.
Mendoza's is the latest official to be killed in Mexico. Earlier this month, the mayor of Tacámbaro, Michoacán, was also killed. Salvador Bastida García, elected in September 2024, was fatally shot alongside one of his security guards while en route to the town's main square.
Bastida Garcia was a well-known figure in the local community and was elected mayor as a candidate for the ruling Morena party. Prior to joining Morena, he had been a longtime member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). This was his second term as mayor, as he previously held the post from 2008 to 2011 as a PRI candidate.
According to a report by the political consultancy firm Integralia, at least 50 public officials were killed nationwide between January and March 2025.
In recent months, local officials and political candidates in states including Jalisco and Veracruz have also been killed, with many of the attacks suspected to be linked to organized crime.
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