Alejandro Arcos, the 43-year-old mayor of Chilpancingo, a city in southwestern Mexico with a population of around 280,000, was found dead on Sunday in a grisly attack. His decapitated body was left in a pickup truck, with his head placed on the roof of the vehicle.
Images circulating on social media showed what appeared to be Arcos' severed head on a white pickup truck, while his body was covered by a blanket in the passenger seat of the vehicle.
Chilpancingo is the capital of Guerrero, a state infamous for its high levels of violence, much of it driven by warring drug gangs. In 2023, the city was the scene of a dramatic gang demonstration, during which criminals hijacked a government armored vehicle and took police officers hostage to demand the release of detained suspects, according to Fox News. Leading up to Mexico's June 2 elections, at least six candidates for public office were killed in Guerrero.
A funeral for Arcos was held on Monday. "His loss mourns the entire Guerrero society and fills us with indignation," said Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado in a public statement.
The leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Alejandro Moreno, also spoke out following the killing, noting the disturbing fact that Arcos’ death came just three days after the city’s recently appointed secretary, Francisco Tapia, was shot and killed.
"They had been in office less than a week," Moreno wrote on social media. "They were young and honest public servants who were seeking progress for their community." He also urged federal authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into both of the murders.
Guerrero has long been plagued by violent turf wars between rival drug gangs, including the Ardillos and the Tlacos. The rivalry has led to numerous violent killings and public scandals. In one instance, a mayor was caught on video meeting with a gang leader and was then expelled from her political party.
But the ongoing gang violence in Mexico isn't limited to Guerrero. In recent days, the Mexican army confiscated weapons from local police in the city of Culiacán, amid concerns that officers there were aiding cartels. The army has previously disarmed police forces suspected of collaborating with organized crime.
