Mexico: 18 Dead, Including Mayor and His Father, After Los Tequileros Gunmen Sprayed Bullets at Town Hall, House in Guerrero

A mayor and at least 16 others have been killed after armed members of the Los Tequileros gang stormed a town hall in Mexico's Guerrero state on Wednesday.

According to BBC News, police said the gunmen entered the San Miguel Totolapan town hall at around 2 p.m. local time and started shooting. Two people were also reported injured. The building was riddled with bullet holes after the attack, as seen in photos that circulated on social media.

San Miguel Totolapan Mayor Conrado Mendoza Almeda's party, the "Partido de la Revolucion Democratica" (PRD), has condemned the "cowardly murder" of its member and demanded justice.

Aside from the mayor, several police officers and council workers were also killed after the gunmen opened fire. Their bloodied bodies lying on the ground were also seen in images that circulated online.

Father of Mayor in Mexico's Guerrero State Also Killed by Los Tequileros Gang

Conrado Mendoza Almeda's father, former mayor of San Miguel Totolapan Juan Mendoza Acosta, was also reportedly killed in his home before the attack moved to the town hall.

Authorities confirmed that several clashes were reported in San Miguel Totolapan that day, Milenio reported. They also said that the criminal gang used large vehicles to briefly block a highway in San Miguel Totolapan to prevent security forces from getting into the city.

Authorities said the gang removed these blockades a few hours after the attacks. The Ministry of National Defense has deployed army and navy units to the area to find those involved in the attacks. But as of 9 p.m. local time, the prosecutor said no one had been arrested yet.

Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda tweeted to express her deep sorrow over the mayor's and others' deaths. There was no immediate confirmation from local officials whether the Los Tequileros gang was involved in the massacre. However, the criminal group claimed responsibility for the attack in a video shared on social media.

In the video released by alleged members of Los Tequileros on social media, the group announced its return to the region, where they had been fighting a rival drug ring.

Los Tequileros and Mexican Drug Cartels Operating in Mexico's Guerrero State

According to Borderland Beat, the Los Tequileros is a criminal organization operating in the Tierra Caliente region in Guerrero state. The gang was known for extorting and threatening mayors of the region.

Guerrero's District Attorney's Office previously identified Raybel Jacobo de Almonte, known as "El Tequilero," as the leader of the gang that bears his alias.

The criminal group is one of the armed wings of the Guerreros Unidos Cartel in northern Guerrero that seeks to control the Tierra Caliente region. It reportedly devastated Guerrero between 2015 and 2017 until El Tequilero was assassinated.

Reports said the town of San Antonio de la Gavia in San Miguel Totolapan municipality is known to be the center of operations of Los Tequileros. The state of Guerrero is reportedly plagued by several Mexican drug cartels dedicated to drug trafficking and extortion.

The Independent Cartel of Acapulco is one of the drug cartels operating in the state. The said cartel is fighting the Jalisco cartel for control of the Port of Acapulco, known as a key entryway for South American cocaine.

Guerrero has reportedly been hit by organized crime groups in recent years, and in 2021, the state experienced a strong wave of violence. During the first two months of 2022, the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System reported that Guerrero state recorded more than 200 intentional homicides.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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