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A high-ranking Mexican official was gunned down while having dinner at a seafood restaurant in the latest round of deadly violence against politicians in the country.
Jose Luis Pereida Robles, the secretary general of the Teocaltiche City Council, was attacked just before 5 p.m. Monday, local officials said.
Police first responded to the eatery when they received reports of an individual injured in the gunfire, but first responders found Pereira, 35, “no longer had vital signs.”
Teocaltiche is located in the northeast of the state of Jalisco, 100 miles from the capital of Guadalajara.
No arrests have been made as the Jalisco state prosecutor’s office continues to investigate the motive behind the deadly shooting.
“The Teocaltiche City Council deeply regrets the passing of our Secretary General, who tragically lost his life,” the board said on Facebook. “His courage and dedication left an indelible mark on our community. His legacy will live on forever in our hearts.”
Violence in the state has risen dramatically over the years as the Jalisco New Generation cartel has taken over, CBS News reported.
President Trump designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
Eight Teocaltiche police officers were kidnapped and four bodies were recovered in plastic bags along the side of the road in February.
State officials took control of the police department over fears the department was infiltrated by the gangs after the kidnappings, the outlet reported.
Pereira’s murder comes two weeks after the city’s police chief was gunned down by a suspected gang member.
Teocaltiche Chief of Police Ramón Grande Moncada was driving with his wife just after 8 p.m. on April 15 when a gunman rode up beside their car and opened fire, according to the Latin Times and the state prosecutor’s office.
Moncada, 50, was struck three times and died at the scene after the suspect fled.
His wife was also shot but survived.
The police commander’s death occurred the same day federal and state officials seized a property in the city used by criminal groups to stash stolen vehicles and goods worth upwards of $2 million, the outlet reported.
The city government blasted state officials for allowing the violence to spread in the area.
“Every life lost, every family broken, every night spent, are wounds that cry for justice. We can’t and shouldn’t get used to living like this,” the city posted on Facebook.
“We demand clear and overwhelming answers for the State and the Federation. We demand real protection for our people. We demand the restoration of peace, security and dignity of our homes,” the statement added.
The spate of assassinations isn’t confined to the state of Jalisco as violence has plagued towns all over Mexico.
In October, the decapitated head of a town’s mayor was discovered on his car six days into his term.
The body of Alejandro Arcos, the 43-year-old mayor of Chilpancingo, Guerrero, was found stuffed inside his pickup truck while his head was placed on top of the vehicle.
Former prosecutor and local police official, identified as German “N,” was arrested in Arcos’ death after prosecutors initially blamed the murder on gang violence, CBS News reported.
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