On the afternoon of 22/7, two assassins arrived by motorcycle at the Temoac town hall in Morelos state, Mexico. They stormed the building, went directly to Mayor Valentin Lavin Romero's office, and shot him multiple times with a handgun.

Mayor Valentin Lavin Romero at Temoac city hall, Morelos state. Photo: Aristegui Noticias

Security camera footage showed the two suspects fleeing on motorcycles with helmets obscuring their faces after shooting Romero. Security forces and medical personnel arrived at city hall minutes later, but Mayor Romero was pronounced dead at the scene.

Morelos state authorities launched a manhunt across Temoac and neighboring municipalities, but the two suspects have not yet been found.

Romero was a member of the Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) and considered an ally of President Claudia Sheinbaum. Six months prior, he had survived an ambush on the Mexico - Oaxaca highway, receiving timely medical treatment.

Morelos state, located near Mexico City, is a region plagued by drug cartel activity. Attacks targeting local officials are frequent in areas where gangs vie for territorial control.

Two assassins wearing full-face helmets flee the scene on 22/7. Photo: Aristegui Noticias

Nearly 100 mayors have been murdered in Mexico since 2006, with 14 of those occurring since President Sheinbaum took office in 10/2024. Last week, the husband of a Mexican congresswoman was shot dead during an ambush on his family while they were en route to their daughter's graduation ceremony.

According to Mexican government data, nearly 500,000 people have died and about 130,000 have gone missing in the country since the anti-drug cartel campaign began in 2006.

President Sheinbaum stated on 14/7 that the number of homicides in Mexico has decreased by nearly half compared to 9/2024, attributing this reduction to the government's security policies.

Thanh Danh (According to CBS, Aristegui Noticias)