Mexico's Public Prosecutor's Office announced on 27/7 the arrest of Marisol "N", the wife of the late Mayor of Temoac, Valentin Lavin, along with the town's police chief, Geovany Emmanuel "N".

Authorities stated that the two individuals were apprehended during an operation targeting extortion and asset seizure crimes. The government did not specify whether the arrests were directly related to Lavin's death last week.

Lavin was shot dead by gunmen inside the city hall on 22/7, just six months after surviving another assassination attempt. Two assassins on a motorcycle arrived at Temoac's government headquarters, stormed into the building, and proceeded directly to Mayor Lavin's office, firing multiple shots at him with handguns.

Mayor of Temoac, Valentin Lavin. Photo: Facebook/Ayuntamiento de Temoac

Security camera footage showed that after shooting Lavin, the two suspects fled on a motorcycle, their faces obscured by helmets. Security forces and medical personnel arrived at city hall minutes later, but the mayor had already died at the scene.

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

Lavin, a member of Mexico's Green Party (PVEM), was considered an ally of President Claudia Sheinbaum. Six months prior, he was ambushed on the Mexico-Oaxaca highway but received timely medical treatment and survived.

Morelos state, located near Mexico City, is a region with active drug gangs. Attacks on local officials are frequent in areas where gangs vie for territory.

Nearly 100 mayors have been murdered in Mexico since 2006, including 14 cases since President Sheinbaum took office in 10/2024.

Ngoc Anh (AFP, Reuters)