A local mayor in central Mexico was shot dead inside a town hall on Wednesday, authorities reported, just months after surviving a previous assassination attempt. Mayor Valentin Lavin, who was allied with President Claudia Sheinbaum's leftist party, was found dead in government facilities in Temoac, Morelos, a region where drug cartels are active. Forensic experts and police confirmed the killing, and an arrest operation is underway.
Nearly 100 mayors have been murdered in Mexico since 2006, when drug-related violence surged, according to official figures. Since Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, 14 mayors have been killed, including three in 2026. The country has faced escalating violence since the government launched an offensive against cartels in 2006, with nearly 500,000 deaths and 130,000 disappearances recorded since then.
Criminal gangs frequently target local officials, particularly in areas where cartels fight for territory. Last week, attackers shot dead the husband of a Mexican councilwoman, injuring the politician and her daughter. In November 2023, Mayor Carlos Manzo was fatally shot in Michoacán during Day of the Dead celebrations, shocking the nation.
Sheinbaum has claimed that homicides in Mexico have fallen by nearly half since September 2024, attributing the decline to her security policies. However, the recent killings of mayors and officials highlight ongoing violence in cartel-controlled regions.