Wave of Violence Against Public Officials Continues in Mexico as Former Guerrero Secretary Is Gunned Down Outside His Home

Attacks on public officials in Mexico have spiraled this year, with more than 50 public servants killed between January and March, according to a recent report. The latest victim to join the list is Edgar Fernando Salmerón Feliciano, former secretary general of Chilapa de Álvarez, a small town in Guerrero less than 40 miles east of the state capital, Chilpancingo.

Authorities reported Salmerón’s killing on the morning of June 2. He was fatally shot outside his home in the San José neighborhood.

Local media said Salmerón was ambushed by a group of armed individuals waiting outside his residence. The attackers and the motive remain unknown.

Relatives reportedly moved his body inside the house, preventing forensic specialists from carrying out standard procedures at the scene. Instead, identification and preliminary investigative steps were conducted inside the residence.

Salmerón served as secretary under the 2012–15 administration of Mayor Francisco Javier García González. He later ran for mayor but lost to Ulises Fabián Quiroz, who was also shot and killed in May 2015.

Recent attacks on public officials in the region have been linked to the criminal group Los Ardillos, which allegedly holds significant political influence in Chilapa.

In its latest report on political violence, the consulting firm Integralia said that at least 50 homicides targeting public officials were recorded nationwide between January and March 2025, with Guerrero among the most dangerous states.

Although Salmerón’s murder does not appear to have political overtones at this time, Guerrero consistently ranks among the states with the highest levels of politically motivated violence. Organized crime groups are widely believed to play a role in placing candidates in office by intimidating or eliminating rivals.

During last year’s electoral cycle, the nonprofit Causa en Común documented 67 public officials killed across 18 states nationwide. Guerrero led with 15 killings, followed by Chiapas with 11 and Michoacán with seven.

Violence against political figures continues to mount all over Mexico. In recent months, local officials and candidates in states including Jalisco and Veracruz have been killed, with many attacks suspected to be linked to organized crime.

In one high-profile case, Chilpancingo Mayor Alejandro Arcos was decapitated in October 2024 in an attack allegedly orchestrated by criminal groups. His murder came shortly after the city’s government secretary, Francisco Tapia, was also shot by suspected cartel members.