A deadly year for Mexican politicians and government officials came to an end with nine assassinated in the final two weeks of 2017–seven in a 36-hour period alone.
According to La Silla Rota, the nine join at least 38 mayors or other government officials and candidates murdered as cartel violence raged throughout the country in 2017.
As Breitbart Texas recently reported, Mexican cartels killed 111 mayors since 2006.
Those killed in the final weeks of 2017 are named below.
December 31
Adolfo Serna Nogueda, a businessman and candidate for mayor of Atoyac, Guerrero, was shot to death by gunmen while walking home. Serna was considered the frontrunner at the time.
December 30
Luis Fernando Flores Cerros, a federal inspector for the Secretary of Labor and husband of Ex-Congresswoman Inés Aurora Martínez Bernal, was shot by gunmen outside of his residence in Chihuahua.
Juan José Antonio Castro Crespo, an attorney and former candidate for state congress, was shot dead by gunmen while he visiting a ranch near Mexicali, Baja California.
December 29
Gabriel Hernández Arias, a councilman in Jalapa, Tabasco, was found with his throat slit and multiple stab wounds inside his home. His hands were also bound.
December 28
Saúl Galindo Plazola, a local congressman in the state of Jalisco, was killed by gunmen who intercepted his vehicle on a highway with one of his sons.
Arturo Gómez Pérez, mayor of Petatlan, Guerrero, was executed in a restaurant in front of his family.
Antonio Arroyo, an ex-candidate for mayor of Tenochtitlán, Veracruz, was shot multiple times by heavily armed gunmen at his residence in Misantla.
December 20
Angel Medina Burgaña a candidate for mayor of Tampamolón, San Luis Potosí, was executed by one of two gunmen who arrived at his ranch and shot him numerous times.
December 18
Sergio Antonio Zenteno Albores, mayor of Bochil, Chiapas, was shot to death by individuals on a motorcycle while he was traveling in the capital of Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce has worked in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year assignment in Monterrey, Mexico, working out of the Consulate for the United States Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program, where he was the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico (Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas.)