The mayor-elect of Gómez Farías, Chihuahua, was critically wounded in his office by a presumed cartel gunman Friday–one day before he was scheduled to be sworn into office.

Authorities are investigating the attack occurring on September 7, approximately 9:30 pm against mayor-elect Dr. Blas Juan Godínez Ortega. He was shot multiple times by a single gunman who entered his office pretending to be a patient. Dr. Godínez was transported to a local hospital in Cuauhtémoc and later to the state capital of Chihuahua where he is listed in grave condition. Dr. Godínez is the son of Dr. Blas Godínez, who was kidnapped from his medical office by a group of cartel gunmen in November 2017 and was never heard from again, according to local reports. It is believed the elder Dr. Godínez was seized to provide medical attention to gunmen wounded during a series of skirmishes in the much-disputed territory between the Sinaloa and La Línea/Juárez Cartels.

Mayor-Elect Dr. Blas Juan Godínez Ortega campaigned on a message promoting government transparency and fighting corruption. He also wished to learn what happened to his father after the government downplayed his kidnapping.

The State Electoral Institute (El Instituto Estatal Electoral-IEE) released a statement condemning the attack on the mayor-elect and called for more official action to ensure a safe transition for newly leaders and the municipality of Gómez Farías in general.

Gómez Farías is a highly disputed area between rival cartels due to its location, which provides prime smuggling routes to the U.S. The main criminal groups in the area are the Sinaloa and La Línea/Juárez Cartels.

Breitbart Texas reported on Mexico’s inability to provide basic security for politicians and their families. During the most recent 10-month electoral cycle, 581 attacks occurred with 136 dead.

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.) You can follow him on Twitter. He can be reached at robertrarce@gmail.com