In Mexico, violence against police officers remains a serious problem. The Secretary of Public Security and Citizen Protection, Iván García Álvarez, recently reported a tragic incident in the municipality of San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec, located in the Papaloapan Basin region. There, four members of the municipal police lost their lives in an attack.
The ambush on the police occurred in the early hours of the morning, after receiving reports of gunfire on Benito Juárez Street, in the Las Limas neighborhood. Despite the prompt response of the municipal police and paramedics, the officers had already died by the time they arrived on the scene.
According to authorities, the municipal police were attacked by several individuals who were traveling in vehicles. The crime scene was secured so that forensic experts from the Oaxaca Prosecutor's Office could begin investigations to identify those responsible for this multiple homicide.
Due to the high crime rate in San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec, there were plans to install a Navy station to reinforce security in the area; however, the proposal was rejected by the municipal president. Instead, a zone of State Police was deployed to safeguard the region, which is among the 29 municipalities with the highest crime rates in Oaxaca.
Among the deceased was the deputy director of the municipal police, Víctor B.M. This tragic loss adds to the alarming figure of at least 310 security personnel killed across the country during 2024.
In another unfortunate incident that occurred last December in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Halexy Guadalupe Velderrain Con, an agent of the team of Omar García Harfuch, head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), was murdered by organized crime members. Investigations indicate that Alfredo Beltrán Guzmán, known as "el Mochomito," son of Alfredo Beltrán Leyva, was responsible for the attack. Alfredo Beltrán Leyva is one of the leaders of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, currently affiliated with the faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by Los Chapitos.
