Mayor among 4 people found shot dead in central Mexico; Prominent vineyard owner killed in separate incident

A mayor of the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosí who was a member of the ruling Morena party was shot dead on Sunday along with three other people, local authorities said, while a prominent vineyard owner was killed in another central region.

Jesús Eduardo Franco, mayor of the municipality of Tancanhuitz, and the other three victims were found dead inside a vehicle, according to the state prosecutor’s office.

“We deeply regret the death of our colleague Eduardo Franco, municipal president of Tancanhuitz,” said the president of the Morena party, Rita Rodríguez. wrote on social media.

“We ask the authorities to go to the final consequences and find those responsible,” he added.

Politicians, particularly at the local level, often be a victim of bloodshed related to corruption and multimillion-dollar drug trafficking. Earlier this month, a Mexican congressman who was a member of the ruling coalition was shot dead in the coastal state of Veracruz.

In October, a mayor was murdered and beheaded in the southern state of Guerrero. The following month, a former prosecutor and local police officer was arrested in connection with the gruesome murder.

Wine entrepreneur murdered in central Mexico

Meanwhile, a prominent vineyard owner was murdered in Mexico City. state of guanajuatoa central region that has been plagued by violence linked to organized crime, authorities said Sunday.

Ricardo Vega was the owner of the Cuna de Tierra vineyard located in the town of Dolores Hidalgo.

“I deeply regret and strongly condemn the cowardly murder of Ricardo Vega,” Mauricio Trejo, mayor of the nearby city of San Miguel de Allende, posted on the social network X. “Insecurity reigns in Guanajuato.”

Colonial-era San Miguel de Allende is part of an area rich in art and cultural festivals, where it is frequented by American tourists.

The Mexican Wine Council, an organization of the country’s winegrowers, mourned Vega’s death and described him as a “visionary leader and tireless defender of Mexican wine.”

Local newspaper AM reported that Vega was attacked by armed men on Saturday while driving his truck through the area. He said the murder was under investigation.

More than 450,000 people have been killed and thousands have disappeared since the Mexican government deployed the army to combat drug trafficking in 2006, according to official figures.