Zacatecas AG Links Multihomicide of 10, Including Officials, to Extortion and Collusion
The bodies of ten men, including a former mayor and current government officials, were discovered across three municipalities in Zacatecas, Mexico, on Saturday. Zacatecas Attorney General Cristian Paul Camacho stated that investigators are exploring potential links to extortion and collusion involving public officials. The victims included Ignacio Castrejón Valdez, former mayor of Sombrerete, and Fidel Alvarado de la Torre, a social development director in Fresnillo. Authorities have collected evidence, including video footage, and are conducting financial probes and forensic analysis as part of the ongoing investigation.
Ten men were found deceased across the municipalities of Morelos, Pánuco, and Saín Alto, all located north of Zacatecas City, on Saturday. Five of the bodies were discovered hanging from a bridge in Pánuco.
Zacatecas Attorney General Cristian Paul Camacho announced on Sunday that initial investigations suggest the multihomicide could be connected to acts of extortion and collusion involving public officials. He indicated that various pieces of evidence support these lines of inquiry, and a financial probe may be initiated as part of the comprehensive investigation.
Among the victims identified were Ignacio Castrejón Valdez, a former mayor of Sombrerete, Zacatecas, and Fidel Alvarado de la Torre, who served as director of social development for the Fresnillo municipal government. Another victim was Andrés Vázquez Gurrola, an ex-councilor in Canatlán, Durango, described as a lawyer and former police officer. Additionally, a Civil Protection member from Fresnillo and six businessmen from various fields, including agriculture, entertainment, and construction, were among those killed. Eight of the victims were from Zacatecas, and two were from the neighboring state of Durango.
Authorities have obtained video footage to identify vehicles used in the incidents. A search warrant was executed at a property in Fresnillo, where at least two victims were believed to have been present before their deaths, and a vehicle linked to the events was seized.
Camacho detailed that eight of the victims were strangled, while two, including Fidel Alvarado de la Torre, died from gunshot wounds. Bullet casings recovered are undergoing extensive analysis to determine if the same weapons have been used in other crimes. Investigations revealed that four victims stopped communicating with their families last Thursday, five last Friday, and one on Saturday. No reports of abduction had been received prior to the discovery of the bodies.
Toxicology tests showed that five of the victims, including the two municipal officials from Fresnillo, had recently consumed drugs. Rodrigo Reyes Mugüerza, general secretary of the Zacatecas government, referred to the weekend as one of “uncertainty, fear, and concern” for residents. He noted that despite a reported decline in homicides by over 60% annually in the first six months of 2026, such events underscore the complexity of the ongoing pacification process. State authorities are conducting an operation to apprehend those responsible and are committed to preventing future occurrences.
(Source: Mexico News Daily)
