The municipality of Teocaltiche, Jalisco, is in mourning after its chief of police was fatally shot by a suspected cartel member while driving with his wife.
According to the Jalisco Attorney General's Office, Ramón Grande Moncada was attacked by an unidentified gunman near the Maravillas neighborhood. He was in a vehicle when the suspect opened fire, striking him three times and killing him before fleeing the scene.
His wife, who was also in the car, was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Her condition has not been shared.
Moncada's murder took place just hours after state and federal authorities confiscated a property in the area that was used by criminal groups to stash stolen vehicles and other goods and valued at approximately $2 million.
Shaken by the recent wave of homicides that have plagued the region, the Teocaltiche Municipal Administration posted a message on its official Facebook account to express outrage over the recent events, reflecting the public's growing frustration with the security situation in northern Jalisco and called for state and federal authorities for an immediate and forceful response.
"The people of Teocaltiche cannot continue living in fear, violence, and pain," the statement read. "Today, we raise our voices with deep helplessness and outrage over the tragedies that have struck our community time and time again. Enough of the deaths! Enough of the suffering of our families! Enough of being ignored!" the statement said.
In addition, Teocaltiche's local government called for urgent action from both state and federal agencies.
"We demand real protection for our people. We demand the restoration of peace, security, and dignity in our homes." The post also emphasized that "indifference is also violence," and that each life lost is a wound to the community.
The post concluded with a message of unity among the population: "Teocaltiche is not alone. We rise together, with dignity and with the strength of those who do not give up."
The municipality of Teocaltiche is located in a region of Jalisco long contested by two major drug cartels over smuggling routes. While the state is widely considered a stronghold of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the Sinaloa cartel maintains a significant presence in the Los Altos region, less than 20 miles east of Guadalajara.
In recent months residents have reported multiple incidents of violence and forced displacement stemming from ongoing clashes between the rival criminal organizations.
The killing of Moncada is the latest in a string of attacks targeting law enforcement in the area. Earlier this month, municipal police officer Luis Ernesto Chávez Regino was shot and killed at his home on April 9.
On Feb. 18, eight local police officers were reported missing. As of now, only three have been located.
Amid the surge in homicides, residents have placed banners across Teocaltiche and the neighboring municipality of Villa Hidalgo voicing support for the continued presence of state and federal security forces.
"We don't want the state police to ever leave our towns — with them came peace, and we feel safe," read several of the messages, according to Infobae México.
Some residents have expressed fear of filing formal complaints due to concerns over retaliation and have instead chosen to speak out anonymously.
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