MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The pinnacle of Mexico’s Nationwide Guard within the state of Zacatecas was killed on Thursday in a confrontation with armed males throughout an operation in opposition to organized crime, authorities stated.
Normal Jose Silvestre Urzua, one of many highest-ranking commanders of Mexico’s militarized police power and the pinnacle of its Zacatecas department, died fulfilling his duties, Safety Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez stated on Twitter.
The state prosecutor’s workplace stated Urzua was killed throughout a confrontation with armed males, including that 4 members of the Nationwide Guard have been wounded.
The central state of Zacatecas has develop into considered one of Mexico’s most violent locations due to conflicts between felony gangs over drug trafficking. Final yr, the state recorded 1,050 murders, about 200 greater than in 2020.
Final month, lawmakers authorized extending the position of the armed forces in public safety till 2028 in an effort to curb violence. Congress has additionally voted to place the Nationwide Guard underneath military management.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador backed the creation of the Nationwide Guard after coming to energy on the finish of 2018, seeking to combat organized crime and finish endemic police corruption in its predecessor, the federal police.