MEXICO CITY (REUTERS) - The former governor of the Mexican state of Jalisco was shot dead early on Friday (Dec 18) in a restaurant bathroom in the beach town of Puerto Vallarta, one of the most high-profile political killings since Mexico embarked on its War on Drugs in 2006.
Jalisco state officials said Mr Aristoteles Sandoval was shot in the back by an unidentified assailant while his security detail were outside. A shoot-out erupted as his bodyguards began moving Sandoval to hospital.
Mexico is struggling to tame raging violence across the country, with Jalisco one of the epicentres of internecine cartel warfare that last year drove murders to an all-time high with 34,670 homicides recorded.
Former governor of Mexican state gunned down 2 minutes read
Mexico City, Dec 18 (efe-epa).- The former governor of the western Mexican state of Jalisco died at the hospital Friday after being shot inside a restaurant in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta, authorities said.
“With profound sadness I wish to inform you that moments ago, the ex-governor of our state, Aristoteles Sandoval, was the victim of a direct attack in Puerto Vallarta. Regrettably, he has died. My solidarity with his family in these very difficult moments,” incumbent Gov. Enrique Alfaro said on Twitter.
He wrote in a subsequent message that Jalisco’s top public safety officials were already in Puerto Vallarta to oversee the investigation.