Print Reporting from Temixco Mexico — The sealed-off house on a residential street here yields little trace of the recent bloody events inside Crime scene tape stretched across the imposing black metal gate — and the cop cruiser stationed outside — cannot convey what went catastrophically amiss during a police operation at 238 Francisco I Shot dead during the botched assault were six family members — four women and two children the latest collateral damage in Mexico’s drug wars All were kin of the home’s principal resident whom police here call a smuggling kingpin — an allegation his family denies 30 incident the “Temixco Massacre,” after this gritty suburb of 115,000 adjacent to the picturesque tourist haven of Cuernavaca The case has emerged as a human rights rallying cry and the latest black mark against Mexican police in the country’s protracted struggle against criminal gangs Authorities say the victims died in crossfire as police fired in self-defense But relatives of the dead and their attorney accuse the police of mounting an unprovoked attack on a sleeping family — firing more than 100 bullets with the clear intent of taking down Valdez poorly paid and corruption-plagued police have long been a point of vulnerability in the country’s raging drug wars though many police have been killed in the line of duty That’s why Mexico’s Congress this month doubled down on deployment of the military against organized crime despite vociferous objections from human rights activists and others Critics say soldiers and marines are ill-suited for law enforcement duties and just as likely as police to be in cahoots with traffickers my grandmother and children,” Juan Carlos Valdez Rodriguez son of the reputed drug lord and a survivor of the raid He recalled his sister’s stunned lament that her 3-month-old baby “They hit my daughter,” Valdez remembered his sister repeating Photos of the aftermath show a blood-spattered toilet flanked by the tattered corpses of four women who apparently sought shelter in the bathroom Police have provided contradictory versions of what happened leading up to the bloodbath in Temixco was shot to death at her home a day after she took office on Jan part of a nationwide wave of mayoral assassinations Temixco is no stranger to violence forensic investigators inspect a car outside the home where Gisela Mota was killed (Tony Rivera / Associated Press ) The National Human Rights Commission has launched an investigation into the November operation labeling the incident a possible extrajudicial killing and “crime against humanity.” A central figure in the sanguinary debacle is Jose Antonio Valdez Chapa whom relatives describe as a legitimate businessman dedicated to the purchase and resale of luxury vehicles But police here know him as El Señor de la V a purported trafficker with links to gangs including the Jalisco New Generation cartel considered among the country’s most violent According to police files cited in media reports here Valdez began his criminal career in his native Guerrero state as a leader of a criminal band called Los Rojos (“The Reds”) But a judge later ordered all five released citing a lack of evidence that they attacked police said in an interview that gunshot residue tests presented to the court demonstrated that no one inside had fired a weapon Family members say that two guns found in the house — a .32-caliber pistol and 9-millimeter handgun — were planted Nor are there any known pending charges against Valdez despite the police depiction of him as a ruthless drug capo The objective of the raid remains a matter of dispute and confusion Police deny they targeted Valdez — even though it was the third time in two years that authorities raided a residence where he was living A December 2015 shootout at a home in Cuernavaca killed a state police officer and left Valdez’s brother dead A January 2017 police raid at the same Cuernavaca address resulted in Valdez’s arrest on weapons and other charges The initial police version of the November operation stated that a group of sicarios had attacked the house on Madero Street shortly before 3 a.m spurred by an anonymous tip that individuals were being held in the house against their will told reporters that police opened fire after gunmen fired on them first though one took a bullet in his flack vest Capella has long been a figure of controversy He was both hailed as a relentless crime fighter and denounced for alleged police abuses while security chief in the violence-ridden border city of Tijuana Capella has a similarly mixed record since assuming the security portfolio in Morelos in 2014 Capella has defended the police actions in the November incident Capella said his conscience would not permit him to countenance any excess of authority “We are the police who safeguard lives as our fundamental premise,” he said The office of Capella declined an interview request from the Los Angeles Times The Valdez family views the raid not as a rescue gone awry said that when he and other survivors were arrested “What did you do to Capella to make him so mad at you?” appeared on the streets of Temixco bearing white signs with a pointed message: “Capella Relatives of the dead and others here are demanding an independent investigation “Everything the police say is full of inconsistencies,” said Luis Preciado He said his terrified fiancee called him on her cellphone that morning as she and others sought refuge in the bathroom I could hear the bullets,” Preciado recalled during an interview State police officers who spoke anonymously to Mexican media insisted that they initially had no idea that Valdez was in the house They said they also were unaware of the women and children we are very sorry about what happened inside,” an officer told Milenio Television “I am sure that if … anyone had told us there were children [inside] the officers say they fear for their lives So-called narco-banners have appeared in town naming the lawmen involved and offering a reward of 100,000 pesos — about $5,000 — for their heads Cecilia Sanchez of The Times’ Mexico City bureau contributed to this report. patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com Twitter: @PmcdonnellLAT Foreign correspondent Patrick J. McDonnell is the Los Angeles Times Mexico City bureau chief and previously headed Times bureaus in Beirut, Buenos Aires and Baghdad. A native of the Bronx, McDonnell is a graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and was a Nieman fellow at Harvard. World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Christmas Song Aims to Inspire Peace in the Holy Land Pope’s Message of Hope Launched into Space to Orbit Earth Here is Pope Francis’ Schedule for World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon Marian Apparitions Must Always Point to Jesus By David Agren • Catholic News Service • Posted January 5 MEXICO CITY (CNS) — The assassination of a Mexican mayor the day after she assumed office was a message from organized crime and evidence of its influence in the area around the city of Cuernavaca said the bishop who celebrated her funeral Mass “How is it possible that all of a region of the state is in the hands of organized crime that people are paying protection money,” said Bishop Ramon Castro Castro of Cuernavaca in comments published by the newspaper Reforma “This is evidence of our reality,” Bishop Castro said Jan 3 outside the home of slain Mayor Gisela Mota in Temixco about 50 miles south of Mexico City in Morelos state “I’ve been saying it for some time and pleading and no one has been able to do anything.” He said Mota’s murder sends the message “If you don’t cooperate with organized crime look at what’s going to happen to you.” “This crime is a signature act that characterizes the failed public security system in the state,” he said at the funeral “I hope and pray to God that Gisela’s death helps to make us all more conscious.” Authorities said Mota was murdered after assailants burst into her home Jan Two of the suspects were subsequently killed in a shootout with police Graco Ramirez said the suspects belonged to a drug cartel known as Los Rojos The mayor’s Party of the Democratic Revolution said at least 100 mayors in Mexico had been attacked over the past 10 years as criminal groups attempt to infiltrate and corrupt local governments Drug cartels have been fighting over territory in Morelos for much of the past decade causing crime to escalate and damaging the tourism economy of Cuernavaca a city once popular with expatriates and weekenders from Mexico City and known previously for its local pastor Former Mexican soccer star Cuauhtemoc Blanco — controversial for his on- and off-field behavior and a novice to politics — assumed office as mayor of Cuernavaca in late December sparking a dispute with the state government over policing Ramirez took to Twitter to blast Blanco for backing out of a scheme for putting all police in the state under a single commander a concept promoted as an attempt to prevent police corruption who won the last mayoral race with less than 30 percent of the vote Bishop Castro has stayed out of politics and has promoted peace in the Diocese of Cuernavaca since arriving in 2013 although his work has not been without controversy he organized a Walk for Peace that resulted in attempts at a boycott and buses from one parish being prevented from leaving CatholicPhilly.com works to strengthen the connections between people families and communities every day by delivering the news people need to know about the Catholic Church you and hundreds of other people become part of our mission to inform form in the Catholic faith and inspire the thousands of readers who visit every month Please join in the church's vital mission of communications by offering a gift in whatever amount that you can ― a single gift of $40 Your gift will strengthen the fabric of our entire Catholic community and sustain CatholicPhilly.com as your trusted news source NEXT: Syriac church leaders angered by Islamic State attack in Qamishli USCCB: Statement of USCCB on Vatican’s Document Addressing Pastoral Blessings Pope Francis’ May 2023 Prayer Intention | Watch Video Catholic Charities of Philadelphia Returns to Roots Dan Tarrant Brings God to the World Through Catholic Filmmaking Two suspects were killed and three have been detained following the death of Gisela Mota killed a day after taking office as mayor of Temixco The governor of the Mexican state in which a mayor was shot dead a day after taking office has vowed he will “not relent” in bringing her killers to justice blamed “criminals” for the killing of the Temixco mayor He did not say which cartel or gang might be responsible was murdered on Saturday morning when four suspects attacked her home Two suspects were killed and three others detained after they fired on police and soldiers from a van Capella said police found a 9mm gun, an Uzi, ski masks and an SUV with Mexico state license plates At a press conference, Morelos’s attorney general, Javier Pérez Durón, gave few details of the suspects’ identities, only saying they had been linked to other crimes. Capella later told the Mexican daily Excélsior the detained suspects include two teenagers Ramírez set the Mexican flag to half-staff and declared three days of mourning “The presumed authors of the attack have been detained,” he wrote on Twitter, “with all legality and resolve necessary. We will not return to how things were before. There will be no impunity.” As reported by the Associated Press, Ramón Castro Castro, the Roman Catholic bishop of Cuernavaca, celebrated mass at Mota’s home on Sunday and later spoke critically of a state where some areas are in the control of organized crime. “One theory could be that it was a warning to the other mayors,” Castro said to reporters, according to the AP. “If you don’t cooperate with organized crime, look at what will happen to you. It’s to scare them.” A threat to others was scrawled on a sheet over her body The agency that coordinates state and local police forces has its headquarters in Temixco. Federal and state security forces have been deployed in Cuernavaca and cities along the border with Guerrero, meanwhile, in an operation called “Delta”. On Twitter, Graco Ramírez remembered Mota as his “young and dear friend”. “This was a challenge by organized crime,” he wrote. “We will not relent.” Mota was sworn into office on New Year’s Day. She served in Mexico’s national congress from 2012 to 2015, as secretary of youth subjects and secretary of democratic education within the leftist Democratic Revolution party. The party’s president, Augustín Basave, released a statement condemning the attack and praising the mayor. “Gisela Mota was a strong and brave woman,” Basave said. “She declared that her fight against crime would be direct and head-on.” Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. The mayor was thought to be just one person on a list of 'at least half-dozen' found in the team’s car I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The female mayor assassinated within 24 hours of being elected on an anti-corruption campaign was killed by a group paid $29,000 the first woman elected as Mayor of Temixco in Morelos According to Mexican newspaper Reforma although it is unclear if that was collectively or individually Police were called to the 33-year-old's apartment, where she had been beaten and shot in the head. The mayor was also thought to be just one person on a list of “at least half-dozen” found in the team’s car. The state prosecutor’s office reported police found “loads of ammunition, a 9mm pistol, an Uzi submachine gun, bulletproof vests and balaclavas,” inside the suspect’s vehicle. The governor or Morelos, Graco Ramirez, said the detained suspects had said the group known as Los Rojos were behind the plot of the mayor’s assassin, according to The Intercept. The news site also reported: "In a radio interview, Mr Ramírez indicated Mota’s assassination might have been linked to a national government effort to replace municipal authorities with a single, unified state command. “Following the murder, he ordered the State Security Commission to assume control of police in 15 municipalities, including the capital.” Ms Ocampo was hoping to take on organised gun crime during her role as mayo. The area of Temixco, 60 miles south of Mexico City, has been plagued by political corruption and US-bound drug trafficking. She is now part of a list of public officials - including almost 100 mayors according to the Association of Local Mexican Authorities - who have been killed since the “war on drugs” intensified in Mexico. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Mexico (KGUN9-TV) -  One day after taking office Gisela Mota Ocampo Temixco is a town of nearly 100,000 people located 60 miles south of Mexico City CNN reports that the attackers entered her home and killed her in the doorway while her family was present Police pursued and exchanged gunfire with the armed men killing two of the attackers.  Two adults and a juvenile were arrested and will be prosecuted The region is known for cartel activity and the mayor had taken a pledge to tackle drug crime Report a typo Newly elected mayor Gisela Mota speaks during her installation ceremony in Temixco, Morelos state, Mexico on January 1, 2016. (AFP: Miguel Rojas) Link copiedShareShare articleAuthorities in Mexico say they suspect a drug cartel known as Los Rojos was behind the murder of a mayor, killed just a day after she took office. The death of Gisela Mota, 33, has shocked the nation, putting a spotlight on the violence plaguing the central state of Morelos and the dangers mayors face across Mexico. The former member of Congress was shot dead at her home, less than 24 hours being installed as the Mayor of Temixco, about 90 kilometres south of Mexico City. She was one of many politicians backing Governor Graco Ramirez's proposals to remove power from local police. He said her murder was an attempt by criminal gangs to defeat his plan. "The lines of investigation indicate that the criminal group Los Rojos was responsible for the murder of Gisela Mota," Governor Graco Ramirez wrote on Twitter. He praised Ms Mota as a great companion with political promise and said her murder would not go unpunished. Morelos State Security Commissioner Alberto Capella said police moved swiftly to make arrests after Ms Mota's murder. He said police killed two suspects and detained three others, including a minor, just minutes after she was shot. "There are more people whom we need to detain and we have taken big steps toward clearing up this case," Mr Capella said. He said the rival drug cartels - Los Rojos (The Reds) and their archrivals, the Guerreros Unidos (United Warriors) - had "generated terror through kidnapping or control of certain areas" in Morelos. The Guerreros Unidos became notorious last year as the prime suspects in the presumed killing of 43 students who disappeared in the neighboring state of Guerrero. Governor Ramirez said Ms Mota's murder could be linked to his government's decision to put state and municipal police under a "unified command" that had been opposed by some towns. He moved immediately and ordered state police to place 15 municipalities, including Temixco and the neighbouring state capital, Cuernavaca, under a unified command. Nearly 100 mayors and more than 1,000 municipal workers have been attacked in Mexico in the past decade. Supporters and family accompany Gisela Mota's coffin to the cemetery. (AFP: Tony Rivera) AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Link copiedShareShare articleThe investigation into the murder of a mayor in central Mexico has led police to a clandestine grave containing five other bodies, authorities say. The burial spot was found in the community of Alpuyeca following the killing of Temixco Mayor Gisela Mota, who was murdered on Saturday, just one day after taking office. "As a result of this regrettable event in Temixco, an investigative process was triggered that led us to make another discovery," Matias Quiroz Medina, a senior Morelos state government official, said. Three people — a 32-year-old woman, an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy — who were detained right after the Mayor's murder were formally charged with homicide on Tuesday. Two other suspects were killed in a shootout with police on Saturday. Officials did not say whether the grave had any direct links to Ms Mota's murder. Authorities suspect that the drug gang known as Los Rojos killed the 33-year-old because she backed a plan to place state and municipal police into a unified command structure. The United Nations agencies for human and women's rights condemned Ms Mota's killing, calling it a "grave crime" that also "disrupts the political rights of women" guaranteed by Mexico's constitution. In a joint statement, they urged the authorities to find the perpetrators, investigate the crime by taking the victim's gender into account and make sure politicians, notably women, are protected. While Mexico has made great strides toward equality between men and women in Congress, the participation of women in mayoral offices "is still insufficient," the statement said. The communique was signed by the Mexico branches of UN Women, which is dedicated to gender equality, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced