Former Prosecutor Arrested in Connection With Decapitation of Mayor

CHILPANCINGO, MX - A former prosecutor and military officer was arrested Tuesday in connection with the decapitation of Chilpancingo Mayor Alejandro Arcos, a week after Arcos took office in Guerrero’s capital.

Authorities believe Germán Reyes, once a top legal official in the state, may have colluded with a criminal gang responsible for the murder.

The arrest shocked officials, who previously blamed the killing on local drug and extortion gangs. Reyes, now charged with homicide, was identified by the Guerrero prosecutor’s office, though only his first name and initial were released, following local practices.

Reyes’s alleged involvement casts doubt on Mexico’s common practice of appointing ex-military officials to top police roles, intended to reduce corruption risks. In his case, state detectives relied on federal forces to make the arrest, showing distrust in local law enforcement.

The gang implicated in Arcos’s death, the Ardillos, controls large portions of Guerrero and is reportedly locked in a violent turf war with a rival gang, the Tlacos. The Ardillos are also believed to be behind the recent abduction and murder of 11 market vendors, whose bodies were found last week in Chilpancingo.

As violence escalates, the Catholic Church has stepped in to mediate peace in other areas of Guerrero.