Local Police Chief in Jalisco Who Stood up Against Gangsters Was Murdered on His Day Off

"MX" for Borderland Beat

The police chief of the Jalostotitlán Municipal Police force in Jalisco, Oswaldo García Vallejo, was shot to death on Sunday afternoon by three individuals who directly assaulted him when he was at a gas station on the highway that leads from the Altos de Jalisco region to Guadalajara. He was on his day off.

The State Prosecutor's Office confirmed that García Vallejo was traveling with three people to Guadalajara and stopped at a gas station located in the municipality of Zapotlanejo. Three individuals drove up next to him in a pick-up truck and killed him. The suspects then fled towards Guadalajara.

About twenty patrols arrived at the gas station, both from Zapotlanejo and Jalostotilán police forces. Federal agents also arrived at the scene shortly after the local police. The gas station was cordoned off and its service was interrupted during the entire afternoon.

Background and possible motives

The main line of investigation into the murder of García Vallejo revolves around retaliation for his actions against organized crime. The State Prosecutor, Gerardo Octavio Solís Gómez, indicated that García Vallejo participated in operations and arrests in coordination with state and federal authorities, for which this could have been the reason why he was killed. He added that there is no record of threats received against him.

Jalostotitlán is located 130 km (81 mi) northeast of Guadalajara. In January 2020, three Jalostotitlán police officers were killed by gangsters. The following month, the local police and state authorities arrested ten suspected hitmen.

Authorities believe that the  Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) holds a stronghold in Jalostotitlán. Last year, the police arrested CJNG regional leader Adrián Alonso Guerrero Covarrubias ("El 08"), who operated in Jalostotitlán.

Investigators said he had several hitmen in the area and led a criminal cell responsible for fighting off rival gangs from making their way into Jalisco from the states of Guanajuato, Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosi. Guerrero Covarrubias is the godson of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho").