Former Mexican Governor Shot to Death Inside Puerto Vallarta Bar

At least one gunman shot and killed a former governor inside an upscale bar in Puerto Vallarta. The murder comes at a time when the state of Jalisco deals with an uptick in violence due to the dominant criminal organization in the region, Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion.

Former Governor Jose Aristoteles Sandoval was inside a popular restaurant when at least one gunman shot and seriously injured him, state officials confirm. The 46-year-old politician who left power in 2018 died soon after at a hospital.

Governor Enrique Alfaro took to social media to confirm the killing and expressed condolences.

Con un profundo dolor quiero informarles que hace unos momentos el ex gobernador de nuestro estado, Aristóteles Sandoval, fue víctima de un ataque directo en Puerto Vallarta. Lamentablemente ha fallecido. Mi solidaridad con su familia en estos momentos tan difíciles.

— Enrique Alfaro (@EnriqueAlfaroR) December 18, 2020

The assassination took place on Friday shortly after 1:40 am local time inside a bar along one of the main avenues in the beach hotspot, said Jalisco Attorney General Gerardo Solis during a streamed news conference. Aristoteles was siting in a table with several individuals when he stood up to go to the restroom.

“That is when one individual shot him several times in the back,” Solis said.

 

Authorities have not revealed a motive, however, the gunman was able to reach Aristoteles even though he had a security detail of 15 guards and armored vehicles assigned to his motor pool. The former governor rode to the bar in a sand-colored Jeep.

State officials did not provide information about a second shooting that occurred immediately after the attack. The governor’s security detail tried to arrest the gunman who exchanged fire with police and was picked up by a team of hitmen. According to El Universal, one bodyguard was injured.

Jalisco has become one of Mexico’s most violent in recent years with disappearances, kidnappings, and executions mostly tied to Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion. In the city of Tlajomulco, not far from the state capital of Guadalajara, authorities unearthed nearly 200 bodies from one section of mass graves. In Guadalajara, authorities are finding dozens of bodies in trash bags dumped along roads or in canals.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.     

Tony Aranda from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report