Gunmen in Southern Mexico Assassinate Mayor, City Staffer Inside City Hall

Authorities in southern Mexico are investigating the murder of a mayor at the hands of a team of gunmen who stormed the municipal headquarters, shooting their intended target and another city official. The attack is the second murder of a mayor in the Mexican state of Oaxaca in 2025.

The killing took place on Sunday at around 11 am inside the San Mateo Pinas City Hall in the state of Oaxaca, information from the state attorney general’s office revealed. The gunmen entered the building and shot Mayor Lilia Gema Garcia Soto and a second individual described as a city official. Both victims died from their wounds a short time later.

After the shooting, the Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara took to social media to announce the killings and claimed his government would be working to bring about justice.

While the motive for the murder and suspects in the case remain unknown, Garcia Soto’s killing is the second of its kind in a matter of months. In May, a team of gunmen shot and killed Mario Hernandez, the mayor of Santiago Amoltepec in Oaxaca. In that incident, a group of gunmen carried out an ambush attack, killing the politician and two police officers. That case remains unsolved.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..