Navy rear admiral murdered in port of Manzanillo

A high-ranking member of Mexico’s navy was killed in the port city of Manzanillo, Colima, on Friday.

Gunmen on a motorcycle shot Rear Admiral Fernando Rubén Guerrero Alcántar as he traveled in his own private vehicle along Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas, a seafront boulevard in Manzanillo, home to Mexico’s largest port.

Guerrero, who died inside his SUV, was not in uniform at the time of the attack, according to sources cited by the newspaper Reforma.

The Associated Press reported that he would be one of the highest-ranking military officers to be killed in Mexico since 2013, when a vice admiral was murdered in Michoacán.

No arrests were reported after the murder, which occurred at around 11:30 a.m. Friday.

Mexico’s Naval Ministry (SEMAR) said in a statement that it “deeply” regretted the death of one of its members.

SEMAR also sent condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the fallen officer.

“At this painful time, [the Ministry] will provide all necessary support to his loved ones and will collaborate with authorities to clear up the events,” SEMAR said.

The small Pacific coast state of Colima was Mexico’s most violent state in 2023 in terms of murders per capita.

Criminal control of the port of Manzanillo — a major entry point for fentanyl precursor chemicals from China — is highly coveted by crime groups, as are trafficking routes that run north and northeast from the Pacific coast state. The navy controls maritime customs offices at Mexican ports, and frequently seizes narcotics on land and at sea.

Guerrero’s murder came 10 days after two navy personnel were attacked in Manzanillo, one of whom was killed, and three days after a member of the navy was murdered in Iguala, Guerrero.

Another member of the navy was killed in Manzanillo in August.

With reports from Reforma, El Universal and AP