TRAGIC ERROR

Three siblings killed by Mexican cartel could have been a case of mistaken identity

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) — Authorities in the western Mexican state of Jalisco are investigating whether the abduction and killing of three siblings could have been a case of mistaken identity.

A group of armed men wearing tactical vests with the initials of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel abducted the siblings from their home in the Guadalajara suburb of Tlaquepaque on Friday night, Jalisco State prosecutor Gerardo Octavio Solís Gómez said Monday.

Their bodies were found bundled in bedding and dumped on the side of highway outside Guadalajara on Sunday morning. A message left by the cartel with the bodies included a warning to the Government.

The abduction came only a short time after agents from the federal Attorney General’s Office came under attack while escorting an individual, Solís Gómez said. That individual, whom authorities did not identify, lived on the same street as the abducted siblings.

The federal agents and the other person survived because they were travelling in an armored van, Solís Gómez said in a news conference.

Solís Gómez said authorities also are investigating whether the siblings were directly targeted.

“We know that these organised crime groups have to act fast and there’s always a chance that they made a mistake,” he said.

He said it did not appear to be a ransom attempt, because there was never any attempt to contact their family. Local press reported the victims as being in their 20s and 30s.

The Jaslico cartel, based in the state, is one of Mexico’s most powerful and has a reputation for extreme violence.

In June 2020, the Jalisco cartel wounded Mexico City’s police chief in a brazen attack on his armored vehicle on his way to work.