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Mexico's navy said that a rear admiral — which is just below
full admiral, the navy’s highest rank — had been shot to death
in the Pacific coast port city of Manzanillo. Local media gave
his name as Fernando Guerrero Alcántar, but a navy spokesman
would not confirm that, or whether he was in uniform at the
time.
The navy said in a statement that he was driving in his own
private vehicle when the attack occurred, so it was unclear if
the gunmen knew who he was.
He would be one of the highest-ranking military officers killed
in Mexico since 2013.
That year, gunmen in the neighboring state of Michoacan ambushed
and killed Vice Adm. Carlos Miguel Salazar, the top navy
commander in the neighboring Pacific coastal state of Jalisco.
Members of the Knights Templar drug cartel were blamed for that
killing.
Vice admiral is a slightly higher rank than rear admiral.
Attacks by Mexican cartels on high-ranking officers have
occurred, but are relatively rare.
However, the Mexican government has given more law-enforcement
responsibility to the navy, army and the militarized National
Guard in recent years, and they now represent the front-line
forces against the country's drug cartels.
Manzanillo, because it is a Pacific coast port with direct
shipments from China and other places in Asia, is highly prized
by drug cartels seeking to smuggle in precursor chemicals to
produce the deadly opioid fentanyl.
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