Mexico City Mayor’s Top Aides Assassinated in Daylight Attack
Mexico City | May 20, 2025
In a shocking and audacious daylight assassination, two senior members of Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada’s team were gunned down Monday morning in the heart of the capital, sending shockwaves through the city’s political establishment and raising urgent questions about organized crime and security in the nation’s capital.
The victims—Ximena Guzmán, the mayor’s personal secretary, and José Muñoz, a close adviser—were ambushed and killed in the Moderna neighborhood shortly before 7 a.m. as they prepared to start their workday. The attack occurred near the Xola metro station, one of the city’s bustling commuter areas.
Authorities confirmed that Muñoz had been waiting on the street when Guzmán arrived to pick him up. Surveillance footage later captured a chilling scene: a man wearing a white shirt and motorcycle helmet approached the parked vehicle, drew a firearm, and fired multiple shots at both officials before fleeing on a motorbike driven by an accomplice. The brazen style and execution strongly resembled tactics used by professional hitmen in organized crime.
Mayor Brugada, visibly shaken and clad in black, described the attack as “direct and ruthless,” and vowed an uncompromising investigation. “Ximena was an extraordinary woman—dedicated, kind, and tireless. José was among the brightest minds I’ve had the privilege to work with,” she said during a somber press conference. “We are devastated. But we will not be deterred.”
Brugada emphasized her administration’s commitment to fighting insecurity, stating, “We will not back down. These assassinations will not go unpunished.”
An Unprecedented Political Targeting
The double homicide is the most high-profile assassination of public officials in Mexico City in recent years and is being viewed as a possible escalation of cartel-related violence into areas previously considered relatively insulated. Though the capital has experienced violence before, this level of political targeting—especially against senior aides so close to the mayor—has raised red flags among analysts and citizens alike.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, a political ally of Brugada within the ruling Morena party, condemned the murders during her daily press conference. “This was a calculated attack. But we assure the public: there will be no impunity,” she declared. Sheinbaum also confirmed that neither Guzmán nor Muñoz had a personal security detail and that there were no known threats made against them prior to the incident.
Federal authorities, including Security Minister Omar García Harfuch—himself a survivor of a cartel assassination attempt in 2020—pledged full support. “We will not let this cowardly act go unanswered,” García Harfuch posted on X (formerly Twitter), referencing his own brush with death at the hands of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Witnesses Describe Calm Amid Chaos
Local witnesses were stunned by the speed and precision of the attack. José Antonio, a longtime stall owner in La Moderna, said the gunshots were so quiet that few noticed what had happened. “I didn’t hear anything. My friend told me two people were dead by a car,” he said. “It was like something out of a movie.”
Another man, a shoeshiner stationed nearby, added, “I was working right here when it happened. I’m a little hard of hearing, but there was no panic. People just turned their heads, trying to understand what had just occurred.”
Authorities cordoned off the area quickly, collecting security footage and witness accounts as investigators worked to determine the motive and identity of the attackers. Two hours later, only broken glass and bloodstains remained at the scene, a stark reminder of the city’s fragile sense of security.
Political Fallout and National Implications
The killings have sparked renewed concern about the reach of organized crime into political structures, even in the capital. Analysts warn that if the attack is confirmed to be cartel-related, it could mark a significant shift in the tactics of criminal networks, potentially signaling a broader campaign of political intimidation.
Mayor Brugada, who holds the second most powerful elected position in Mexico after President Sheinbaum, has long positioned herself as a champion of security reform and anti-corruption measures. Observers suggest that her proximity to the presidency may have made her inner circle a target.
As the investigation unfolds, Mexico City remains on edge. For a city that prides itself on being a relatively safe haven in a country scarred by cartel violence, the daylight assassination of top officials is a chilling reminder that no place—and no one—may be truly out of reach.