Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash

This Mexican mayor who had been threatened by local gangs after blocking the access roads to his town in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus has been shot dead.

Obed Duron Gomez, the Mayor of Mahahual was reportedly shot whilst travelling in a white minibus with other passengers to the community of Xcalak, in the southern Mexican state of Quintana Roo.

Another vehicle pulled alongside them and armed men inside then opened fire. The mayor was taken to a health clinic where we underwent emergency surgery before being declared dead.

The aggressors managed to escape and investigators found 20 spent cartridges at the scene along with the vehicle allegedly used in the attack nearby.

It is unclear if there were other injuries in the incident.

Local media reported that Gomez had received threats from criminal gangs who pick up drug shipments from the coast after he decided to block the access roads of Mahahual due to the coronavirus crisis.

The General Prosecution of Quintana Roo are investigating the case and have not confirmed the motive of the murder.

Reports state several lines of investigation are open, including the murder being a revenge attack after five people were arrested last week.

Local media reported that residents in Xcalak often make a living by looking for packets of cocaine thrown by planes of drug traffickers on the Caribbean coast.

Colombian drug traffickers reportedly use planes to throw drugs into the sea before they are picked up by boats but sometimes the boats are not fast enough and the drugs reach the beaches, where they are picked up by locals and sold on.

The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.

According to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University, Mexico has registered 2,785 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 141 deaths and 633 recovered.

The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.