Salvador Villalba Flores, the mayor-elect of Copala, a town near Acapulco, Mexico, was assassinated on Monday while traveling to Mexico City.

Villalba, a retired Navy captain, was set to take office in October.

The murder is the latest in a series of attacks on politicians in Mexico, with over two dozen candidates killed since the campaign season began last September.

Villalba had decided to run for mayor after his friend, another candidate, was murdered in June 2023, CBS News has reported.

The investigation into his death is ongoing, with prosecutors declining to provide further details.

Written by B.C. Begley