A group of suspected cartel gunmen shot and killed the first woman mayor in the town of Cotija, Michoacan, a state suffering from widespread cartel violence. The killing comes just one day after Mexico held its national elections. The victim had survived a separate cartel kidnapping in 2023.
On Monday evening, Mayor Yolanda Sanchez arrived at a local gym with her security detail when a group of gunmen fired at them from a moving vehicle. The gunmen struck Sanchez 19 times, fatally wounding her. She died hours later at a local hospital.
The Michoacan government confirmed the killing through a short social media post and claimed to be carrying out an operation to track down the gunmen.
El @GobMichoacan condena el homicidio de la presidenta municipal de Cotija, Yolanda Sánchez Figueroa. Se ha desplegado un operativo de seguridad coordinado con instancias federales para dar con los responsables del hecho.
— Segob Michoacán (@SdeGobMich) June 4, 2024
Sanchez made headlines in 2021 when she became the first female mayor of Cotija. She hailed from the National Action Party (PAN), an opposition group to Mexico’s ruling party, MORENA. Sanchez was not running for reelection, but a candidate from her party won the June 2 election, just one day before her killing.
Lamentamos profundamente y condenamos el homicidio de la presidenta municipal de Cotija, Yolanda Sánchez Figueroa. De inmediato hemos instruido el despliegue de un operativo en coordinación con autoridades federales para realizar las investigaciones pertinentes, dar con los… pic.twitter.com/hgpw1lXOEf
— Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla (@ARBedolla) June 4, 2024
As Breitbart Texas reported in 2023, Sanchez was the target of a kidnapping by Cartel Jalisco New Generation as she and her relatives were visiting the state of Jalisco for a medical appointment. After holding her captive for several days, the gunmen released her and placed her on a bus headed to Michoacan. After her release, Sanchez called for help, and authorities tracked down the bus.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at
