Authorities in the Mexican state of Nayarit are looking into whether a small aircraft that went down Sunday near the town of Ixtlán del Río was deliberately targeted in an assassination attempt against Governor Miguel Ángel Navarro Quintero.
According to Nayarit’s state prosecutor’s office (Fiscalía General del Estado), investigators are examining the crash after learning that organized crime groups had reportedly been tracking the governor’s movements and had advance knowledge of his flight schedule. That intelligence has raised suspicions that the crash may not have been accidental, though officials have not yet confirmed a cause.
Nayarit, a state on Mexico’s Pacific coast, has long struggled with the presence of powerful drug trafficking organizations, and local officials — including governors — have faced security threats tied to cartel activity in the region. The incident adds to ongoing concerns about the safety of public officials in parts of the country where criminal groups maintain significant influence.
Details about the exact circumstances of the crash, including how many people were on board and whether the governor was among them, have not been fully disclosed. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine whether mechanical failure, weather, or deliberate sabotage caused the plane to go down.
You can read the original report from Reforma for the full details as the story develops.
Source: Investiga FGE posible atentado contra Gobernador de Nayarit (Reforma).
Image: MTAPhotos, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).