The Ardillos: How a Family Built One of Mexico's Deadliest Gangs

Last year, the mayor of Chilpancingo was decapitated a week into his term. The group who killed him, the Ardillos, have been building up their power base for 25 years.

On October 6, 2024, Alejandro Arcos set out alone from the state capital for what he believed was a routine meeting. It was a sunny afternoon when the newly sworn-in mayor of Chilpancigno left without his security detail.

He never returned. Arcos’ pickup truck was soon found on a rural road – his decapitated body inside, and his severed head placed atop the vehicle​.

The gruesome killing, just six days into Arcos’ term, sent shockwaves through Mexico​.