In a targeted attack in Mexico City, two close aides to Head of Government Clara Brugada Molina were killed. President Claudia Sheinbaum condemns the violence, pledges a full investigation, and vows no impunity.
In a shocking act of violence that has rattled Mexico’s capital, two members of Mexico City Head of Government Clara Brugada Molina’s inner circle were ambushed and killed on the afternoon of May 20, 2025. The attack occurred at the intersection of Calzada de Tlalpan and Napoleón Street in the Moderna neighborhood of the Benito Juárez borough, leaving the city’s political class and residents stunned by its brazenness and precision.
The victims have been identified as Ximena Guzmán, who served as Brugada’s private secretary, and José Muñoz, a senior advisor closely involved in policy coordination. According to authorities, both were gunned down at close range as they left a government building for a routine meeting. Early reports suggest the assailants fled the scene on a motorcycle, complicating immediate pursuit efforts.
Responding swiftly, the Mexico City Secretariat of Citizen Security, the CDMX Attorney General’s Office, the National Intelligence Center, and the federal Secretariats of National Defense and the Navy deployed a joint operation to secure the area, collect forensic evidence, and canvass witnesses. Officers are currently reviewing dozens of hours of surveillance footage from nearby street cameras to trace the attackers’ escape route and identify any potential accomplices.
President Claudia Sheinbaum issued a forceful statement condemning the murders and voicing solidarity with Brugada and the victims’ families. “There will be no impunity,” Sheinbaum declared, pledging that all responsible parties would be apprehended and held to account under the full weight of the law. She reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting local authorities in securing justice.
Clara Brugada Molina, who assumed office on October 5, 2024, as the first woman to head Mexico City’s government under the Morena banner, has built her administration around social welfare programs, community policing initiatives, and infrastructure projects aimed at improving conditions in the city’s most underserved boroughs. Born on August 12, 1963, Brugada holds a degree in economics from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and previously served three terms as borough mayor of Iztapalapa, where her “Utopías” community centers earned international accolades for participatory democracy.
This killing marks one of the most serious security breaches in recent memory for Mexico City, which has struggled with pockets of organized crime, corruption within lower-level law enforcement, and sporadic assaults on public officials. Analysts warn that targeted violence against political figures can further erode public trust and complicate efforts to enhance citizen safety. Investigators are exploring potential motives ranging from personal vendettas to attempts to destabilize Brugada’s reform agenda, but no concrete leads have yet emerged.
As the investigation unfolds, the city remains on high alert. Authorities have increased patrols in government zones and urged the public to report any suspicious activity. For now, the brazen nature of the ambush and the high-profile status of the victims have reignited debates over security protocols for elected officials and the adequacy of Mexico City’s crime-fighting strategies.
