Police Commissioner Milton Morales Figueroa, a key player in the fight against crime in Mexico City, is murdered in the street

A new murder of a security official in Mexico has shocked the country. Milton Morales Figueroa, 40, died after being shot in broad daylight in Coacalco, a municipality in the north of the State of Mexico, where he was visiting his family.

The commissioner was the general coordinator of the Strategy, Tactics and Special Operations Unit of Mexico City and was a key member of the team led by Omar García Harfuch, which managed to reduce the rates of homicide, kidnapping and robbery in the Mexican capital during the last six years.

Harfuch, who was recently appointed to head the federal Security Secretariat by President-elect Claudia Sheinbuam, lamented the incident: “May our friend and colleague Milton rest in peace. As a team, we will find those responsible as we have always done.”

Authorities cordoned off the area, identified two cars and are using two helicopters to search for the perpetrators of the crime.

Key piece in CDMX security

Part of the success of the mayor’s security strategy was coordinating the operations of the police and the prosecutor’s office, two entities that for years operated separately, facilitating information leaks and the work of criminal gangs.

Morales, as Harfuch’s trusted advisor, was in charge of this mechanism, which managed to dismantle or undermine several armed gangs in Mexico City, including the Tepito Union.

Morales also led drug seizures and investigations into the murders of journalists.

In 2017, Harfuch was the victim of an attack in which he was injured and two of his bodyguards were killed.

Morales led the investigation, which led to the arrest of half of the 50 men who participated in the attack.

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