Chetumal, Quintana Roo — A man believed to be the son of a former local deputy was shot and killed Wednesday evening near the Instituto Tecnológico de Chetumal.
The victim has been preliminarily identified as Mauricio Erales Prado, son of Roberto Erales Jiménez, a former deputy for the Labor Party (PT) in the Quintana Roo Congress. According to initial reports, Erales Prado had been under investigation for alleged ties to organized crime over the past seven years.
The shooting occurred around 6:30 p.m. on the corner of Anastasio Guzmán and Zapata streets, near José María Morelos. Authorities received an emergency call reporting two men injured by gunfire inside a vehicle. One of them died at the scene.
The State Prosecutor’s Office (FGE) announced it has opened an investigation to identify those responsible.
Erales Prado was reportedly linked to Zurisaday Villaseñor Méndez, a suspected operator of the Sinaloa Cartel in southern Quintana Roo. Investigators say the relationship dates back to at least 2013. He was also associated with individuals known as “Don Chepe” or “Don José” and “Cacho.”
Sources in the Public Security Department suggested that Erales Prado may have received protection from his father, the former deputy. Authorities are also looking into possible ties between the Erales family and the financing of operations by a Colombian criminal group.
Erales Prado had a prior criminal record, including an arrest in August 2015 for assault and attempting to prevent the arrest of a person involved in a vehicle theft in Jalisco. In December 2017, authorities seized a Bengal tiger and a spider monkey from him.
