Three American Advisors Gunned Down at a Mexican Taco Stand in a Targeted Attack

Authorities in Mexico are investigating the targeted shooting deaths of two security advisors with ties to the U.S. government and the serious injury of a third, following a violent attack in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, late Friday night.

According to the Jalisco State Attorney General’s Office, the victims were Carlos Amador Chavela and Cesar Gustavo Guzman Gonzalez.

A third man, identified as Pablo Cajigal Del Angel, survived the attack but sustained serious injuries.

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All three had been working in Mexico as law enforcement trainers and advisors.

Three U.S. State Department Advisors Gunned Down at Taco Stand in Mexico

Prayers to the families.

Authorities in Mexico are looking into the targeted killing of two men and the injury to a third who provided training to Mexican police agencies and worked as advisors for the… pic.twitter.com/FMiX5d3Jhc

— NWRain-Judi (@RYboating) May 18, 2025

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The attack occurred shortly before 9 p.m. local time, when the three men were eating tacos at a restaurant in Tlaquepaque.

According to investigators, a group of armed individuals drove up to the location and opened fire, discharging dozens of rounds. The gunmen then fled the scene.

All three victims had recently completed a series of training sessions with officers from the Jalisco State Police.

Following the completion of the courses, they attended a small gathering with other law enforcement personnel before going to the taco restaurant where the ambush took place.

Breitbart News Foundation confirmed that both Chavela and Cajigal served as advisors for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.

Guzman had affiliations with Interpol, Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, and the Jalisco State Police.

Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive for the killings.

However, Tlaquepaque is located within the territory controlled by the Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), a criminal organization designated as a foreign terrorist group by the U.S. Department of State.

CJNG is considered one of Mexico’s most violent and militarized cartels, with a stronghold in Jalisco and surrounding states.

The cartel has been linked to various attacks on law enforcement, military personnel, and government contractors, and is heavily involved in international drug trafficking operations.

Earlier in the week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced terrorism-related charges against a woman accused of supplying grenades to CJNG and helping facilitate the trafficking of drugs and humans into the United States via West Texas.

She was identified as a key logistics operator for the organization.

“As alleged, the defendant engaged in multiple of the most insidious kinds of criminal activity: firearms trafficking, narcotics trafficking, human & bulk cash smuggling, and even providing grenades to CJNG.”
-Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of @TheJusticeDept‘s Criminal Division. https://t.co/T0JAa08Ipl

— Criminal Division (@DOJCrimDiv) May 16, 2025

The targeted nature of Friday’s shooting has raised concerns about the safety of foreign-linked personnel working in Mexico’s law enforcement and training sectors, particularly in regions under the influence of transnational criminal organizations.

Mexican federal and state authorities have launched a joint investigation into the attack.

No arrests have been reported as of Sunday, and local officials have not commented on whether the shooting is believed to be directly linked to CJNG or another criminal group.

The U.S. State Department has not yet issued a formal public statement regarding the deaths of Chavela and Guzman or the condition of Cajigal.

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