Ex-police coordinator Julio Meza Gaona assassinated in Morelia

Julio Meza Gaona, former coordinator of the Michoacán State Attorney General’s Investigative Police, was assassinated on the night of July 9, 2026, while dining at a taco stand in Morelia.

The attack

Around midnight, armed men arrived at "Tacos Kikis" on Avenida Acueducto in the Chapultepec Oriente neighborhood and shot Meza multiple times. His body was found next to his gray GMC Sierra truck Source: excelsiormx. The attackers fled, and passers-by alerted emergency services Source: infobae.

Response and investigation

Authorities from the State Attorney General's Office (FGE), the Guardia Civil, the Mexican Army, and the National Guard deployed a coordinated operation to locate the suspects Source: heraldomx. The FGE confirmed the death and stated that Meza had been a teacher at the Institute of Training and Professional Career Service Source: lajornadamx. The motive remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing.

Background

Meza left his position as coordinator of the Investigative Police in November 2025, having served under then-fiscal Adrián López Solís, who resigned in August 2025 Source: infobae. His murder underscores persistent violence in Michoacán, a state with heavy organized crime presence.