Horrific mystery as middle-aged American couple are brutally killed during Mexico break

An American couple was executed while on vacation in the western Mexican state of Michoacán on Wednesday.

Rafael Cardona, 53, and his wife Gloria Cardona, 50, were traveling in a pickup truck when they came under fire and were shot to death in the municipality of Angamacurito.

Cardona was the brother-in-law of Angamacurito Mayor Humberto Pacheco.

Cardonas sister and the mayors wife, Lucy Cardona, is the director the citys National System for Integral Family Development, the agency that focuses on family welfare.

Gloria, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was declared dead on the scene and Rafael, who was born in the U.S., was rushed to a hospital in the municipality of Puruándiro, where he died.

A spokesperson with the Michoacán State Attorney Generals Office told DailyMail.com on Friday that the couple arrived in Mexico on November 30 to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones.

They said that Rafael and Gloria were just several blocks away from the residence they own when they were shot.

Its unknown why the couple were attacked.

U.S.-born Rafael Cardona was shot as he was driving near his home in the western Mexican town of Angamacurito on Wednesday and was rushed to a local hospital and died. His wife, Gloria Cardona, was also shot and died at the scene. Rafael was the brother-in-law of Angamacurito Mayor Humberto Pacheco

A spokesperson for the Michoacán State Attorney Generals Office told DailyMail.com that American couple, Rafael Cardona, 53, and his wife Gloria Cardona, 50, were traveling in a pickup truck when they came under fire in the municipality of Angamacurito. Gloria died at the scene and Cardona was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died

The Michoacán State Attorney Generals Office is leading the investigation and had not announced any arrests as of Friday.

The U.S. Department of State said it had learned of the couples murder.

We are aware of reports of the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Michoacán, Mexico. We are working to gather more information and stand ready to provide consular assistance if necessary, the Department of State said in a press release.

A travel advisory on the Department of States website warned Americans about the dangers of visiting Michoacán and issued a do-not-travel advisory because of crime and kidnapping.

Crime stats released by Michoacán State Attorney Generals Office showed that at least 1,170 murders were registered between January and November of this year in a state where the Familia Michoacana, Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel have a presence.

In comparison, 1,334 were reported during the same period in 2023.

More than 450,000 people have been killed in Mexico since December 2006, when then-President Felipe Calderón declared a war on drug cartels.

Despite the widespread violence, President Claudia Sheinbaum repeatedly has said that she will not combat violence with violence, maintaining the strategy of her predecessor, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who was criticized often for his hugs, not bullets policy.

Angamacurito Mayor Hermes Pacheco (left) and his wife, Lucy Cardona Aguilera, (right) have not publicly addressed the murder of her brother and sister-in-law, two U.S. citizens who were shot dead Wednesday night 

Data released at a press conference this week showed an 18.1 percent decrease in the average of daily homicides that were reported from 2019 to 2024. 

The report also highlighted the arrests of 5,333 people for committing high-impact crimes October 1 to December 1 this year. In addition, 2,471 weapons and 57.9 tons of different types of drugs were seized.

The Security Strategy that we have is going to yield results, little by little, it is not from one day to the next, Sheinbaum told reporters. 

But we are coordinated, we have a strategy, we are reviewing every day, there is supervision and each one is doing the job that corresponds to them. So, there are going to be results. 

There are already results, because today we presented many results and there will continue to be results, she added.