Relatives and authorities confirmed that former Fresnillo mayor Benjamín Medrano Quezada—who gained national attention in 2013 as the first openly gay mayor nominated by the PRI—was killed by a gunshot to the head in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
According to initial reports from authorities in Jalisco, the Zacatecan politician remained unidentified until last night. The attack occurred on Tuesday evening at a business in the Santa Elena de la Cruz neighborhood, when an armed individual arrived and shot him before fleeing on a motorcycle. The suspect’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Zacatecas Attorney General Cristian Camacho Osnaya said he first learned of the incident through social media reports and later confirmed the information with the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office, which is leading the investigation. He stated that Benjamín Medrano died after being shot in the head inside an ice cream shop in Guadalajara and that his sister formally identified the body last night.
The businessman and politician from Zacatecas also served as a federal deputy for the PRI from 2015 to 2018 and was the organizer of the National Fair of Zacatecas (Fenaza) during the administration of former PRI Governor Alejandro Tello.
During the current administration of Governor David Monreal Ávila, the Secretariat of Public Administration filed a criminal complaint against Medrano for his alleged involvement in fraud. According to reports, the legal case prompted him to leave Zacatecas due to the political and legal dispute, and his whereabouts had remained unknown until news of his death emerged.
The Zacatecas attorney general explained that Benjamín Medrano had been under investigation following a complaint filed in 2022 by the Secretariat of Public Administration. The case was brought before a judge, and when Medrano failed to appear at a hearing, an arrest warrant was issued.
He added that Medrano’s legal team sought an injunction, which was initially denied. However, after filing an appeal, the decision was overturned in 2025. As a result, Camacho stated that Medrano was no longer considered a fugitive and that there was no active arrest warrant against him.
However, he clarified that the broader investigation remains ongoing because it involves additional individuals who have also failed to appear before the Zacatecas authorities. He declined to discuss further details out of respect for the family’s grief and emphasized that there is also a public demand for Jalisco authorities to fully clarify the circumstances surrounding the killing.
Brother demands justice
In an interview with Francisco Elizondo on Digital 106.5 FM, Benjamín Medrano’s brother, Juan Carlos Medrano, called on the authorities in Jalisco and the federal government to thoroughly investigate the case.
He claimed that in recent years his brother had faced not only legal proceedings but also what he described as political persecution, which he said extended to the entire family and forced Benjamín to live in various locations, including Tijuana, Nayarit, Mazatlán, and the United States.
Juan Carlos also said that he himself had moved to the United States because of the same alleged persecution.
He described his brother as a businessman who had built a successful career in the music, entertainment, and fair industries before entering politics and becoming mayor of Fresnillo, a position that, according to him, earned him many enemies.
He urged the authorities in Jalisco and President Claudia Sheinbaum to pay attention not only to the crime committed in Jalisco but also to possible motives originating in Zacatecas.
“The enemies are not from there (Jalisco); they should look over here (Zacatecas).”
Juan Carlos said that for several years Benjamín had little contact with him because of the legal proceedings, but after obtaining the court ruling that restored his legal freedom last year, they resumed close communication. He added that Benjamín had recently told him he was preparing to release a music album.
He confirmed that Benjamín Medrano’s body has already been released to the family and that his funeral will take place in his hometown of Nochistlán.
The death has shocked people throughout Zacatecas, prompting numerous messages of condolence, including an official statement from the Fresnillo City Council, currently led by PRI Mayor Javier Torres.
Source: eluniversal
