The arrest of the former mayor of Atoyac, Veracruz, Carlos Alberto Ventura de la Paz, took place in the first minutes of January 1, 2026, just after the end of his constitutional term and after losing the immunity that protected him as a public official The State Attorney General's Office (FGE) has identified him as the alleged perpetrator of aggravated intentional homicide, related to the death of a young man in April 2025. The former official was arrested by agents of the Ministerial Police during an operation carried out in the early morning hours, after he had left public office. A judge legalized the arrest, and he was subsequently incarcerated in the prison in the municipality of Amatlan de los Reyes. According to information published by the news site La Silla Rota, the case is related to the disappearance and subsequent murder of Jose Oscar Rebolledo Lopez, a native of the community of Potrero Nuevo. The young man was last seen in April 2025, when he went to the Atoyac municipal police station to inquire about a friend who had been detained by local police. According to the same source, witnesses reported that after an exchange of words with municipal officers, the young man was forced into an official vehicle and taken to an unknown location. A day later, his body was found in another municipality, about 10 kilometers away, with gunshot wounds and wrapped in a blanket. A protected witness testified to authorities that the order to kidnap the young man came directly from the then-mayor. The accusation arose after the victim's family publicized his disappearance on social media, where the young man was recognized by people connected to the investigation. Meanwhile, the newspaper La Jornada noted that Ventura de la Paz's administration was marked by increasing violence in Atoyac and by various accusations related to the actions of the municipal police. In October 2025, the then-mayor appeared before the Regional Prosecutor's Office to give a statement following an armed confrontation that left several people dead and dozens detained, including local police officers. Hours before his arrest,Ventura de la Paz posted a photograph on social media from the mayor's office, accompanied by a farewell message in which he stated that he had fulfilled his responsibilities and thanked everyone for the opportunity to lead the local government during the 2022-2025 term. Carlos Alberto Ventura de la Paz initially came to power representing the now-defunct Podemos party, and later joined Morena. His administration officially ended on the night of December 31, at which point he became subject to the criminal proceedings that led to his arrest.