Mexican judge killed in state of Zacatecas

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -A Mexican judge died on Sunday after being shot in the violent state of Zacatecas in northern Mexico, according to state government sources.

Judge Roberto Elias died Sunday, according to a state government source and social media posts by Arturo Nahle, presiding magistrate of the Zacatecas justice department. Nahle called for peace in Zacatecas.

Zacatecas has become one of the most violent regions in Mexico amid disputes between organized crime gangs for control of the state.

The head of the National Guard in the state, one of the highest-ranking commanders of Mexico’s militarized police force, was killed last month in a confrontation with armed men during an operation against organized crime.

The state security secretariat told Reuters that police attended to reports of gunfire Saturday morning and found Elias injured in his vehicle. He was later brought to the hospital in serious condition.

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Editing by Will Dunham and Lisa Shumaker)