4 mayors in Mexico ask for protection after another was beheaded

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Officials say four mayors in Mexico have asked federal authorities for protection after a colleague was beheaded last week in the southern state of Guerrero. Mayor Alejandro Arcos had been sworn into office less than a week before. The requests for protection came from Guerrero and another violence-plagued state, Guanajuato. Gangs and drug cartels in Mexico frequently target mayors to press demands for extortion payments, government contracts and the appointment of henchmen to municipal police forces. Arcos had told local media he needed more protection. State and federal governments can offer mayors bulletproof vehicles, additional bodyguards and emergency alert systems.