An official of the U.S. Consulate was shot and wounded by a gunman in the western city of Guadalajara in Mexico which was caught by surveillance video. A succeeding manhunt for the attacker has been launched by Mexican officials.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City opted not to release the victim's name yet while the investigation and the manhunt for the perpetrator are ongoing to protect the U.S. official's safety and privacy. The surveillance video caught the attacker following the official in a parking garage, but did not approach him to shoot point blank. Instead, the attacker waited for the official to board his vehicle and exit the parking before firing around the car's windshield.
The U.S. Consulate has posted several clips of the CCTV footage of the incident on its Facebook page to help in the identification and consequent manhunt for the attacker. The office has also announced on its social media sites including Facebook and Twitter that the FBI is offering $20,000 reward money for helpful information on the attacker that could also lead to his arrest.
Guadalajara is the capital of Jalisco state which is controlled by the extremely dangerous Jalisco New Generation cartel, though it can not be established yet whether the attack on the U.S. official has any link to the cartel. Mexico's second largest city is also not specifically mentioned or singled out for special precautions for American travelers in the latest U.S. travel warning last updated on December 8.
While U.S. Embassy officials opt not to release information about their official including his current condition for safety and security reasons, the Attorney General's Office in Mexico said the victim was in " stable" condition at a local hospital and under protection. The case on the attack is being handled by federal detectives as attacks on diplomatic personnel are considered a federal crime in Mexico.
There have been previous attacks in the recent years on U.S. Consular employees and other U.S. agents in Mexico, but most of those instances were later established as cases of mistaken identity.
