Melquisedec Angulo Córdova (January 2, 1979 – December 16, 2009) was a Mexican 2nd petty officer with the Navy's

Special Forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

. He was from

Tabasco Tabasco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tabasco, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Tabasco, 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa. It i ...

. Córdova was killed on December 16, 2009, during a gun battle in

Cuernavaca Cuernavaca (; , "near the woods" , Otomi language, Otomi: ) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state, state of Morelos in Mexico. Along with Chalcatzingo, it is likely one of the origins of the Mesoamerica, Mesoamerican civilizatio ...

against members of the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel. Córdova was among the military forces that surrounded an upscale apartment complex harboring

Arturo Beltrán Leyva Marcos Arturo Beltrán Leyva (September 27, 1961 – December 16, 2009) was a Mexican drug lord who, alongside his brothers, founded and led the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel. Prior to founding his own organization, Beltran-Leyva was a longtime high-ra ...

, the cartel leader and one of the three most wanted criminals in Mexico. Córdova and two other navy personnel were wounded by a hand grenade, and Córdova succumbed to his injuries as he was being treated by medical personnel. He was the only special forces soldier killed during the gunfight. Arturo Beltrán Leyva was killed during the battle, and six of his gunmen were arrested. Córdova was 30 at the time of his death. Córdova was honored as a Mexican hero during his funeral on December 21, 2009, in his home state of

. He received the highest military honors offered by the country, and was ushered to his grave by an honor guard of commandos wearing camouflage fatigues. His mother, Irma Córdova Palma, was presented a folded flag by

Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

Mariano Francisco Saynez Mendoza Mariano Francisco Saynez Mendoza (20 September 1942 – 4 November 2020) was an admiral in the Mexican Navy. Career Born in Veracruz, Veracruz, Saynez enrolled in the Navy on 22 January 1959 and graduated as a cadet of the Heroic Naval Acade ...

. On December 22, only hours after the funeral, gunmen barged into the home of Córdova's family and fired nearly three dozen bullets. Irma Córdova Palma (64) and Córdova's sister Jolidabey Angulo Córdova (22) were killed immediately, while his aunt Josefa Angulo Flores (46) died while on the way to the hospital, his brother Benito Angulo Córdova (28) died shortly after arriving to the hospital and his other sister Miraldelly Angulo Córdova (24) died the following morning. Gudiel Ivan Sanchez was later arrested in

Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...

for his alleged role as one of the gunmen in the killings. The killings were believed to be retaliation for the death of Arturo Beltrán-Leyva, as well as a warning against the military forces involved in

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Felipe Calderón Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa (; born 18 August 1962) is a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the 63rd president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012 and Secretary of Energy during the presidency of Vicente Fox between 2003 and 2004. ...

's war on Mexico's drug cartels. Although reprisals against families are not uncommon during the

Mexican Drug War The Mexican drug war is an List of ongoing armed conflicts, ongoing Asymmetric warfare, asymmetric armed conflict between the Federal government of Mexico, Mexican government and various Drug cartel#Mexico, drug trafficking syndicates. When the ...

, the murders of the family members of an already killed soldier are considered a very rare form of

intimidation Intimidation is a behaviour and legal wrong which usually involves deterring or coercing an individual by threat of violence. It is in various jurisdictions a crime and a civil wrong (tort). Intimidation is similar to menacing, coercion, terro ...

, and seem to violate a basic code of conduct prevalent even among hitmen and traffickers. The Córdova family was not afforded any special protection, and the shootings prompted questions as to whether Córdova's funeral should have been made so public. Experts also questioned whether the retaliation may have been prompted by the decision by authorities to show off pictures of Arturo Beltrán Leyva's dead body.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordova, Melquisedet Angulo 2009 deaths Mexican Navy personnel Mexican soldiers Victims of the Mexican Drug War 1979 births Mexican military personnel killed in action 20th-century Mexican military personnel 21st-century Mexican military personnel Military personnel from Tabasco People from Villahermosa