Two workers from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) in the State of Mexico were killed and two others were wounded in a gun attack in Sonora, a situation confirmed by local authorities in the country’s northwest on Tuesday. The victims were part of a CFE team operating in towns across the Sierra de Sonora, dispatched to address widespread power supply failures that had left dozens of communities in the northwest without reliable electricity. The incident marks a grim moment for a utility that regularly dispatches crews to remote locations where infrastructure issues can escalate into emergencies that affect entire regions.
The attack occurred before 9:00 a.m. local time, but officials chose to withhold information until the northwestern division of the CFE could share audio and video materials depicting the killed workers. A clip circulating on social media shows a CFE van severely damaged by fire, with a body located in the rear, appearing to be that of one of the victims. In another scene, a second CFE employee who survived the initial gunfire was found deceased on a nearby road, the gunfire having unfolded at the site of the first attack. The sequence of events has raised questions about the security measures in place for frontline workers and the risks they routinely face while carrying out essential maintenance tasks in challenging terrains.
As of now, neither Sonora’s Office of Criminal Investigation (Amic) nor the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (FGR) has publicly identified the victims or provided a full account of how the confrontation unfolded or whether any suspects have been detained. In a preliminary briefing, the Sonora Secretary of Public Safety confirmed that there were two fatalities and two survivors among the team, leaving authorities to piece together the exact chronology of events and any possible motive behind the attack. The lack of definitive information from the relevant agencies has led to ongoing speculation and concern about safety protocols for utility workers operating in high-risk areas.
Mexico’s overall crime landscape has been a point of concern for many years, with violent crime and homicide rates often cited in national discussions about public safety. In recent years, the country has experienced fluctuations in murder statistics, influenced by a combination of organized crime, local conflicts between criminal groups, and broader social and economic pressures. Historical data show that large spikes in violence have occurred in certain periods, affecting urban centers as well as rural areas where security forces, prosecutors, and community leaders have sometimes struggled to establish a stable and predictable environment for both residents and workers who perform critical services. The human impact of these dynamics is felt most keenly by families, coworkers, and local communities who depend on reliable infrastructure and predictable public services, especially in areas with limited resources and challenging logistical conditions.
Authorities and observers alike emphasize the importance of safeguarding energy infrastructure and the workers who maintain it, recognizing that outages in the Sierra de Sonora can disrupt daily life for thousands of residents who rely on a stable power supply. In settings where terrain is difficult and distances are great, utility crews depend on clear communication, rapid response protocols, and strong coordination with law enforcement to ensure that repairs can proceed while minimizing risk to personnel. The incident in Sonora underscores the ongoing necessity for protective measures, employee training, and contingency planning so that essential services can be restored promptly and safely, even in remote locations where threats to safety may arise from a variety of unforeseen sources. Authorities indicate they will continue to investigate and to share verified details as information becomes available, with the goal of providing the public with a coherent and accurate timeline of events and a clear account of those affected by the tragedy. In the meantime, the focus remains on supporting the families and colleagues of the victims, and on reinforcing the safety frameworks that guide frontline workers across Mexico’s energy sector, ensuring that the essential task of delivering power to communities can be carried out with greater protection and resilience in the face of risk.