CARTEL DEATH SQUADS SLAUGHTER 80 PRIESTS: Mexico's War on Christ

Michael Ringer

18 Oct 2025 — 4 min read

Mexican Cartel Members are slaughtering Christians

Guerrero, Mexico - A leading religious freedom advocacy group joined Christians in southern Mexico on October 17, 2025, demanding justice after the latest murder of a Catholic priest in a region torn by drug cartels.

Mexican authorities arrested a suspect in the death of Father Bertoldo Pantaléon Estrada, 59, whose body was found on October 6 south of his parish, but local church leaders have no confidence in the police investigation, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

Estrada went missing on October 5 while returning to his Mezcala parish of San Cristóbal from the town of Atzcala, a 30-minute drive away in Guerrero state. His body was found two days later with gunshot wounds to his neck. His car was discovered 56 miles south of Atzcala, with no explanation provided for why the priest had apparently traveled so far from his parish.

Police arrested an individual identified only as Miguel Ángel N., described as an acquaintance of Estrada. Authorities initially claimed Estrada was murdered by his chauffeur, but church leaders stated the priest did not have a chauffeur. There has been no indication of whether the suspect acted alone or with others.

Estrada is the latest in a string of Catholic priests murdered in Mexico. According to the Catholic Media Center's December 2024 report, 80 priests have been murdered in Mexico over the past three decades, making it one of the deadliest countries in the world for clergy.

At least 400 Catholic church leaders and members marched on October 11 in Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero, in a "caravan of peace and justice" in response to the murder and investigation, according to The Tablet.

Anna Lee Stangl, CSW Director of Advocacy, stated:

"The violent killing of Father Bartoldo Pantaléon Estrada is yet another in a chain of murders of church leaders in Guerrero and across the country over the past two decades, making Mexico one of the deadliest countries in the world for priests and other religious leaders. We join in the calls for a full and transparent investigation into this horrific murder and call on the Mexican authorities at both the state and federal levels to ensure that all of those responsible for Father Pantaléon Estrada's death are held to account and the motive behind this murder firmly established."

The area where Father Pantaléon Estrada served is characterized by the presence of multiple organized criminal groups linked to illegal narcotics trafficking. Two cartels, Los Ardillos and Los Tacos, have been engaged in violent conflict in the region.

Previously in Mezcala, parish priest Germain Muñiz Garcia was shot dead in a highway ambush in 2018, along with another priest, Iván Añorve Jaimes.

Many political and governmental leaders have also been murdered in Guerrero in the past year. Chilpancingo Mayor Alejandro Arcos Catalán was decapitated less than a week after taking office in October 2024.

Recent murdered priests in Mexico include:

October 2018: Ícmar Arturo Orta Llamas, Archdiocese of Tijuana
2019: José Martín Guzmán Vega, Diocese of Matamoros, Tamaulipas state
2021: Franciscan priest Juan Antonio Orozco Alvarado; Gumersindo Cortés González in Guanajuato State; José Guadalupe Popoca Soto in Morelos State
2022: José Guadalupe Rivas, Archdiocese of Tijuana; Jesuits Javier Campos Morales and Joaquín César Mora Salazar in Chihuahua state

Open Doors, in its 2025 World Watch List of the most dangerous places for Christians, ranks Mexico 31st, noting organized corruption and crime, clan oppression, and secular intolerance.

THE CRUSADERS OPINION

Eighty priests murdered in thirty years. This is systematic extermination hiding in plain sight.

Mexican drug cartels systematically target Catholic clergy who dare oppose their evil. Priests become obstacles to cartel control, so cartels eliminate them with bullets and machetes.

Father Estrada joins dozens of martyrs slaughtered for serving Christ in cartel-controlled territories. His "chauffeur" murder story is obvious cartel propaganda the corrupt Mexican government parrots without investigation.

Mexico's government is complicit through cowardice and corruption. When mayors are beheaded within days of taking office, when 80 priests die without justice, when cartels operate with impunity, the state has failed completely.

These aren't random killings. This is coordinated persecution of Christ's shepherds by narco-terrorists who recognize the Church as their moral enemy.

The cartels worship death cults like Santa Muerte while murdering priests who preach life. This spiritual warfare manifests in physical carnage.

America must designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations and treat priest murders as crimes against humanity. Every murdered priest deserves justice. Every cartel member responsible deserves maximum punishment on earth before facing God's eternal judgment.

Christians worldwide must demand action.

Our Mexican brothers shepherd flocks under death threats while Western Christians complain about coffee prices.

Mexico's priest murders represent Christendom under siege. The cartels will not stop until the Church or the cartels are destroyed.