SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL DEALS

While the vast majority of the more than 3,000 people killed this year in the wake of Mexican President Felipe Calderon's crackdown on traffickers have been either drug cartel members or police fighting them, the weekend slaying of Ixtapan de la Sal Mayor Salvador Vergara Cruz has caused panic among officials, The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

Vergara, 34, was seen as very anti-drug and a fast-rising star in Mexico State political circles. His assassination by hooded men armed with semiautomatic rifles is being interpreted as a threat by drug gangs to the highest levels of government against efforts to oppose them, the newspaper said.

Some observers told the Times that Vergara's death may have been a message to his close ally, Enrique Pea Nieto, the high-profile governor of the state of Mexico and likely Institutional Revolutionary Party presidential candidate in 2012.

"We will soon know what Enrique Pea Nieto is made of", wrote commentator Francisco Garfias. "He has the opportunity to show that he's got what it takes to aspire to the Big One in 2012."

 BREAKING STORIES

Mafia sons ask to live in peace

Police seeking motive for deadly rampage

Giants' Burress surrenders to police

Man who filmed restrooms is acquitted

Straw: Smith acted properly in leak case

Report: Burress to surrender to police

Thai police, protesters meet after blast

38 bodies found in Iraq mass grave

Japan urged to tighten child porn laws

Nigerian city of Jos quiet after riots

Ryder's borrowed bling goes missing

Foreign TV crew attacked in China

Rapper pleads guilty to manslaughter

Olympic parents victims in alleged scam

Sources: One killed in Gaza border clash

Mumbai violence shuts down Bollywood

Bush briefed on anti-U.S. cyberattack

Pet African wildcat shot in Pennsylvania

Prince's ex-wife witnesses Mumbai mayhem

Dad pleads guilty to picking film over kid