Mexico's violent Jalisco cartel has reportedly hunted down and kidnapped police officers, before killing them in front of their families.
The group kidnapped members of an elite police force in the state of Guanajuato, before torturing them to find out the names and addresses of their colleagues, AP reports.
They then killed the police officers in their homes on their days off.
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It appears to be a response to the president's plan that aims to avoid violence with the cartels, in what's known as the 'Hugs, not Bullets' policy.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador introduced the new approach after winning the 2018/2019 election.
But the cartel is already intent on eradicating elite state force the Tactical Group, which the gangs says treats its members unfairly.
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A professionally printed banner, which was signed by the cartel, was hung on a building in May.
It sent a chilling warning to the police force, reading: "If you want war, you'll get a war. We have already shown that we know where you are. We are coming for all of you.
"For each member of our firm (CJNG) that you arrest, we are going to kill two of your Tacticals, wherever they are, at their homes, in their patrol vehicles."
The banner referred to the cartel by the initials for its Spanish name - Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación - Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
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The official number so far hasn't been confirmed, but police did publicly acknowledge the latest case, which involved an officer being kidnapped from his home and killed on Thursday - his body dumped on a highway.
David Saucedo, a Guanajuato-based security analyst, said there have been many cases.
Saucedo said: "A lot of them (officers) have decided to desert. They took their families, abandoned their homes and they are fleeing and in hiding.
"The CJNG is hunting the elite police force of Guanajuato."
The issue is so bad the state government in Guanajuato has issued a decree on 17 May to give funding for protection for police and prison workers.
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The decree states: "Unfortunately, organized crime groups have shown up at the homes of police officers, which poses a threat and a greater risk of loss of life, not just for them, but for members of their families.
"They have been forced to quickly leave their homes and move, so that organized crimes groups cannot find them."
It's not been confirmed what the measures will involve, or if it means officers will rent new homes.
Saucedo added: "This is an open war against the security forces of the state government."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: World News, crime, Mexico