The top prosecutor in Mexico says the mayor of the town of Iguala and his wife are responsible for ordering the attack on 43 students who went missing in late September while traveling to the town in the southern state of Guerrero. 

On Wednesday, Mexico's attorney general, Jesus Murillo Karam, announced that a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Mayor Jose Luis Abarca and his wife, Maria de los Angeles Pineda. The two are now fugitives and have not been seen since the attacks happened.
Murillo said that Abarca was concerned that the students, who were headed to Iguala on commandeered buses the night they were kidnapped, would disrupt a party and speech his wife was having to celebrate her accomplishments as head of a state social welfare agency. 

According to the newspaper El Universal, Pineda told the local police chief to "teach them a lesson," referring to the students.

Murillo also said that Abarca and his wife were both connected to Guerreros Unidos, a criminal gang in Guerrero. He said that Pineda was related to high-ranking members of a drug gang and was the "principal operator" of Guerreros Unidos in Iguala.

The attacks on September 26th occurred when police intercepted and began shooting at the buses as they traveled to Iguala, which is located about 120 miles south of Mexico City. Six people were killed and dozens more were injured. More than 50 students from the same college originally went missing, but several have turned up since the attack. 43 others have not been seen since. 

Guests:

Carrie Kahn, NPR Correspondent based in Mexico City

Octavio Rodriguez, Program Coordinator, Justice in Mexico, which examines rule of law and security issues in Mexico, at the University of San Diego