Mexican Attorney General Arturo Chavez Chavez has resigned.
President Felipe Calderon announced Chavez's resignation Thursday, but gave no reason for the decision.
Chavez had faced criticism from women's groups that said he did little to prevent or solve rapes and murders of hundreds of women while he served as attorney general of the state of Chihuahua.
President Calderon has nominated Marisela Morales to replace Chavez. The nomination must be approved by the Mexican Senate. If approved, she would be the first woman in the job.
Chavez was named Mexico's attorney general in 2009. He is the second person in that post to resign under President Calderon, who assumed power in late 2006. Chavez was appointed following the departure of Eduardo Medina Mora.
Chavez's resignation comes amid Mexico's ongoing drug-related violence, which has killed more than 35,000 people since Calderon launched a crackdown on the cartels.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
