Why did Cortes destroyed and take N kill the Aztec leader?

Hernán Cortés destroyed the Aztec Empire and killed its leader, Moctezuma II, primarily to seize control of the rich resources of the region, particularly gold and silver. He viewed the Aztecs as obstacles to Spanish colonial expansion and sought to eliminate their power to establish Spanish dominance. Additionally, Cortés leveraged local rivalries and discontent among indigenous groups to aid his conquest. Moctezuma's death, which resulted from a combination of captivity and conflict, symbolized the fall of the Aztec civilization.