Reported by
Mexican authorities have arrested the suspect who allegedly orchestrated the assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, a well-known anti-crime figure, earlier this November, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced on Wednesday.
The suspect, identified as Jorge Armando “N,” also known as “El Licenciado,” has been linked by investigators to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). According to García Harfuch, the alleged mastermind led the criminal cell to which he “gave direct instructions to monitor the mayor, track his movements, and carry out the attack” through an unnamed encrypted messaging platform.
García Harfuch said during a press briefing that the arrest represents a “key step in dismantling the criminal structure” responsible for the assassination, though he noted the investigation remains ongoing.
Manzo was murdered during a Día de los Muertos celebration on November 1, in an attack carried out by a 17-year-old allegedly recruited by the CJNG. The teenage gunman, identified as Víctor Manuel Ubaldo Vidales, was shot and killed immediately after the assassination.
Manzo, who governed a city heavily influenced by organized crime, was known for his hard-line stance against the cartels. Prior to his death, he had reportedly appealed to federal and state authorities for protection.
In the aftermath of the assassination, thousands of people marched through Mexico City last Saturday, wearing sombreros and carrying banners to honor the late mayor, demand justice, and protest rising cartel violence and government corruption.
According to official tallies, seven mayors have been assassinated in various Mexican states since the beginning of 2025.
