The alleged shooter in the assassination of Uruapan's mayor, Carlos Manzo, was killed with his own weapon during the November 1 attack. Seven of his escorts have been detained for qualified homicide by omission, with one still at large. Investigations link the crime to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan in Michoacán, was assassinated on November 1, 2025, during a public Day of the Dead event in the main square. The attack took place at the Candle Lighting festival, where Víctor Manuel ‘N’, the alleged shooter, first fired at a civilian seeking a photo with Manzo and then six times at the mayor, with 1.5-second intervals, using a black Pietro Beretta 9mm pistol with a filed-off serial number. Ballistics expertise confirmed only this weapon was fired that night.
Víctor Manuel ‘N’ dropped the gun when surrounded by police but resisted. Demetrio ‘N’, Manzo's trusted escort, shot him in the chest with the same pistol during the struggle, at a distance less than one and a half meters, contradicting Demetrio's initial statement. No prehospital care was allowed for the shooter, who died at the scene.
On November 21, around 12:30 p.m., the Michoacán State Attorney General's Office detained seven escorts at Uruapan's House of Culture. They are charged with qualified homicide by omission for failing to act to protect Manzo despite their legal duty and being meters away. The identified individuals are Omar M. (47 years), Alejandro F. (21), Mario Alberto S. (45), Guillermo T. (43), Demetrio D. (44), Osmar Oswaldo G. (56), and Monserrat H. (23). They were transferred to the ‘Lic. David Franco Rodríguez’ Penitentiary Center and presented to a judge. One more fled during the arrest, according to Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla: “Yesterday seven were detained. One was not detained, that is, he is at large.”
The alleged intellectual author, Jorge Antonio ‘N’, alias ‘El Licenciado’, was arrested on November 19 and sent to El Altiplano prison. He is linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Messages in a messaging app reveal he ordered the hit, pressuring the hitmen: “they had to kill Carlos Manzo at all costs,” according to Omar García Harfuch. Other material authors, Fernando Josué ‘N’ and Ramiro ‘N’, were found dead on November 10. The second security ring, from Sedena and the National Guard, did not detect the suspect, though General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo denied protocol failures.
The investigation, led by prosecutor Carlos Torres Piña with federal support, highlights efficiency in scientific expertise and state collaboration.
