Michoacán's prosecutor's office revealed that Víctor Manuel Ubaldo Vidales, a 17-year-old from Paracho, was the hitman who assassinated former Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo during the Festival de las Velas on November 1. The minor was recruited by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the crime. Authorities are investigating the possible involvement of two other individuals and links to cartel disputes.
Former Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo was assassinated on Saturday, November 1, 2025, during the Festival de las Velas, a cultural event in the city. Michoacán's State Prosecutor's Office identified the perpetrator as Víctor Manuel Ubaldo Vidales, 17 years old, from Paracho. Prosecutor Carlos Torres Piña announced this on November 6 in interviews with Ciro Gómez Leyva and Azucena Uresti.
Vidales had been absent from home for eight days before the crime, according to his family, who claimed his body afterward. Toxicological exams confirmed methamphetamine in his blood, and sodium rhodizonate tests verified he fired the weapon. Torres Piña stated the youth was recruited by the CJNG, in dispute with the Knights Templar over drug control in the region. The weapon used is linked to two prior homicides in Uruapan: one on October 16 in a barbershop (two victims) and another on October 23 in a business.
Juan Manzo, the victim's brother, accused security lapses: Carlos had about 26 perimeter escorts and requested federal protection. 'It raises suspicions that they returned him at least three times to the same spot where he was assassinated,' Juan said in an interview with Azucena Uresti, demanding a review of the protocol with President Claudia Sheinbaum. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch denied any escort ties to organized crime and noted one escort killed the attacker.
The prosecutor's office does not rule out motives tied to the capture of 'El Rino,' a CJNG leader, and prior threats to Manzo. Two more suspects detected by cameras, including 'El Cuate,' are being pursued, but no arrests have been made. Manzo's widow, Grecia Quiroz, assumed the mayoralty, as Uruapan faces protests and a general strike called over the homicide.