Mexico's Top Security Official Says Probe Into Killing Of Mayor In Public Square Is 'Progressing Steadily'

Mexico's top public security official, Omar García Harfuch, said this week that federal authorities made significant progress in multiple investigations throughout 2025, including high profile cases tied to organized crime and other acts of violence that shocked the country last year. Among them is the killing of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan in the western state of Michoacán, who was fatally shot on Nov. 1.

Speaking at a news conference, García Harfuch said the investigation into Manzo's killing is "progressing substantially," noting that the most recent arrests linked to the case took place in December.

"Following the tragic homicide of Carlos Manzo on Nov. 1, 2025, in Uruapan, the investigation has continued to move forward in close coordination with the Michoacán Attorney General's Office and the federal government," García Harfuch said. He added that authorities have so far arrested several members and leaders of the criminal group responsible for the attack.

García Harfuch said the latest detentions occurred on Dec. 9 and Dec. 24, when federal agents arrested Gerardo "N" in Uruapan. Authorities identified him as an associate who remained in contact with other suspects involved in the killing.

In a separate operation on Dec. 24, federal and state forces arrested Alejandro Barc "N," whom officials described as the leader of a criminal cell operating in the municipality of Parácuaro. Authorities said the group he led is linked to homicide, extortion and drug trafficking.

According to Infobae México, García Harfuch said Alejandro Barc "N" allegedly sheltered Fernando Josué "N," one of the teenagers accused of carrying out the attack on Manzo, and maintained communication with other members of the group involved in the killing.

Who killed Carlos Manzo?

Investigators have identified the person who killed Manzo as Víctor Manuel Ubaldo Vidales, a 17-year-old from the municipality of Paracho, located about 25 miles north of Uruapan. The teenager died shortly after the attack.

Michoacán prosecutors said Ubaldo Vidales' family reported him missing roughly a week before the killing, a timeline that supports investigators' findings.

According to officials, Ubaldo Vidales had been recruited by a man identified as Jorge Armando "N," known as "El Licenciado." Authorities allege El Licenciado led a criminal group linked to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and directed individuals who carried out killings on the cartel's behalf.

Additionally, intelligence reports indicate El Licenciado acted as the intermediary between cartel leadership and Ubaldo Vidales. Investigators said the teenager carried out the attack with the help of two associates, Fernando Josué "N" and Ramiro "N," both minors. Their bodies were later found along the Uruapan to Paracho highway several days after Manzo was killed.

Another suspect tied to the murder is Jaciel Antonio "N," known as "El Pelón," whom a federal judge identified as the recruiter of the teenagers. At the time of his arrest, García Harfuch said El Pelón operated inside rehabilitation centers, where he allegedly enlisted individuals into criminal groups. Authorities said two of the people he recruited later took part in Manzo's killing on Nov. 1.