Michoacán Prosecutors Say Uruapan Mayor Killing Case Nearly Solved

The killing of a mayor in the Mexican state of Michoacán in November 2025 triggered widespread outrage in Mexico, where political violence has been a recurring problem for decades. During a Day of the Dead event in the municipality of Uruapan, Mayor Carlos Manzo was gunned down by a criminal cell linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Seven months later, progress in the investigation has been slow and scarce.

However, the Michoacán Attorney General's Office said it is close to solving the case. Officials said investigators are now searching for three additional suspects whose arrests would allow them to complete the case file and bring all alleged participants before a judge.

"There are three individuals we are tracking. They were also at the scene sharing videos, audio recordings, images and conversations from Nov. 1 (the day of the killing) and the days that followed," Michoacán Attorney General Carlos Torres Piña told Milenio.

Torres Piña said the evidence gathered by investigators clearly points to the involvement of organized crime and that authorities are between 75% and 80% complete with the investigation.

Once those three suspects are arrested, the attorney general said, authorities could pursue three or four additional arrests and complete the case against those allegedly responsible for killing Manzo, who was known throughout his political career for his hard-line stance against organized crime.

The remainder of the investigation, including efforts to identify those who ordered the killing, falls under the jurisdiction of Mexico's Attorney General's Office, Milenio reported.

So far, authorities have arrested 25 people allegedly linked to the killing. The most notable arrest this year came in May, when Wendy Fabiola, also known as "La Tía," was taken into custody. Authorities identified her as a provider of intelligence, weapons and drugs for Gerardo "N," known as "El Congo," an alleged CJNG hitman leader who worked for Jorge Armando "N," alias "El Licenciado," whom authorities have identified as the mastermind behind the killing.

According to Milenio, the three suspects still at-large are considered close associates of La Tía and were at crime scene, very close to where the gunman who killed Manzo was on November 1.

"I believe the case files being pursued are strong enough to secure convictions. It is important to clarify that the primary investigation centers on a criminal group known as Los Erres," Torres Piña said.

According to the outlet, Los Erres is a criminal organization led by brothers Ramón and Rafael Álvarez Ayala, known as "El R1" and "El R2," respectively. The group is linked to the Jalisco cartel and was closely aligned with Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," the CJNG's longtime leader until his death in February.

Authorities have linked Los Erres to investigations involving intimidation, extortion, forced disappearances and the killings of social and political leaders in Jalisco and Michoacán. The killing of Carlos Manzo is considered its most recent high-profile attack.