The suspect, Jorge Armando N., was arrested Tuesday and is accused of directing a criminal cell via an encrypted messaging app to surveil and assassinate Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo during a Day of the Dead event on Nov. 1. Two presumed collaborators were found dead on Nov. 10, allegedly to obstruct the investigation. Officials say the suspect was a leader of a unit tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, designated earlier this year by the U.S. administration as a foreign terrorist organization. Authorities continue to investigate and pursue additional suspects.
Arrest Made in Plot That Killed Uruapan Mayor During Day of the Dead Event
The suspect, Jorge Armando N., was arrested Tuesday and is accused of directing a criminal cell via an encrypted messaging app to surveil and assassinate Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo during a Day of the Dead event on Nov. 1. Two presumed collaborators were found dead on Nov. 10, allegedly to obstruct the investigation. Officials say the suspect was a leader of a unit tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, designated earlier this year by the U.S. administration as a foreign terrorist organization. Authorities continue to investigate and pursue additional suspects.
07:23 AM, 11/20/2025Security
Mexican authorities announced the arrest Tuesday of a man accused of helping plan and order the fatal shooting of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan, during a public Day of the Dead event on Nov. 1.
Officials identified the suspect as Jorge Armando N., saying he was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon, Mexico's Public Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch told reporters. Investigators allege the suspect used an encrypted messaging app to direct members of a criminal cell: instructing them to surveil the mayor, track his movements and carry out the attack.
Authorities added that two people linked to that cell, named as Fernando Josué N. and Ramiro N., were found dead on a highway on Nov. 10. Officials say those killings were intended to hinder the investigation into the assassination.
García Harfuch said the arrested man is believed to have been one of the leaders of a unit connected to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a group that was designated earlier this year by the U.S. administration as a foreign terrorist organization.
Mexican officials have previously reported that two other suspects tied to the assault were arrested and that one attacker died. Manzo, who took office in September 2024, had joined neighborhood security patrols while wearing a bulletproof vest and publicly urged federal authorities to step up efforts against violent crime.
Michoacán has long struggled with cartel violence across its agricultural regions, where farmers and producers are frequently targeted for extortion. Last month, Bernardo Bravo, a leader of lime growers in Michoacán, was killed after repeatedly denouncing extortion demands by organized criminal groups.
What happens next: Authorities said their investigation continues as they gather evidence and pursue other suspects tied to the cell. No formal charges have been announced publicly beyond the arrest, and investigations into the Nov. 10 highway killings are ongoing.