The assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez in Michoacan on November 2, 2025, has thrust Mexico’s ongoing struggle with cartel violence back into the international spotlight, just as the nation prepares for a historic moment: hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The killing, which occurred during Day of the Dead celebrations in the heart of Uruapan, has sparked fierce debate about Mexico’s security strategy, the reach of organized crime, and the complex interplay between domestic policy and international pressure.
According to the Associated Press, Manzo, 40, was gunned down in the town’s historic center as families gathered to honor their ancestors. The gunman was killed at the scene, but the mayor succumbed to his wounds later that night in a local hospital. The attack sent shockwaves through Michoacan, one of Mexico’s most violent states and a notorious battleground for rival cartels, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and La Familia Michoacana—both designated as terrorist organizations by the United States in February 2025.
Manzo had been living under protection since December 2024, just three months after taking office. His security detail was reinforced in May 2025, comprising municipal police and 14 National Guard troops. Yet, despite these measures, the mayor had grown increasingly vocal about the threats facing his city. In recent months, he publicly appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for federal assistance in confronting the cartels and accused Michoacan Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, a Sheinbaum ally, and the state police of corruption and inaction. His pleas, broadcast on social media, painted a grim portrait of a region where criminal groups operate with near-impunity and local officials are often left to fend for themselves.
President Sheinbaum addressed the nation the day after Manzo’s assassination. She ruled out any dramatic changes to her administration’s security policies, despite mounting pressure from critics who called for a hardline response. "Some are calling for militarization and war, as happened with the war on drugs. That didn’t work," Sheinbaum stated, defending her administration’s focus on reinforcing security presence, strengthening intelligence and investigative work, and addressing the root causes of violence. She accused her political adversaries of acting like "vultures and scavengers" in the aftermath of the tragedy, seizing on the moment to push for failed strategies of the past.
Sheinbaum also promised that "there will be no impunity" for Manzo’s assassination and pledged a thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice. Yet, her refusal to embrace more aggressive tactics has drawn criticism from those who believe the current approach is inadequate in the face of brazen cartel violence. The president’s position is complicated by the broader context of U.S.-Mexico relations, particularly as security cooperation becomes an increasingly sensitive topic.
Recent reports from NBC News and Latin Times reveal that, as of early November 2025, the Trump administration is drafting plans to send U.S. troops and intelligence agents into Mexico to target drug cartels. While still in the early stages and far from a final decision, the planning includes preliminary training for a potential mission that would see U.S. forces operating under Title 50 status—a designation that allows for covert operations. The proposed strategy reportedly centers on drone strikes against drug labs and high-ranking cartel operatives on Mexican soil.
President Trump has repeatedly argued that Mexico is "ran by the cartels" and that the U.S. must "defend" itself against drug traffickers. Despite this rhetoric, Mexican officials have expressed skepticism that such strikes will materialize, emphasizing the strength of current bilateral cooperation and warning against unilateral actions that could jeopardize the relationship. As one Mexican official put it, the partnership is "currently very strong and successful to jeopardize it with unilateral strikes."
Cartel operatives, for their part, appear unfazed by the prospect of U.S. intervention. In an interview with The New York Times, one operative remarked, "We don’t only have maritime routes, we have land and air as well. There is always a way." This chilling confidence underscores the adaptability and resilience of criminal organizations that have, for decades, outmaneuvered both Mexican and international law enforcement efforts.
Meanwhile, the state of Jalisco is preparing to host four matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup next June. The anticipation of the world’s most-watched sporting event stands in stark contrast to the region’s grim reality: Jalisco leads Mexico in disappearances, with approximately 1,000 cases reported in 2025—a 30% increase over the previous year, according to local authorities. The powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel maintains a significant presence in the state, fueling fears that the tournament could become a target for criminal activity.
To address these concerns, authorities have rolled out an array of security measures, including a bolstered police presence, bomb-sniffing dogs, metal detectors, drone jammers, and plans to install 3,000 new surveillance cameras. Officials have been quick to highlight the anticipated economic windfall—about $1 billion in revenues and the creation of 7,000 jobs—that the World Cup is expected to generate. Yet, some activists see the event as a smokescreen, accusing the government of "whitewashing" the state’s ongoing violence and warning that the cartel may exploit the influx of visitors and resources to expand its operations.
Security experts echo these concerns, cautioning that high-profile international events often attract increased criminal activity, from extortion and kidnapping to drug trafficking and money laundering. The notion of a tacit truce between authorities and criminal organizations has been floated by some, though officials have downplayed such suggestions and insisted that public safety remains paramount.
Sheinbaum’s administration faces a delicate balancing act: projecting strength and stability to the world ahead of the World Cup, while grappling with the entrenched power of cartels at home and navigating the fraught dynamics of U.S. involvement. Her rejection of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau’s proposal for greater security cooperation—accepting only intelligence sharing, not intervention—reflects a desire to maintain Mexican sovereignty even as external pressures mount.
With the eyes of the world soon to be on Mexico, the stakes could hardly be higher. The tragic fate of Mayor Manzo, the specter of U.S. military involvement, and the looming World Cup have converged to create a moment of reckoning for Mexico’s leaders, its citizens, and its international partners. Whether this moment will spur lasting change or simply mark another chapter in the country’s long battle with organized crime remains to be seen.
For now, the legacy of violence and the hope for a safer future hang in the balance, as Mexico prepares to welcome the world—and confront its own demons.
