On a night meant for celebration in Uruapan, Michoacán—a city known as the heart of Mexico’s avocado industry—tragedy struck. The Day of the Dead festivities on November 1, 2025, were shattered by gunfire that left the city’s mayor, Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, mortally wounded. The attack, which played out in the bustling central square packed with families and revelers, has since sent shockwaves through a region already gripped by violence and fear.
According to the Michoacán State Attorney’s Office, the gunman was identified as 17-year-old Víctor Manuel Ubaldo Vidales, a resident of the neighboring municipality of Paracho. As reported by El País and confirmed in a video statement by State Attorney General Carlos Torres Piña, Vidales was linked to organized crime and, more specifically, to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)—one of Mexico’s most notorious and powerful criminal organizations.
Witnesses recounted the chaos as shots rang out, with Manzo struck at least six times. The teenager, who had been missing from his home for about a week prior, was killed on the spot by municipal police, who responded instantly to the attack. Two of Vidales’ alleged accomplices were apprehended at the scene, and authorities later confirmed that more than two individuals had participated in the plot.
Forensic testing played a pivotal role in the investigation. Torres Piña explained that a sodium rhodizonate test—used to detect lead residue from firearms—came back positive for Vidales, confirming he had fired the shots that ended the mayor’s life. The same tests, alongside corroboration from his family, revealed that the 17-year-old was addicted to methamphetamine. It’s a tragic detail, emblematic of the way organized crime in Michoacán preys on vulnerable youth, drawing them into cycles of addiction and violence.
The killing of Mayor Manzo was not a random act. Investigators, as reported by Milenio and corroborated by Mexico News Daily, believe the attack was orchestrated by the CJNG in retaliation for the arrest of their regional boss, René Belmonte—known as “Rino”—by municipal police in August 2025. Manzo, who had been mayor since September 2024, played a key role in that high-profile bust, which dealt a blow to the cartel’s grip on Uruapan’s lucrative extortion rackets.
Uruapan, with its 350,000 residents, has become a battleground in Mexico’s ongoing war against organized crime. The city’s avocado farmers, especially small and medium-sized producers, have been frequent targets of CJNG’s extortion schemes. As one source close to the investigation told El País, “El Rino oversaw the cartel’s extortion network in the area, mainly targeting those who couldn’t afford private protection.” The larger producers, with their own security arrangements, have managed to avoid the worst of the cartel’s demands, but the broader community has not been so lucky.
Mayor Manzo was no stranger to the risks of confronting organized crime. In the weeks following the August arrest of “Rino,” violence in Uruapan escalated dramatically. Manzo repeatedly appealed to both federal and state authorities for assistance, warning of imminent attacks. On August 27, the day of Rino’s detention, he posted a video to social media urging residents to remain indoors, cautioning that CJNG gunmen were preparing to enter the city. The violence soon spilled over, with attacks on local police and the murder of an officer on August 14. Manzo met with state officials in a bid to secure more help, but his pleas, according to his widow, Grecia Quiroz, went largely unanswered.
“They killed Carlos Manzo, but they couldn’t kill what he awakened,” Quiroz declared at her swearing-in ceremony before the State Congress on November 5, 2025. Now serving as Uruapan’s mayor, Quiroz faces the daunting task of leading a city traumatized by organized crime and beset by a sense of abandonment from higher authorities. She has been vocal in her criticism of the federal government’s response, or lack thereof, to her late husband’s calls for support.
The killing of Manzo marks him as the seventh municipal official slain in Mexico in 2025 and the third in Michoacán alone, according to El País. The region is enduring a particularly violent period: on the same day as Manzo’s assassination, Alejandro Torres Mora—nephew of slain self-defense leader Hipólito Mora—was killed alongside his wife in their home. Just weeks earlier, lemon producer Bernardo Bravo also fell victim to the violence. These high-profile murders have sparked protests across Michoacán and prompted the federal government to announce a new “peace and justice” plan for the state, though many residents remain skeptical about its prospects for real change.
Attorney General Torres Piña emphasized that the investigation into Manzo’s murder is being conducted jointly by federal and state authorities. “Advances in acts of investigation and intelligence have allowed us to determine that more than two people participated in the crime,” he said, adding that the homicide “is related to organized crime groups.” While he stopped short of naming the CJNG directly, multiple media outlets have confirmed that the cartel is the prime suspect.
Manzo’s outspoken stance against organized crime made him a target, but it also endeared him to many in Uruapan who are desperate for change. He had even urged President Claudia Sheinbaum to ramp up the fight against criminal organizations, hoping to stem the tide of violence that has engulfed Michoacán. His widow’s ascension to the mayoralty is both a symbol of resilience and a stark reminder of the dangers faced by public officials in Mexico.
The statistics are grim: over the past 25 years, 119 mayors and mayors-elect have been murdered in Mexico, with 20 of those killings occurring in Michoacán, as reported by El Universal. The risks for those who dare to challenge the cartels are real and ever-present. Many in Uruapan and beyond are now watching to see whether Quiroz can continue her husband’s fight—or if the cycle of violence and impunity will simply claim more victims.
As the investigation continues, Attorney General Torres Piña has pledged that the crime will not go unpunished. “The investigation work is being carried out in a coordinated way between federal and state authorities,” he assured the public, vowing to keep citizens informed of any progress.
The murder of Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez has become a flashpoint in Mexico’s ongoing struggle against organized crime. For the people of Uruapan, the challenge now is to honor the mayor’s legacy by refusing to surrender to fear, even as they await justice in a city where hope and violence so often collide.
