Overview
- State prosecutor Carlos Torres Piña said tests link the weapon used to kill Mayor Carlos Manzo on November 1 to two October shootings in Uruapan tied to CJNG rivalries.
- A possible motive under review is retaliation for the recent municipal-police arrest of René Belmonte Aguilar, alias “El Rino,” identified as a regional CJNG figure.
- Authorities report the suspected gunman died during the pursuit, and they are working to identify accomplices, while 14 National Guard escorts and 8 local police assigned to Manzo have given statements.
- President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the Plan Michoacán por la Paz y la Justicia, met with Manzo’s widow and new mayor Greece Quiroz, and ordered a review of security requests from municipal officials.
- Protests and political pressure have intensified as federal data show nine of 14 criminal leaders identified by Sedena in 2022 remain active and groups continue extortion and territorial control in Michoacán’s farm belt.