Mexican authorities have arrested seven bodyguards assigned to slain Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, intensifying national scrutiny over the killing that has sparked widespread outrage and antigovernment protests.
The Michoacán state prosecutor’s office confirmed on Friday that the guards, all active municipal police officers, were detained on suspicion of “probable involvement in the crime of qualified homicide.”
Until their arrests, the officers had continued serving as part of the security detail protecting Manzo’s widow, Grecia Quiroz, who has since been appointed by the state Congress to replace him as mayor.
Manzo, 40, was shot dead on November 1 in front of his family during a Day of the Dead event in Uruapan. Authorities say the attack was carried out by a 17-year-old assailant, who was killed immediately afterward by the mayor’s guards.
Both state and federal officials have said that organised crime groups were likely behind the assassination.
The killing shocked the nation and ignited large-scale protests, including a Gen Z–driven march in Mexico City last weekend, during which clashes left more than 100 people injured and led to 19 arrests. The incident has also increased pressure on President Claudia Sheinbaum to strengthen her security strategy amid escalating cartel violence.
In a separate operation, federal authorities on Wednesday announced the arrest of Jorge Armando “N,” known as El Licenciado, describing him as “one of the masterminds” behind Manzo’s killing. He is believed to lead a criminal cell tied by local media to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
On Friday, images circulated in local media showing a coordinated midday raid in Uruapan involving state prosecutors, soldiers, and federal guards to capture the seven bodyguards. The suspects have been transferred to a prison facility and will be presented before a judge.
Manzo, who had been in office just over a year, rose to prominence for his vocal campaigns against organised crime in Michoacán, one of Mexico’s most violent states and a battleground for competing drug cartels.
In response to the public outcry and rising insecurity, President Sheinbaum has unveiled Plan Michoacán, a strategy combining expanded social programmes with the deployment of 10,000 soldiers across the state in an effort to regain territorial control from criminal groups.
Source: AL JAZEERA
Written By Rodney Mbua
