Federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced Wednesday that an alleged mastermind of the Nov. 1 assassination of Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo had been arrested.
García Harfuch told a press conference that Jorge Armando “N” — who was detained in Morelia, Michoacán — had been identified as “one of the masterminds” of Manzo’s murder as well as “one of the leaders of the criminal cell that planned the homicide.”
Por instrucciones de la Presidenta @Claudiashein hoy informamos avances en la investigación del asesinato de Carlos Manzo, donde gracias a un trabajo coordinado con la @FiscaliaMich y el @GabSeguridadMX se realizaron labores de inteligencia, análisis de cámaras y seguimiento… pic.twitter.com/AfScKExb5H
— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) November 19, 2025
The suspect, also known as “El Licenciado” (The Graduate), is alleged to be affiliated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). An alleged local leader of the CJNG, René Belmonte Aguilar, was arrested in Uruapan in August.
García Harfuch said that authorities had also identified two men who, in the “hours before the attack” on Manzo, “accompanied the assailant,” Víctor Manuel Ubaldo Vidales, a 17-year-old boy who was killed by a municipal police officer after he was detained for allegedly shooting the mayor multiple times.
The security minister said that those two men, identified as Fernando Josué “N” and Ramiro “N,” were found dead on Nov. 10 on the Uruapan-Paracho highway in Michoacán.
García Harfuch said they were “apparently” killed to “impede the development of the investigations” into the assassination of Manzo. He said that Ramiro “N” had a criminal record for weapons offenses and was linked to a “criminal group with a presence” in Michoacán.
The assassination of Manzo — an outspoken anti-crime crusader who had urged the federal government to ramp up the fight against organized crime — triggered protests in Michoacán and precipitated the creation of Plan Michoacán, a federal plan to pacify the state.
Assassination was coordinated on messaging app
García Harfuch said that authorities found the two deceased men’s telephones the day after their bodies were located on the Uruapan-Paracho highway.
He said that an analysis of the telephones allowed authorities to establish that Ramiro “N” was part of a group on a messaging app — reportedly WhatsApp — that was used to plan and coordinate the attack on Manzo.
García Harfuch said that authorities also established that Jorge Armando “N” “held the command role” in that group “as he was the person who issued the instructions to carry out the execution.”
He said that authorities went through the group chat and observed that at 6:06 p.m. on Nov. 1, Ramiro “N” sent a video from the central square in Uruapan where Manzo was shot during the Festival of Candles, a Day of the Dead event.
“In the message he reported that he was at the site to locate the mayor,” García Harfuch said.
Outspoken anti-crime mayor assassinated in Uruapan, Michoacán’s second-largest city
“At 7:45 p.m., the members of said [messaging app] group said that Carlos Manzo was at the Festival of Candles and was transmitting live on social media. At approximately 8 p.m., Ramiro indicated that the authorities had subdued the shooter and Carlos Manzo was being treated [for his wounds],” he said.
García Harfuch said that before the attack occurred, Jorge Armando “N” told members of the messaging app group that Manzo should be targeted even if he was in the company of other people. The mayor was at the Festival of Candles with his family, and held his young son in his arms shortly before he was shot. A Uruapan councilor, Víctor Hugo de la Cruz, was injured in the attack.
García Harfuch also said that Jorge Armando “N” told those involved in the attack on Manzo to “hide to avoid being detained.”
“… The analysis of these conversations, intelligence work and various investigative procedures allowed [authorities] to follow the trail” and ultimately identify, locate and arrest Jorge Armando “N,” he said.
“… This arrest represents a key step toward breaking up the criminal structure responsible for this attack. We reiterate that there won’t be impunity,” García Harfuch said.
“The government of Mexico maintains an absolute commitment to justice and to the safety of the families of Michoacán. The investigations continue, there will be more arrests and this criminal network that commits homicides, extortion, uses young people and generates violence in the region will be completely disbanded,” he said.
Report: Jorge Armando ‘N’ conveyed orders from a high-ranking CJNG leader
Citing federal sources, the Milenio newspaper reported on Thursday that Jorge Armando “N” operated under the orders of Ramón Álvarez Ayala, a man identified by the federal government in 2021 as the second in command of the CJNG, after Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.
Milenio wrote that Álvarez, known as “El R1,” has a “direct line of communication” with El Mencho, an elusive kingpin wanted in both Mexico and the United States.
The newspaper also wrote that Jorge Armando “N” conveyed to his sicarios (assassins) “the orders of El R1 to assassinate Manzo on Nov. 1 during the Day of the Dead festival in the main square of Uruapan.”
Milenio said that it obtained an image of a message sent after the mayor’s murder in which Jorge Armando “N” wrote:
“The boss sends his thanks and asks us to ensure no one is detained.”
The boss he was referring to was apparently Álvarez Ayala, who bases his operations in Uruapan, according to Milenio.
With reports from El Universal and Milenio
