After violent anti-government protests rocked Mexico City’s Zócalo on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump seized on the unrest, declaring that Mexico has “some big problems” before renewing his threats of military strikes against cartels on Mexican soil. With international media questioning whether President Sheinbaum had lost control of her country, the president who had enjoyed sky-high approval ratings throughout her first year appeared to be facing her first true crisis.
By midweek, however, the Sheinbaum administration was on offense. The arrest of an alleged mastermind in the assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo revealed how authorities had unraveled a cartel chain of command that tried to cover its tracks by killing anyone who could talk — two key witnesses were found dead on a highway, but their phones told the whole story. That breakthrough, combined with the arrest of 54 suspected CJNG operatives in violence-plagued Colima, offered a measure of vindication for a government under fire for its security strategy.
The week closed on lighter notes: Tabasqueña Fátima Bosch was crowned Miss Universe in Bangkok, becoming the fourth Mexican woman to claim the title, while a Frida Kahlo self-portrait sold for US $54.7 million at Sotheby’s, shattering the auction record for any female artist.
Didn’t have time to read this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.
Trump threatens military strikes; Sheinbaum invokes history
President Donald Trump made new threats of unilateral military action against Mexican drug cartels.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said that launching strikes in Mexico to stop drugs would be “OK” with him, citing his administration’s recent lethal strikes against alleged drug boats in international waters. When asked whether he would only act with Mexico’s permission, Trump declined to answer directly.
.@POTUS: “We have lost hundreds of thousands of people a year… and much of it comes through Mexico. So, let me just put it this way — I am NOT happy with Mexico.” pic.twitter.com/MzvJreOuEM
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 17, 2025
President Claudia Sheinbaum responded firmly at her Tuesday press conference. “The last time the United States came to Mexico with an intervention, they took half the territory,” she said, referencing the 19th-century Mexican-American War.
Sheinbaum reiterated that she has repeatedly declined Trump’s offers to send U.S. troops into Mexico, emphasizing that while the two countries can collaborate and coordinate, Mexico will not accept foreign intervention.
The president has expressed her disapproval of the Trump administration’s strategy of bombing perceived “drug boats” from Central and South America. Earlier in the week, she announced that her government had reached an agreement with its U.S. counterpart for the Mexican Navy to intercept vessels suspected of transporting drugs in international waters off Mexico’s coast.
Sheinbaum previously spoke out in favor of arresting suspected drug traffickers at sea, rather than killing them. The agreement, she said, means U.S. strikes near Mexican waters are “no longer” happening.
Adding to the tensions, the Mexican Navy removed six warning signs from Playa Bagdad in Tamaulipas after unidentified men arrived by boat and planted them on the beach. The signs declared the area a “Restricted Area” of the U.S. Department of War (formerly Defense) and warned that trespassers could be “detained and searched.”
The U.S. government later acknowledged it had hired contractors to install the signs, with the Pentagon attributing the incident to confusion over the border’s location due to changes in water depth and topography. The International Boundary and Water Commission is now reviewing boundary maps.
‘Gen Z’ protest in Mexico City dominates domestic discourse
A mass protest against insecurity organized by a self-described “Generation Z” movement drew approximately 17,000 people to Mexico City on Saturday, though most participants were older adults rather than young people. The demonstration turned violent when a “black bloc” contingent attacked police in the Zócalo, injuring 100 officers according to authorities.
The protest — which occurred alongside a march by the Sombrero Movement (Movimiento del Sombrero) — was catalyzed by the Nov. 1 assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, an outspoken anti-crime crusader. Protesters demanded greater security, condemned corruption and even called for Sheinbaum’s resignation.
At her Monday press conference, Sheinbaum blamed opposition parties and billionaire businessman Ricardo Salinas for financing the protest, claiming 90 million pesos (US $4.9 million) was spent promoting the march through social media, with backing from foreign right-wing organizations. The government’s “fake news debunker-in-chief” presented evidence alleging coordinated promotion from abroad.
Further bolstering the government’s claims, Morena party president Luisa María Alcalde revealed on Wednesday that Edson Andrade, a key Gen Z protest organizer who had presented himself as nonpartisan, holds a 2.1-million-peso (US $114,800) contract with the opposition National Action Party (PAN). Andrade fled Mexico after the revelation, claiming government persecution.
A second Gen Z march on Thursday — Revolution Day — drew only about 200 participants. In her Revolution Day address, Sheinbaum declared that those who call for violence and encourage hate are mistaken. The president also asserted that various other people are “mistaken,” including those who call for a “foreign intervention” to combat organized crime, those who think “women are weak” and those who believe that the “fourth transformation” political movement she leads is asleep at the wheel.
Arrest made in Mayor Manzo’s assassination
Federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced Wednesday the arrest of an alleged mastermind behind Mayor Manzo’s killing. Jorge Armando “N,” also known as “El Licenciado,” was detained in Morelia and is allegedly affiliated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Authorities pieced together the case after discovering the bodies of two men who had accompanied the 17-year-old shooter before the attack. Analysis of their phones revealed a WhatsApp group used to coordinate the assassination, with Jorge Armando “N” issuing instructions.
Security Ministry arrests alleged mastermind behind killing of Michoacán anti-crime crusader
Messages showed real-time updates from the Festival of Candles, where Manzo was shot, and orders to target the mayor even if he was surrounded by other people. Reports indicate Jorge Armando “N” operated under orders from the CJNG’s second-in-command.
FDI hits record high as bond outflows continue
Mexico’s economic data continues to present a mixed picture. President Sheinbaum announced that foreign direct investment (FDI) reached a record US $40.9 billion in the first nine months of 2025, a 14.5% increase over the same period last year and already surpassing all of 2024’s total.
New investment — as opposed to reinvested profits — jumped over 200%, from $2 billion to $6.5 billion.
However, a separate report revealed that foreign investors have withdrawn more than $7 billion from Mexican government bonds this year, marking seven consecutive months of capital outflows. Analysts attribute the exodus to global financial volatility, uncertainty over the upcoming USMCA review and declining interest rates on Mexican instruments.
In trade news, Mexico became the top buyer of U.S. goods for the first time in history, surpassing Canada. Between January and August, Mexico imported $226.4 billion worth of American products, underscoring the deep integration of the two economies.
World Cup updates
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just over 200 days away, Mexico is ramping up preparations on multiple fronts. FIFA announced that Guadalajara and Monterrey will host playoff matches in March to determine the final two teams in the 48-team field, with six nations from five confederations competing.
On Wednesday, the government unveiled a program titled “Social World Cup,” an ambitious initiative featuring over 5,000 activities, including school sports programs, 177 street fairs, the creation of 10,000 murals and attempts at three Guinness World Records.
The program will also offer free public broadcasts of matches and promote Mexico’s cultural and gastronomic heritage to visitors and citizens alike.
99 facts you need to know about Mexico
In honor of World Statistics Day on Oct. 20, Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI published a small book presenting the 99 facts you need to know about Mexico.
This week, we shared the book’s contents translated into English. Check it out here:
Looking ahead
As the seventh anniversary of the “4T” approaches in December, Sheinbaum faces the challenge of converting strong approval ratings into tangible security improvements that can quiet critics — and keep protesters off the streets.
The arrest of an alleged mastermind in the Manzo assassination demonstrates the state’s growing capacity to answer violence with prosecution, but whether such wins can shift public perception of insecurity remains to be seen.
With World Cup preparations accelerating and trade negotiations looming, the coming weeks will test whether Mexico can maintain its delicate balance between economic pragmatism and political independence.
This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.
