Mexican authorities are gradually releasing new details about the killing of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, who died in an attack during a Day of the Dead celebration.
Omar García Harfuch, head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, said at a news conference this week that Jorge Armando "N," known as "El Licenciado," was arrested after investigators identified him as one of the intellectual authors of the attack.
Investigators determined that El Licenciado allegedly led a criminal group linked to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), and that he oversaw individuals who carried out killings on his behalf.
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
Infobae México reported that state authorities believe Jorge Armando "N" served as one of the intellectual leaders of the cell responsible for Manzo's killing. Officials said he pressured the gunmen to commit the attack even though Manzo counted with state and National Guard protection.
Intelligence reports indicate that Jorge Armando "N" served as the link between cartel leaders and Víctor Manuel Ubaldo Vidales, the teenager who killed Manzo on Nov. 1. Authorities also said Ubaldo Vidales carried out the attack with help from two associates, Fernando Josué "N" and Ramiro "N," whose bodies were found on the Uruapan Paracho highway in recent days.
Earlier this month, Michoacán Gov. Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla told reporters that the two individuals found dead in Capácuaro were believed to have been with Vidales during the attack on Manzo.
"These are the two people who were found dead in Capácuaro. One of them was 16 years old, and this information was confirmed by Omar García Harfuch," the governor said.
In an interview, Harfuch, Mexico's top security official, said investigators also identified the suspected leader of the cell for which El Licenciado worked. He named Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala, known as "El R1," as the regional leader of the group, who allegedly ordered Manzo's killing.
According to Milenio, Álvarez Ayala is considered one of the highest ranking figures of the Jalisco cartel in Michoacán and oversees cells that operate in the state. He was arrested in 2012 along with two of his brothers, and remained behind bars for 10 years until his 2022 release after a judge ruled that the case lacked the evidence needed to support the charges, which included kidnapping and organized crime.
Milenio also reported that El R1 leads Los Cannabis, a CJNG cell that operates in Uruapan. Authorities said the organization was one of the groups Manzo confronted during his time as mayor.
The outlet reported that Álvarez Ayala's arrest angered the criminal group, which ultimately retaliated by killing Manzo.
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