Mexico City. After stating that “there will be no impunity” in the murder of the mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, Carlos Manzo Rodríguez, members of the Mexican government's security cabinet asserted that there was always communication and coordination with the mayor; furthermore, they specified that since December 10th he had been under the protection of bodyguards from the National Guard and the Municipal Police, the latter being “his trusted men” and responsible for his immediate security.

In a press conference, called at the last minute this Sunday, the head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Omar García Harfuch, conveyed the"outrage" of the Cabinet and the President of the Republic, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, over the crime.

“The feeling of the cabinet, of the President, is one of outrage, of course. Outrage at such a cowardly act, where an aggressor approached a public event, practically knowing he was going to lose his life or be arrested. So, we feel that outrage, but not only outrage, but also the determination that those responsible will be arrested. I repeat, as has been the case in other instances. It is a very, very regrettable event. My deepest condolences to her family, and we will find those responsible,” said García Harfuch from the SSPC headquarters.

The official was questioned about what is failing in Michoacán in the face of crime and violence, despite the deployment of the federal government.

“As we all know, Michoacán has long had strong, violent criminal cells, as we saw yesterday with this cowardly attack. Not only has the deployment been reinforced, but operations in Michoacán have also been increased,” he responded.

The head of the National Defense Secretariat (Defense), Ricardo Trevilla, stated that there was always coordination and permanent communication with the mayor of Uruapan, especially with the commander of the 6th Infantry Group and the commander of the 21st Military Zone.

He explained that since December 10th, he had been assigned a six-member security detail and a National Guard vehicle, later reinforced with eight additional officers and another vehicle. Furthermore, the mayor's immediate security was provided by municipal police officers he trusted, while the National Guard handled perimeter security.

“It should be mentioned that immediate security was provided by municipal police personnel, whom he trusted; he determined this. And the National Guard personnel were dedicated to providing perimeter security,” he explained.

He explained that there were constant meetings between military commanders and the mayor—four in total between May and October—to review the security strategy in Uruapan. In the first two meetings, he said, reinforcements were requested, and in the most recent ones, progress on the security strategy was reviewed without requesting more troops. All results and agreements were reported to the federal Security Cabinet.

“The mayor did not request additional troops in these last two meetings; they only reviewed the strategy and verified progress, and, if necessary, reinforced certain sectors in Uruapan. With this, I want to emphasize that this communication and liaison always existed,” Trevilla stated.

As a result of that coordination, he noted, several operations were carried out, such as “Chutani” and “Chamqui”, with hundreds of officers deployed and significant results: dozens of arrests, seizure of weapons, drugs, vehicles and explosive devices.

The highest-ranking military official emphasized that communication was also maintained with the federal Security Cabinet, which was informed of every action. In total, between October 2024 and November 2025, 67 arrests were reported, and 137 kilograms of drugs, 56 weapons, vehicles, and other items were seized in Uruapan.

The alleged attacker has not yet been identified

Omar García Harfuch stated that they have not yet identified the attacker of the mayor, who was killed at the scene, because he was not carrying identification.

According to the first official report of the events, “around 8:10 p.m., at the conclusion of a public event in downtown Uruapan, a man dressed in a white sweatshirt and black pants fired seven shots with a firearm at the mayor, Carlos Manzo,” who later died in a hospital.

The assailant was killed by security personnel, who seized a 9mm handgun and seven spent shell casings. Councilman Víctor Hugo de la Cruz was also wounded in the attack but is out of danger, while the Prosecutor's Office conducts forensic work to identify the attacker.

Authorities reported that the weapon is linked to attacks between criminal groups and that they are analyzing videos from the C5 surveillance system and nearby businesses.

“No line of investigation is ruled out to clarify this cowardly act,” they said, recalling that Carlos Manzo “had assigned protection” since December 2024, reinforced in May with 14 members of the National Guard and two official vehicles.

Finally, they condemned the crime and assured: “Rest assured that there will be no impunity… we will go to the furthest extent to ensure that this cowardly act is fully clarified and all those responsible are arrested.”