Two bodies, one of which is a teenager, have been discovered near the roadside in connection with suspects involved in the murder of a mayor who was leading efforts against drug cartels. Carlos Manzo, aged 40, from Uruapan, a city located about 251 miles west of Mexico City, was fatally shot in a crowded central square while festivities were ongoing for the Day of the Dead. Shortly after, 17-year-old Miguel Angel Ubaldo Vidales was identified and subsequently killed by law enforcement, with an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The mayor had been requesting additional support from the Mexican central government to combat drug-related crimes, and Ubaldo Vidales was found to have ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The assailant, who fired six shots at the mayor, had been missing from his residence for approximately a week.
Governor Alfedo Ramirez Bedolla has now confirmed that the two individuals found murdered on the road between Uruapan and Paracho, near Capacuaro, were accomplices of the perpetrator who killed the municipal mayor.
Ramirez Bedolla stated, “The prosecutor’s office has verified that two other individuals were involved in the assassination along with the main perpetrator, and these two are the ones found deceased in Capácuaro. One of them is 16 years old, and this information has been corroborated with the Secretary of Security (Omar García Harfuch).” He expressed concern about the recruitment of teenagers by cartels in Michoacan, where crime rates have surged, particularly in Uruapan, renowned for its avocado industry, where farmers have been targets of criminal extortion.
An investigation is ongoing into the events of the night of the attack that resulted in the mayor’s death, despite his security detail comprising eight private bodyguards and 14 police officers. Additionally, authorities are probing the circumstances surrounding Ubaldo Vidales’ death, as he was killed after being detained by the police, with a bullet being fired at him.
“We are also looking into the circumstances of the perpetrator’s death after being taken into custody. There was a scuffle, and a single shot led to his demise. This matter is under investigation,” remarked Ramirez Bedolla. The discovery of the slain accomplices of the assassins further complicates the investigation.
Meanwhile, Grecia Quiroz, the widow of Manzo, was sworn in before the State Congress on Wednesday to succeed her late husband as mayor, vowing to continue his work. Quiroz asserted, “They may have taken Carlos Manzo’s life, but they could not extinguish what he stood for.”