NewNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
A Mexican mayor who was outspoken in his opposition to drug cartels and pushing for tougher laws against trafficking was killed in gunfire this weekend during Day of the Dead celebrations.
Before his death, Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo was critical of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for what he saw as a lack of effort in dealing with the cartels. His city is located in the state of Michoacán, which suffers from particularly high levels of cartel violence.
“We need more determination from the president of Mexico,” Manzo told local media in September, vowing “not to take a step back.”
He added, “I don’t want to be just another mayor on the list of people who have been hanged and had their lives taken.” “I am very scared, but I have to face it with courage.”
Family members of babies burned alive by cartel thank Trump for action: ‘Hopeful for the first time’
Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan and one of the few independent politicians elected to office in Mexico, attends a candlelight Day of the Dead festival in Uruapan, Michoacan state, Mexico, shortly before he was shot, resulting in his death, in this screengrab taken from a live video streamed by his team and obtained from social media on November 1, 2025. (Carlos Manzo via Facebook/Handout via Reuters)
State officials say Manzo was shot seven times during a Day of the Dead vigil Saturday night. He died of his wounds in a nearby hospital.
Coast Guard catches 50 tonnes of cocaine being transported to posh coastal enclaves as cartel ops ‘rival Amazon’: Expert
Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuchs announced an investigation into Manzo’s murder on Sunday.
Family and friends attend the funeral of Mayor Carlos Manzo, who was shot and killed during a Day of the Dead event in Uruapan, Mexico on November 2, 2025. (Reuters/Ivan Arias)
“We express our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, and to the residents of Uruapan who are suffering painful and unjust loss at the hands of organized crime today,” Harfuchs said at a news conference. “There will be no impunity.”
Officials said Manzo’s security was extensive, including officials handpicked by Manzo as well as 14 National Guard members.
A man holds a photo of Mayor Carlos Manzo, who was shot dead during a Day of the Dead event in Uruapan, Mexico on November 2, 2025. (Reuters/Ivan Arias)
Click here to download Fox News App
Manzo’s aggressive approach to crime earned him the nickname “Mexican Bukele”, referring to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who has led a large-scale crackdown on gang violence in his country. According to the New York Times, Manzo had been critical of Sheinbaum’s approach to cartel issues since her inauguration in October 2024.
“If she thinks she can take these criminals into custody without firing a single shot and they’ll turn themselves in, well, she should do that,” Manzo said in a May speech, referring to Sheinbaum. “And believe me, if she succeeds in doing so, I will immediately submit my resignation.”
