The alleged leader of a criminal cell linked to Mexico’s powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel has been arrested for ordering the assassination of a mayor in Michoacan state, Security Minister Omar Garcia said in a post on X on Thursday.

The slain mayor, Carlos Manzo of the city of Uruapan, was known for publicly criticizing the Mexican government’s lack of action against crime in his region.

• The detainee, identified as Ramon Angel and known by the alias “El R1,” is the suspected leader of “Los Rs,” a cell allegedly linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Garcia said.

• The Los Rs group has engaged in extortion, homicide and drug trafficking, according to Garcia.

• At least 31 people have been arrested for alleged links to the case, including a 17-year-old boy believed to have fired at the mayor who was then gunned down by security forces.

• The killing, in November 2025, shocked the country and triggered protests against insecurity.

• Manzo was succeeded as mayor of Uruapan by his wife, Grecia Quiroz.

• Following the killing, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a plan to combat crime in the state, deploying more than 10,500 security force members.

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz, Editing by Daina Beth Solomon)