Police in Mexico have arrested a man they accuse of being the mastermind behind the murder of a popular mayor.
Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan, was shot dead on 1 November at a public event marking the Day of the Dead.
Manzo was an outspoken critic of cartel violence in his home state of Michoacán, and his assassination triggered mass protests.
Mexico's security minister said the man suspected of ordering his murder had links to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
This arrest represents a key step in dismantling the criminal structure responsible for this attack, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said. He did not specify the motive behind the attack, but local officials in Mexico are often targeted by criminal gangs for failing to comply with their demands.
García Harfuch identified the suspect as Jorge Amando, known by the alias The Graduate, who allegedly ordered the deadly attack on Carlos Manzo.
Amando had reportedly communicated with the assailants via WhatsApp, instructing them to shoot even when Manzo was surrounded by family members at the Day of the Dead ceremony.
The mayor was shot seven times while attending a ceremony, sending attendees fleeing for safety.
Manzo had previously spoken out about the extortion and threats faced by local avocado growers from criminal groups and had urged the federal government to take action against the cartels.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, blamed for the attack, is notorious for drug trafficking, kidnapping, and extortion, and particularly targets public officials who resist their influence.
Following Manzo's assassination, widespread protests erupted across the country, with demonstrators displaying images of the mayor and calling for justice.
At a significant rally in Mexico City, participants held signs stating, We are all Carlos Manzo, and some clashed with police in the central Zócalo square.
