# An encrypted chat, a hard drive and dozens of arrests: How Mexico unraveled the CJNG network behind Carlos Manzo’s murder

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/an-encrypted-chat-a-hard-drive-and-dozens-of-arrests-how-mexico-unraveled-the-cjng-network-behind-carlos-manzos-murder/
- Published: 2026-11-08T04:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-08T04:21:10+00:00
- Original publisher: El País (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-11-08/an-encrypted-chat-a-hard-drive-and-dozens-of-arrests-how-mexico-unraveled-the-cjng-network-behind-carlos-manzos-murder.html
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- Mexico has arrested 34 suspects in the Manzo murder investigation.
- An encrypted chat and a hard drive helped investigators map the alleged plot.
- At least five more suspects remain under investigation.

## Summary

Mexico’s investigation into the 2025 assassination of Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo has led to 34 arrests, with at least five more suspects still being pursued. Evidence from a group chat and a hard drive helped authorities trace the alleged conspiracy, making the case a rare example of progress against impunity and a major test of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s promise to tackle organised crime.

Manzo was shot in a crowded town square during a Day of the Dead festival, after a message in an encrypted chat urged the attackers to proceed even though he was carrying his young son. Investigators used footage from 14 videos to identify three members of the attack team; all are now dead. The alleged operational deputy, known as El Licenciado, was arrested before alleged mastermind Ramón Álvarez Ayala, or R1, was captured in July.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.