If you follow Mexican politics at all, you already know that speaking out against cartels is inviting attempts against your life.
With the recent change in drug strategy by Trump, I would have to think they need to be more careful than ever.
To that point, Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo was reportedly shot and killed after having been vocally against Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for not cracking down on cartels.
As elections approach in Mexico, it seems like a tradition now that anyone critical of the cartel will meet their demise.
Last year, there was a massive wave of violence as elections drew closer.
Ramiro Solorio, who was running for office at the time, stated, “We are afraid of being murdered.” His security team included 15 members of the National Guard due to threats. He added, “The coexistence between the government and crime is a reality.”
Armando Vargas, an expert at Integralia, added, “The violence that the electoral process is facing is unprecedented.” According to reports, there were as many as 60 political assassinations in 2024, but Mexico’s former president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, claims it was no more than six.
The United States recently changed its tactics for dealing with drug runners, literally blowing them out of the water in international waters.
Dozens have now been killed during these strikes, and as far as I know, only one strike left any survivors.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is not happy about the strikes, stating, "We want all international treaties to be respected.”
The Trump administration continues to insist it has the right to defend the homeland in international waters with these strikes. That, however, is up for debate, and will likely be a topic of conversation for Democrats to try to impeach Trump if they take back the House in 2026.
Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo did not hide his disdain for Mexico’s new president, hoping that she would do a better job than had been the norm for a government that is just blatantly corrupt.
He had stated, "We need greater determination from the president of Mexico.” He continued, "I do not want to be just another mayor on the list of those who have been executed and had their lives taken away from them. I am very afraid, but I must face it with courage."
Saturday night, during a Day of the Dead festival, he was sought out and shot seven times, succumbing to his wounds after he was taken to a local hospital. Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch stated, "We send our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones and the residents of Uruapan, who today are experiencing a painful and unjust loss at the hands of organized crime. There will be no impunity."
My guess is that this is just the start, and I really don’t expect much from Sheinbaum, as I would wager she has already been paid a visit by cartel leaders who have warned her not to mess with their money train. This is the way in Mexico… you bend to the cartel, or you find yourself on the wrong side of an assassination attempt.
