‘Ask Me How I Knew How Many Cops Guarded My Godfather’: Slain Mayor Carlos Manzo’s Godson Charged With Feeding His Security Details to CJNG
The godson of slain Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo passed details of Manzo’s bodyguards and weak points to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) before the killing, Michoacán prosecutors allege. They cite messages he sent on an encrypted app. El Blog del Narco reported on September 22, 2026 that Alexis Jesús, known as “El Brilloso,” has been ordered to stand trial. El Financiero reported on September 19 that Manzo was shot dead on November 1, 2025.
What prosecutors presented in court
According to El Blog del Narco, prosecutors at the initial hearing showed chats from Threema, an encrypted messaging app. The outlet says forensic data extraction showed the suspect sharing exact details of Manzo’s protection with others involved in the attack. That included how many bodyguards he had, how they were positioned at public events and where his security was weakest. El Blog del Narco says he used his family ties and the trust of Manzo’s circle to learn the mayor’s schedule, travel routes and daily routines.
In one message quoted by the outlet, the suspect allegedly asks how people think he knew how many police officers guarded his godfather and how they were deployed. In another, he allegedly says he owed his godfather nothing and that Manzo “brought it on himself.” These are prosecutors’ allegations. No court has convicted him.
Arrest and a brother already in custody
El Blog del Narco reports that federal forces arrested Alexis Jesús in Zapopan, Jalisco. He was then moved to the high-security prison for high-impact crimes in Charo, Michoacán. The outlet cites the Michoacán state prosecutor’s office (FGE) in saying he is the brother of Cristian, alias “El Vikingo,” who was arrested in Uruapan in early August. It adds that official intelligence reports describe both brothers as key to the CJNG’s expansion in central Michoacán.
“The information came from inside”
Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla said the evidence backs up the theory investigators held from the start, El Blog del Narco reported. “The information came from inside,” he said, describing collusion “between his close circle of trust and organized crime.” Manzo’s widow, Grecia Quiroz, is now mayor of Uruapan. She called it a betrayal by someone Manzo had tried to steer away from crime, according to the outlet.
Sources
- El Blog del Narco, “Alexis Jesús ‘El Brilloso’, ahijado de Carlos Manzo, dio información al CJNG sobre sus escoltas y los puntos vulnerables para ejecutarlo,” September 22, 2026
- El Financiero, “‘Él se lo buscó’: Los chats de Alexis ‘N’, ahijado de Carlos Manzo, que revelan presunta traición,” September 19, 2026
Reporting reviewed September 22, 2026. This article is based on the linked reports, which describe prosecutors’ allegations and evidence presented at a pretrial hearing. The Narco Blog did not independently verify the messages, and the suspect has not been convicted. Quoted messages are translated from Spanish as published by El Blog del Narco.