Mexico’s week in review: Authorities capture CJNG leader, Navy backs US $115M sargassum strategy and Kia commits $649M to EVs

Mexico's week brought a significant security victory as authorities captured Ramón Ángel “R1” Álvarez Ayala, a key figure in the assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo. The mastermind of the November 2025 murder, who orchestrated a wave of violence in Guadalajara, was apprehended in Atotonilco, Jalisco. The capture, part of a high-speed chase and shootout, marked 31 arrests linked to Manzo’s murder, a case that shook the political and business landscape of the state.

Meanwhile, President Claudia Sheinbaum faced intense scrutiny from abroad, as white house adviser Stephen Miller contested the narrative that cartels control Mexico’s political system. She dismissed such claims, emphasizing the need for the United States to examine its own issues with drug consumption.

The prestigious National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) came under fire for a cheating scandal, which led to suspicions that AI and traditional cheat sheets had influenced its admissions process. The university grappled with the issue of academic integrity, further complicating an already tumultuous week.

On a lighter note, Acapulco's controversial La Parota hydroelectric dam project was scrapped by President Sheinbaum. The project, marred by unresolved land expropriation and lack of community support, would have been replaced by radial wells and aqueduct improvements along the Papagayo River.