Senator Denies Involvement as Michoacán Posts Bounty in Uruapan Mayor Murder Case
Raúl Morón testifies at state prosecutors' office while authorities offer a reward for the whereabouts of the slain mayor's former security chief.
The investigation into the November killing of Carlos Manzo, the municipal president of Uruapan, Michoacán, took two significant steps forward this week as a sitting federal senator appeared before state prosecutors and authorities announced a bounty for a key suspect connected to the case.
Senator Raúl Morón Orozco attended the Michoacán State Attorney General's Office on Tuesday, responding to a summons issued on June 5. He was questioned in connection with the homicide of Manzo, who was killed on November 1.
Emerging from the appearance, Morón was unequivocal about his role. "My conscience is clean," he told reporters, adding that he was not a witness to anything and had no involvement in or presence at the time of the killing. He characterised his attendance as a cooperative response to a lawful citation.
Separately, Michoacán authorities announced they are offering a reward for information leading to the location of the former head of Manzo's personal security detail, identified as Jiménez Miranda. The individual is described as having been part of Manzo's inner circle at the time of the assassination.
La Jornada, which covered Morón's testimony, foregrounded his denials and his assertion of innocence, presenting his voluntary appearance as consistent with a senator who has nothing to hide. El Financiero focused instead on the operational dimensions of the investigation, framing the bounty announcement as a sign that authorities are actively pursuing those closest to the victim.
The murder of a sitting municipal president represents an acute instance of the violence that has long afflicted Michoacán, a state where organised crime groups have repeatedly targeted elected officials and their staff. Uruapan, the state's second-largest city, has experienced sustained cartel-related conflict in recent years.
It remains unclear what specific information prompted prosecutors to summon Morón, or what evidence, if any, connects him to the case beyond his potential knowledge of relevant circumstances. Authorities have not publicly named him as a suspect.
The investigation's next phase will likely depend on whether Jiménez Miranda is located, and what testimony or evidence he may provide. The degree to which the senator's appearance and the bounty announcement are related threads in the same investigative strategy has not been confirmed by prosecutors.