Mexican authorities, using intelligence shared by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), have arrested Rafael Alvarez Ayala, an alleged leader of the “Los Rs” faction of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) wanted in the United States.
In a post on X on Sunday, the Mexican Navy Secretariat said Rafael “N,” alias “R2,” was captured in an operation in Jalisco state.
It is customary for Mexican authorities to withhold the surnames of suspects and identify them only by their first name, followed by the letter “N” for “nombre,” meaning name.
But the DEA confirmed the man who had been detained was 42-year-old Alvarez Ayala.
In August, the U.S. Department of Justice said a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia had indicted Alvarez Ayala for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for importation into the United States and for possessing a machine gun.
The Mexican navy said a special operations unit, in coordination with the security ministry, had also detained 19 other people in the city of Zapopan.
Navy ‘Repelled’ Armed Attack
“During the operation, naval personnel repelled an armed attack,” the navy wrote. “The detainee and a naval officer were injured and are receiving medical attention. The situation is under control.”
“The operation was the result of intelligence work by the CNI [Mexico’s National Intelligence Center] and information shared by DEA,” the navy wrote.
It said Rafael “N” was a suspect in the murder of Carlos Manzo, an outspoken mayor known for his hardline stance against organized crime.
Manzo, 40, was killed on Nov. 1, 2025, while attending a Day of the Dead celebration alongside his family in Uruapan, in Michoacán state.
Elected on an anti-corruption, anti-crime platform, Manzo became known for wearing a bulletproof vest in public and for openly challenging the criminal groups deeply rooted in Michoacán.
A person holds a picture of Carlos Manzo, the mayor who was shot dead during a Day of the Dead event, in Uruapan, Mexico, on Nov. 2, 2025. Ivan Arias/Reuters
He frequently denounced cartels for extorting and threatening Uruapan’s avocado growers—an economic lifeline for the state—and vowed to fight back against their influence.
Mexican security minister Omar Garcia Harfuch posted on X on Sunday that there was an arrest warrant for Rafael “N” for aggravated homicide, issued by the First Criminal Court of Apatzingán, in Michoacán, and that he was also wanted for extradition to the United States.
Harfuch said “Los Rs” was a CJNG cell operating in Jalisco and Michoacán.
“This cell is primarily involved in extortion, drug trafficking, homicide, unlawful deprivation of liberty, kidnapping, and attacks on authorities,” Harfuch said. “Its extortion victims include business owners and avocado producers.”
DEA Praises Mexican Operation
The DEA commended the “decisive actions” of the Mexican navy, the security ministry, the defense ministry and CNI in capturing “this dangerous cartel leader.”
“Criminal organizations operate across borders. So do the partnerships determined to dismantle them,” the DEA said.
The same federal grand jury that indicted Alvarez Ayala in August also charged his 44-year-old brother Ramon, who was arrested in Mexico in July.
Ramon is alleged to have ordered the murder, in May 2025, of beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, who was fatally
shotduring a TikTok livestream at her salon in Zapopan.
In its statement on Aug. 26, the DOJ said the Alvarez Ayala brothers were charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine for importation into the United States from 2004 through December 2023.
They are also accused of using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a machine gun.
If convicted, each brother faces a minimum of 40 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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