Mexican authorities, using intelligence shared by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), have arrested Rafael Álvarez Ayala, an alleged leader of the “Los Rs” faction of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel wanted in the United States.
In a post on X on Nov. 8, 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 names, followed by the letter “N” for “nombre,” meaning name.
But the DEA confirmed that the man who had been detained was 42-year-old Álvarez Ayala.
In August, the U.S. Department of Justice said a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia had indicted Álvarez 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.”
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)
Mexican security minister Omar García Harfuch posted on X on Nov. 8 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 Jalisco New Generation Cartel 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 National Intelligence Center 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 Álvarez Ayala in August also charged his 44-year-old brother Ramon Álvarez Ayala, who was arrested in Mexico in July.
Ramon Álvarez Ayala is alleged to have ordered the murder, in May 2025, of beauty influencer Valeria Márquez, who was fatally shot during a TikTok livestream at her salon in Zapopan.
In its statement on Aug. 26, the U.S. Justice Department said the Álvarez Ayala brothers were charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 5 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 two consecutive life sentences.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the maximum sentence faced by the Álvarez Ayala brothers. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
