Mexico arrests alleged major leader of Jalisco cartel

What the report says

Mexican authorities say they arrested an alleged senior figure in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, in the Guadalajara metropolitan area on Sunday, with the operation centered in Zapopan. The suspect, Rafael Alvarez, also known as “R2,” is described by officials as the head of a CJNG cell called “Los Rs.” Mexico’s Navy said the arrest was made using intelligence shared by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, and the operation also involved other security agencies.

Mexico’s security minister, Omar Garcia Harfuch, said the group is tied to extortion, drug trafficking, homicide, unlawful detention, kidnapping and attacks on authorities. He also said the victims of extortion included business owners and avocado producers. Harfuch said Alvarez was wounded in a shootout during the arrest and was receiving medical care.

Officials said Alvarez faces an arrest warrant in Mexico for aggravated homicide and an extradition warrant to the United States. Authorities also arrested 19 other people in the same operation. According to the report, Alvarez is linked to at least 19 killings, including the 2025 murder of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan in Michoacan. The CJNG remains one of Mexico’s most violent cartels and rivals the Sinaloa Cartel for drug trafficking routes into the US.