Mexico arrests alleged senior Jalisco cartel figure in Zapopan operation

Mexican authorities have announced the capture of an alleged senior figure in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, one of the two dominant criminal organizations in the country.

Rafael Alvarez, who goes by the alias R2 and is accused of leading the cartel's Los Rs cell, was detained on Sunday during an operation in Zapopan, part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Mexico's Navy said the raid was made possible by intelligence shared by the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

Mexico's Security Minister, Omar Garcia Harfuch, said the cell is believed to be involved in a wide range of crimes. "This cell is mainly linked to extortion, drug trafficking, homicide, illegal deprivation of liberty, kidnapping and attacks against authorities," he said, adding that those targeted by its extortion rackets included "business owners and avocado producers".

Writing on X, Harfuch said Alvarez was injured when a shootout erupted during the arrest and is now receiving medical treatment. The minister also said Alvarez faces an outstanding arrest warrant in Mexico for aggravated homicide, along with a separate warrant for his extradition to the United States.

The operation, which also involved personnel from Mexico's National Intelligence Center among other agencies, resulted in the capture of 19 additional people.

Alvarez is suspected of involvement in the killings of at least 19 people. Among them is Carlos Manzo, the popular crime-fighting mayor of Uruapan in the avocado-producing state of Michoacan, who was murdered last year.

The CJNG, active in the states of Jalisco and Michoacan, was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US government in 2025. The group has a reputation for violent methods and for carrying out attacks on security forces, and it competes with the Sinaloa Cartel over drug trafficking routes into the United States.

Several top figures in the organization have been apprehended since its founder, Nemesio Oseguera, known as El Mencho, was killed in a military operation in February.

Even so, kidnappings for ransom continue to be reported in regions where the cartels operate. An estimated 134,000 people are believed to be missing across Mexico, and Jalisco has recorded the highest number of disappearances of any state in the country.