Mexico arrests alleged Jalisco cartel leader R2 with US DEA intelligence

The arrest

Mexican authorities announced on Sunday, 8 November, that they had arrested Rafael Alvarez, known as 'R2', an alleged regional leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Mexico's Navy carried out the operation in Zapopan, in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said on X that the arrest relied on information from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which was shared with Mexico's National Intelligence Center. Harfuch said Alvarez was wounded in a shootout during the arrest and is receiving medical care. Authorities described the operation as carried out in collaboration with the United States. According to AD, special units and the navy's intelligence service also prevented a gang attack on a restaurant during the operation.

Most accounts say 19 other people were arrested alongside Alvarez, while EL PAÍS describes 19 people detained with him in Zapopan. Harfuch described the information as preliminary and said it would be updated as investigations advance.

Alleged role and warrants

Alvarez is suspected of leading the cell known as 'Los Rs', which operated in Jalisco and Michoacán. Harfuch said the cell was mainly linked to extortion, drug trafficking, homicide, illegal deprivation of liberty, kidnapping and attacks against authorities. Extortion victims included business owners and avocado producers. Alvarez has an outstanding Mexican arrest warrant for aggravated homicide, issued by a criminal court in Apatzingán, Michoacán, and a separate warrant for extradition to the United States. Al Jazeera reports he is linked to the killing of at least 19 people, including the murder a year earlier of Carlos Manzo, the Uruapan mayor known for opposing organised crime.

The cartel and the wider campaign

The CJNG operates in Jalisco and Michoacán and competes with the Sinaloa Cartel for drug trafficking into the United States. The US government designated the group a 'foreign terrorist organisation' in 2025. Since its founder Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera was killed in a military operation in February, several of its top leaders have been captured. DW reports that Iván Cazarín, alias 'El Tanque', was detained in early October while acting in southern Mexico. The same report says Ramón Álvarez, alias 'R1', was captured in July and was a predecessor of the man arrested on Sunday. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, Washington has pressed Mexico to step up arrests and curb drug trafficking.

Violence and missing people

Al Jazeera reports that kidnapping for ransom continues in areas where the cartels are active. The same outlet estimates that 134,000 people are believed to be missing across Mexico, with Jalisco recording the highest number of disappearances in the country. DW describes Jalisco and Michoacán as the group's most important strongholds. DW also notes that Michoacán is the country's main avocado producer.