Mexico Captures CJNG Cell Leader 'R2' With DEA Help; 19 Others Arrested
Mexico's navy took the alleged head of "Los Rs" in Zapopan, Jalisco, after a shootout. The U.S. wants him on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Mexican authorities announced Sunday that they had arrested a regional leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, who is wanted in the United States.
The suspect was identified as Rafael Alvarez, who goes by the alias "R2." Mexico's navy described him as the leader of "Los Rs," a CJNG cell linked to homicides, drug trafficking and extortion of avocado industry entrepreneurs. Reporting also ties the cell to the killing a year ago of Carlos Manzo, a popular mayor known for confronting organized crime.
The navy's Special Operations Unit carried out the arrest in Zapopan, Jalisco, in coordination with the federal Security Secretariat. The navy posted an image of Alvarez on social media. Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said on X that Alvarez was wounded in a shootout during the operation and is receiving medical care. Harfuch said 19 other people were arrested with him.
Harfuch also said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration shared information that helped locate the trafficker. The DEA said in a social media post that "R2" is wanted in the United States on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges, and called him a "senior leader of the CJNG terrorist organization."
The Justice Department said Alvarez's brother, Ramon Alvarez Ayala, known as "R1," was arrested in Mexico earlier this year on the same charges.
The United States designated CJNG a "foreign terrorist organization" in 2025. The group is known for violent tactics and attacks on authorities, and it competes with the Sinaloa Cartel to move drugs into the United States. It operates mainly in the states of Jalisco and Michoacan.
The arrest is the latest in a run of blows against the organization. Since its founder, Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera, was killed in a military operation in February, several of its top leaders have been taken into custody. Weeks ago, security forces arrested Ivan Cazarin Molina, known as "El Tanque," an alleged CJNG leader, also in Zapopan. The United States accuses Cazarin Molina of drug trafficking and a large-scale fuel smuggling operation.
Los Rs' reported role in extorting avocado growers matters because Michoacan's avocado belt has long been a target for armed groups that tax farmers and packers. Manzo, the mayor linked to the cell by the reporting, had made his name opposing that kind of pressure on local producers.
The Mexican government has not said when Alvarez could face extradition or whether he will be tried in Mexico first. Harfuch's statement did not describe the severity of Alvarez's wounds. The captures come as Washington and Mexico City continue to coordinate on intelligence sharing against cartels that the U.S. now treats as terrorist groups.
