Rafael Alvarez Captured in Zapopan Amid CJNG Leadership Shifts
Mexico’s Navy and US intelligence helped seize the alleged head of the Los Rs cell, who faces warrants for homicide and extradition.
By Marta Gray ·
Rafael Alvarez, known by the alias R2, was detained on Sunday in Zapopan, a city within the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Mexican authorities identified him as the leader of the Los Rs cell, a unit of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG. The CJNG is one of two dominant criminal organizations operating in Mexico.
Mexico’s Navy announced that the raid relied on intelligence provided by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Personnel from Mexico’s National Intelligence Center and other agencies also participated in the operation. In total, officials captured 19 additional individuals alongside Alvarez.
Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch stated that the Los Rs cell is linked to extortion, drug trafficking, homicide, and kidnapping. He noted that the group frequently targets business owners and avocado producers for extortion. Harfuch reported that Alvarez was injured during a shootout at the scene and is currently receiving medical treatment.
Alvarez faces an outstanding arrest warrant in Mexico for aggravated homicide. A separate warrant exists for his extradition to the United States. Investigators suspect he was involved in the killings of at least 19 people. One of the victims was Carlos Manzo, the former mayor of Uruapan in Michoacan, who was murdered last year.
The CJNG operates primarily in the states of Jalisco and Michoacan. The US government designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization in 2025. The cartel competes with the Sinaloa Cartel for control of drug trafficking routes into the United States. The organization has a history of violent methods and direct attacks on security forces.
Several senior figures in the CJNG have been apprehended since February. That month, a military operation resulted in the death of the cartel’s founder, Nemesio Oseguera, known as El Mencho. Despite these high-profile captures, kidnappings for ransom continue in regions where the cartels operate.
An estimated 134,000 people are believed to be missing across Mexico. Jalisco has recorded the highest number of disappearances of any state in the country. The arrest of Alvarez adds to the list of senior leadership targeted by authorities following the death of El Mencho.
