Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala, known as “El R1” and one of the leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, has been arrested by Mexican authorities. He is suspected of ordering two murders that have caused widespread shock among the Mexican public.
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Special forces carried out the operation on Thursday in the state of Jalisco. One member of the suspect’s security detail was killed during the operation.
Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch described the arrest as a significant blow against one of the country’s most violent criminal organizations.
Authorities said that “El R1,” who was released from prison in 2022, is suspected of organizing several serious episodes of violence in the region.
One of the cases linked to him is the killing of 23-year-old influencer Valeria Márquez. She was shot dead in May last year while livestreaming on TikTok from her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco.
According to the investigative file, the masked assailant, posing as a courier, entered the salon, asked Márquez to identify herself, and then shot her twice. Footage of the murder quickly spread across social media.
Prosecutors suspect that the influencer had been in a romantic relationship with Francisco Álvarez, one of “El R1’s” sons. Investigators say he threatened the 23-year-old several times and later approached his father to arrange her murder. Francisco Álvarez and the person suspected of carrying out the execution remain at large.
“El R1’s” name has also been linked to the killing of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of the city of Uruapan, who was murdered in November during traditional activities for the Day of the Dead.
Manzo was taking part in a public event with his family when a teenager approached him from behind and shot him several times. The mayor’s bodyguards killed the attacker at the scene, while Manzo died in hospital.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is ranked among Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal organizations. The group is accused of trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, as well as extorting local businesses. The U.S. administration has classified it as a foreign terrorist organization.
The arrest followed several months of investigations and intensive work by intelligence agencies. The operation also involved a vehicle pursuit in the city of Atotonilco el Alto. Mexican authorities have not clarified whether the United States took part directly in the operation.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson was among the first to respond after the arrest. He said that “those who generate violence and traffic fentanyl will be held accountable for their actions.”
