Mexico arrests alleged Jalisco cartel leader "R2", linked to killing of Uruapan mayor
Mexican forces, using intelligence shared by the US DEA, arrested an alleged leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Zapopan. He is wanted in the US on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Maira Maqsood · Newsroom Intern, Cohort 1
2 min read
Mexican security forces have arrested a man alleged to be a leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the country's two main criminal groups, in an operation helped by intelligence from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The DEA said in a post on X that the suspect is wanted in the US on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Who is "R2"?
The man, identified as Rafael "N" and known as "R2", was arrested on Sunday, 8 November, in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, along with 19 other people. Authorities say he heads "Los Rs", a CJNG cell linked to a large number of disappearances in Mexico.
The Mexican Navy said he is allegedly linked to the killing of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan in the avocado-growing state of Michoacán, who was shot dead at a Day of the Dead event on 1 November 2025.
A shootout during the arrest
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said the cell is linked to extortion, drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping and attacks on authorities, and that its extortion victims include business owners and avocado producers.
He said R2 was wounded in a shootout during the arrest and is receiving medical care. A naval officer was also wounded. Investigators tracked him using information from Mexico's National Intelligence Center and the DEA, Harfuch said.
The cartel after El Mencho
The arrest follows the death of CJNG leader Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera in a military operation in February. Several of the group's top leaders have been detained since, though kidnappings for ransom are still reported in areas where cartels operate, Al Jazeera reported.
The US designated the cartel a Foreign Terrorist Organization in February 2025.
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