Mexican authorities have arrested an alleged leader of a Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) cell in an operation in western Mexico that was aided by intelligence shared by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), officials said on Sunday.

The suspect, identified by Mexican authorities only as Rafael "N" and known by the alias "R2", was captured in Zapopan, in the state of Jalisco, by the Mexican Navy's special operations unit in coordination with the federal security ministry. Nineteen other people were detained in the same operation.

Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch said the detainee was identified as a key leader of "Los Rs", a regional cell of the CJNG operating across Jalisco and neighbouring Michoacan. The operation followed intelligence work by Mexico's National Intelligence Center and information shared by the DEA, the Navy said.

Restaurant raid in Zapopan

Reports from Mexico said the arrest took place during an armed confrontation at a restaurant in the Circunvalacion Vallarta area of Zapopan, a city in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. The suspect was wounded in the confrontation, and a member of the armed forces was also reported injured.

Harfuch said in a social media post that the information remained preliminary and would be updated as the investigation proceeded. He said the detainee faces an outstanding arrest warrant in Mexico for aggravated homicide and a separate warrant for extradition to the United States.

The DEA said in a social media post that "R2" was wanted in the US on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges. A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia indicted him in August 2026 on charges of conspiracy to traffic cocaine and methamphetamine internationally, as well as firearms offences, according to reports of the case.

Link to murdered mayor

Authorities link the "Los Rs" cell to the killing of Carlos Manzo, the former mayor of Uruapan in the avocado-producing state of Michoacan, who was shot dead during a public Day of the Dead celebration on 1 November 2025 while he was with his family. Manzo had been an outspoken critic of organised crime in his city.

The suspect is also reported to be the brother of Ramon Angel Alvarez Ayala, known as "R1", a senior CJNG figure who was captured in a separate special forces operation earlier this year. The two brothers were among the most prominent figures in the cartel's regional structure in Jalisco and Michoacan.

Part of a wider crackdown

The CJNG is one of Mexico's most powerful and violent criminal organisations, trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, and extorting businesses across large areas of the country. The arrest comes amid a series of high-profile operations by Mexico's government against senior cartel figures in recent months, carried out alongside growing security cooperation with the United States.

Harfuch has led the federal crackdown since taking office, and the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum has stepped up raids, arrests and seizures targeting the leadership of the country's main cartels. US officials have pressed Mexico to do more against drug trafficking organisations, while the two governments have increased intelligence sharing.

Officials have not yet said when the suspect will face a judge in Mexico or when any extradition proceedings might begin. The investigation into the cell's activities in Jalisco and Michoacan is continuing.