Mexican authorities arrested a top cartel figure from the terrorist group Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) who has been identified as the mastermind behind the murder of beloved anti-cartel politician Carlos Manzo. Prior to his murder, Manzo gained international fame for his hard-line positions against cartels in his city of Uruapan while calling out Mexico’s federal government for refusing to do the same.
The arrest took place this week during a raid that turned into a shootout near the town of Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco. During that raid, authorities arrested Ramon Angeles (R1) Alvarez Ayala, the leader of the R cell of the CJNG, and some of his closest allies. According to information released by Mexico’s top security official, Omar Garcia Harfuch, one cartel gunman died during the clash.
According to Harfuch, the Rs are considered one of the most violent cells of CJNG and operate in the states of Jalisco and Michoacan. In addition to drug trafficking, the Rs also focus on kidnapping and extortion, targeting local citrus and avocado growers.
As Breitbart Texas reported, the late Carlos Manzo had been outspoken about how cartels terrorized his citizens. He openly challenged the cartels and the political elite who protected them. Cartel gunmen killed him in November 2025 in a case that drew outrage throughout Mexico. Since then, his wife has taken over as the town’s mayor and has been pressuring Mexico’s government for justice.
According to Harfuch, Alvarez Ayala was the one who gave the order to kill Manzo for having challenged the Rs. The top leader of CJNG, the late Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, had learned about the plan to kill the mayor but was not involved.
Mexican authorities also revealed that Alvarez has also been linked to the highly publicized May 15, 2025 murder of an influencer named Valeria Marquez. The murder was captured on video when Marquez was livestreaming on social media. According to Harfuch, the Rs targeted Marquez after she had ended a relationship with Alvarez’s son, who is still wanted by authorities.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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