DEA‑Backed Raid Captures Jalisco Cartel Leader ‘R2’ in Zapopan
DEA‑assisted raid in Zapopan seizes Jalisco cartel leader ‘R2’ and 19 accomplices. U.S. wanted on drug and gun charges; linked to mayor murder and avocado ex...
POLICY WIRE — Zapopan, Mexico — Police in Zapopan detained Rafael Álvarez Ayala, known within cartel circles as “R2,” after a coordinated operation that leveraged intelligence from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The DEA had listed Álvarez as a fugitive on federal drug‑trafficking and firearms charges, and its shared intelligence helped Mexican forces pinpoint his location.
Authorities executed the raid in Jalisco state on Sunday, apprehending Álvarez alongside 19 other suspects believed to be part of the Los Rs faction of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Investigators connect the captured leader to the 2023 assassination of a municipal mayor and to extortion schemes targeting avocado producers across the region.
The operation is viewed as a major setback for the Los Rs cell, which has been linked to a string of violent incidents and organized crime activities in western Mexico.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
