Key facts
- Mexico's Navy said 19 other people were detained alongside Rafael "N".
- Security minister Omar Garcia Harfuch said Rafael "N" faces a Mexican warrant for aggravated homicide.
- Harfuch said Rafael "N" also faces an arrest warrant for extradition to the US.
- The DEA said "R2" was wanted in the US on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.
- The Navy said Rafael "N" is allegedly linked to the homicide of Carlos Manzo and 19 other people.
- Harfuch said the cell's extortion victims include business owners and avocado producers.
Mexico's Navy said on November 8, 2026, that its special operations unit captured Rafael "N", alias "R2", in an operation in Zapopan, in Jalisco state. The unit acted in coordination with the security ministry, after intelligence work by Mexico's National Intelligence Center and information shared by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the Navy.
The Navy said authorities also detained 19 other people in the operation. Mexican authorities customarily withhold the surnames of suspects and identify them by first name followed by the letter "N".
The Navy said Rafael "N" is allegedly linked to the homicide of Carlos Manzo and 19 other people. Manzo was a former mayor of Uruapan, in the avocado-producing state of Michoacan, and was shot and killed during a public Day of the Dead celebration on November 1, 2025, while he was with his family.
Security minister Omar Garcia Harfuch said in a separate social media post that the detainee was identified as a key leader of "Los Rs", a CJNG cell operating in Jalisco and Michoacan. He said the suspect has an outstanding arrest warrant in Mexico for aggravated homicide and an arrest warrant for extradition to the US.
"This cell is mainly linked to extortion, drug trafficking, homicide, illegal deprivation of liberty, kidnapping and attacks against authorities," Harfuch said. "Among its victims of extortion are business owners and avocado producers."
During the operation, naval personnel came under armed attack and returned fire, the Navy said. It added that the detainee and one naval officer were wounded and are receiving medical attention.
The DEA said in a social media post that "R2" was wanted in the US on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges. Reuters reported the account.