Mexican authorities have arrested a man identified as the alleged leader of a criminal cell linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in connection with the murder of a social media influencer who was shot while livestreaming from her beauty salon. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch announced details of the investigation a day after the arrest.
García Harfuch identified the suspect, known as 'El R-1', as the main leader of Los Rs, a group he described as 'one of the most violent criminal cells linked to the CJNG.' The cell operates in Apatzingán, Uruapan and Morelia in the western state of Michoacán, as well as in neighboring Jalisco, according to the security secretary.
Involved in extortion, murders and drug trafficking.
According to authorities, the arrest centers on the killing of Valeria Márquez, a TikTok creator with more than 100,000 followers. She was shot and killed while livestreaming from her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco.
García Harfuch said that the son of 'El R-1' had a romantic relationship with Márquez and had threatened her on several occasions, and that indications suggest he asked his father 'to carry out the feminicide.'
Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala is now in custody, while an individual named Francisco remains at large. Authorities in Jalisco have also arrested another man accused of participating in Márquez's killing.
Álvarez Ayala is also accused of financing and orchestrating the assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, who was shot during Day of the Dead celebrations in November 2025. Manzo had been an outspoken critic of organized crime and worked to root out corruption within the local police force.
Arrested in connection with the killing of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, according to Mexican authorities.
Álvarez Ayala is being held at Altiplano maximum-security prison in Mexico while federal prosecutors pursue charges.
The US Department of the Treasury has described the CJNG as 'one of the most powerful cartels in the world.' In July, it imposed sanctions on more than 50 individuals and entities in Mexico linked to the cartel.
