Grand jury indicts Mexican cartel leaders over two-decade drug conspiracy
The Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury has indicted brothers Ramon Alvarez Ayala and Rafael Alvarez Ayala, regional commanders for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in michoacan, Mexico. They are charged with trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S., as well as firearms offenses, including the use of a machine gun.Ramon Alvarez Ayala, also known as “R1,” has been linked to serious crimes in Mexico, such as the murder of a mayor and a TikTok influencer, Valeria Marquez, who was shot while livestreaming.Although the U.S. charges are not related to these killings, prosecutors allege the brothers conspired from 2004 to 2023 to manufacture and distribute large quantities of drugs, and used firearms to facilitate their operations. If convicted, they face at least 40 years to life in prison. The DOJ emphasized their commitment to dismantling drug cartels and transnational organized crime. Mexican authorities have also implicated Alvarez Ayala in other violent crimes, including the murder of Marquez, and linked him to a criminal association involved in political assassinations. The U.S.has designated CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization and is investigating the case, with cooperation from Mexican authorities.
The Justice Department on Wednesday said a federal grand jury indicted two commanders of a powerful Mexican drug cartel, accusing the brothers of trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States and committing firearms offenses.
Brothers Ramon Alvarez Ayala, 44, and Rafael Alvarez Ayala, 42, worked as regional commanders for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, in Michoacan, Mexico, according to a DOJ press release.
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Ramon Alvarez Ayala, also known as “R1,” has separately been linked by Mexican authorities to the high-profile killings of a Mexican mayor and 23-year-old beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, who was fatally shot while livestreaming from her salon last year.
The U.S. charges are not related to either killing. Federal prosecutors allege Ramon and his brother, known as “R2” and “Rafa,” participated in a nearly two-decade international drug trafficking conspiracy.
The government contends the brothers conspired from 2004 through December 2023 to manufacture and distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and 500 grams of methamphetamine for importation into the U.S.
They are also charged with using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging firearms, including a machine gun, in furtherance of the alleged conspiracy.
If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum of 40 years in prison and a maximum of two consecutive life sentences.
“The Department of Justice is committed to the total elimination of drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, who leads the department’s Criminal Division, said Wednesday. “By targeting these regional commanders, we take another step towards fulfilling that commitment to eliminate the scourge of cartels like CJNG.”
The charges add a U.S. prosecution to Ramon Alvarez Ayala’s mounting legal problems in his country of origin following his arrest by Mexican authorities earlier this month.
Earlier this month, Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch identified Alvarez Ayala as the leader of “Los Rs,” a violent CJNG-linked criminal cell operating in Michoacan and Jalisco, according to a Fox News report.
Mexican authorities have linked the organization to the May 2025 killing of Marquez, a TikTok beauty influencer who had more than 100,000 followers. Marquez was livestreaming from her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco, when a man entered and shot her in the chest and head.
Those authorities have said Marquez previously had a romantic relationship with Alvarez Ayala’s son, Francisco, who threatened her after their relationship ended. Garcia Harfuch said investigators believe Francisco asked his father to arrange the killing. The investigation remains ongoing, and Francisco, along with the gunman remain at large, according to media reports from earlier this month.
Alvarez Ayala has also been accused of financing and orchestrating the November 2025 assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, an outspoken critic of organized crime who was shot during Day of the Dead celebrations.
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The U.S. designated CJNG a foreign terrorist organization in February last year as part of the Trump administration’s campaign against Mexican drug cartels.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the U.S. case. The DOJ said the prosecution is part of the administration’s Homeland Security Task Force initiative and thanked the Mexican government for securing Ramon Alvarez Ayala’s arrest.
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