Public Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch announced details of the investigation a day after authorities arrested Álvarez Ayala, whom officials describe as the alleged mastermind behind Manzo's killing and a key operator within the criminal organization.
"'El-R-1' is identified as the main leader of "Los Rs", one of the most violent criminal cells linked to the CJNG, with operations in Apatzingán, Uruapan, and Morelia, Michoacán, as well as in Jalisco, said García Harfuch in a social media post.
According to García Harfuch, investigations into the cartel's operations helped authorities identify Álvarez Ayala as one of its leaders and uncover his alleged involvement in violent criminal activities, including arms trafficking, drug trafficking, extortion and racketeering.
Authorities have said Álvarez Ayala ordered and financed the Nov. 1, 2025, killing of Manzo, the former mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, whose assassination during Day of the Dead celebrations shocked the country.
Authorities link "El R-1" to Valeria Márquez killing
García Harfuch said Friday that investigators also tied Álvarez Ayala's criminal cell to the killing of Márquez in Zapopan, Jalisco.
Márquez, a popular 23-year-old TikToker, was shot and killed while livestreaming from her beauty salon. She collapsed on camera after she was reportedly shot in the chest and head, according to the video.
"This criminal cell allegedly participated under his orders in coordinating multiple violent acts in the region. Among them is the tragic feminicide of Valeria Márquez, which occurred in May 2025 in Zapopan, Jalisco, a crime linked to Francisco, the victim's former partner and Ramón Ángel's son," García Harfuch said.
Later, when asked directly about the motive in Márquez's killing, García Harfuch said authorities have developed information that prosecutors will disclose as the case progresses.
"Yes, we do have information, and the Attorney General's Office will make it public later. We are currently incorporating it into the case. With yesterday's arrest, we learned that R-1's son had a romantic relationship with Valeria. He had threatened her on several occasions and everything indicates, and this will be proven, that the son asked his father, R-1, to carry out the feminicide," he said.
The secretary said the investigation into Márquez's killing is separate from the case involving Manzo, but Álvarez Ayala's arrest has generated additional leads.
"It is a separate investigation from that of Mayor Manzo, but with this arrest we also have leads and evidence to locate the other person involved in the homicide, who is this subject's son," García Harfuch said.
García Harfuch said Álvarez Ayala's son "is free, and we are searching for him."
Alleged insider assistance in Manzo's assassination
Authorities have already arrested 31 people in connection with Manzo's killing, including alleged planners, logistical operators, recruiters, collaborators and individuals accused of providing information about the mayor's movements. García Harfuch said investigators determined that people within Manzo's inner circle allegedly passed information to the criminal group responsible for carrying out the attack.
The arrest of Álvarez Ayala followed an investigation that authorities said included forensic analysis, telephone communications, financial transfers, interviews, witness statements and court-authorized wiretaps.
Mexican authorities said they have indications that cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," was aware of the plot to kill Manzo, which was carried out in November 2025, months before Oseguera's death in February 2026.
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García Harfuch said investigators have not yet fully established the motive but cited testimony from detainees who viewed Manzo's actions against organized crime as a direct challenge to the cartel.
When asked whether Manzo had been targeted because he made cartel members uncomfortable with his public statements, García Harfuch responded: "The testimony of several detainees is that they viewed it as a provocation rather than simply an annoyance."
Manzo, a former lawmaker with the ruling Morena party who later became one of its critics, was widely seen as one of the few politicians actively trying to remove organized crime from his municipality. He had purged the local police force, publicized arrests on social media and regularly visited residents in some of the city's most troubled neighborhoods. In October 2025, a month before his killing, he had sought assistance from the federal government.
Federal forces arrested Álvarez Ayala and another suspect during an operation in Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco. García Harfuch said security forces came under attack from armed members of Álvarez Ayala's security detail during the operation, and one alleged attacker was killed.
Authorities said the arrest marks a significant advance in efforts to dismantle the criminal organization and prosecute those allegedly responsible for Manzo's killing, while investigations into Márquez's death remain ongoing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.