A significant arrest has been made in Mexico, as authorities have captured a notorious cartel leader linked to two highly publicized murders: the killing of a beauty influencer during a TikTok livestream and the assassination of a widely admired mayor.
On July 31, Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, announced the arrest of Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala. Álvarez Ayala, identified as a leader within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was apprehended following a comprehensive intelligence operation that spanned several months, according to a report by Milenio.
García Harfuch emphasized the impact of Álvarez Ayala’s capture, describing it as a significant blow to “one of the most violent criminal structures in the country,” as reported by The Times.
How Was Influencer Valeria Márquez Killed?
Authorities suspect Álvarez Ayala of masterminding the murder of Valeria Márquez, a beauty influencer shot to death in May 2025. Márquez was killed in her salon in Jalisco while broadcasting live on TikTok.
According to reports, just hours before Márquez was killed, two men, including one masked as a delivery driver, approached her salon. They mentioned her name specifically, pretending they were there to present a costly gift, as previously detailed by The Associated Press.
Márquez expressed concerns about the men to followers on her livestream, remarking, “Maybe they were going to kill me.”
Just minutes later, as the livestream was still underway, the men returned and asked if she was now in the salon. They handed her a stuffed animal and bag of coffee before she was shot to death in the head and chest, the AP reported.
“The aggressor arrived asking if the victim (Márquez) was there. So it appears he didn’t know her,” Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Denis Rodríguez told the outlet at the time. “With that, you can deduce—without jumping to conclusions—that this was a person who was paid. It was obviously someone who came with a purpose.”
García Harfuch added during the press conference that before her death Márquez was romantically linked to Álvarez Ayala’s son Francisco Álvarez, per The Times. Álvarez—who remains at large—had allegedly threatened her on multiple occasions before turning to his father for help carrying out the hit, according to the news outlet. The shooter has also never been captured.
Ayala is also accused of being the mastermind behind the killing of popular Uruapan Mayor Carlos Alberto Rodríguez, who was gunned down in front of his family at a candlelit Day of the Dead festival on Nov. 1, 2025, The Times reported.
The two killings are not believed to be connected, according to ABC 7.
García Harfuch said Álvarez Ayala’s arrest was the culmination of a lengthy investigation that included wiretaps, forensic analysis, witness accounts, financial transfers and phone records, the outlet reported.