Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala, a high-ranking member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is the individual Mexican authorities have linked to the murder of 23-year-old influencer Valeria Márquez in May 2025. According to authorities, Ayala allegedly ordered the young woman’s execution after she ended her relationship with his son.
El “R1” ordenó el asesinato de la influencer Valeria Márquez a petición de su hijo en mayo del año pasado. El secretario de Seguridad, Omar García Harfuch, reveló que el hijo del capo y la joven mantenían una relación y ya la había amenazado en varias ocasiones: pic.twitter.com/x1dFFN1Lko
— Nacho Lozano (@nacholozano) August 1, 2026
Ayala was arrested on Thursday by special forces. In addition to the Márquez case, he was also being sought in connection with the murder of Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo, who was killed during a Day of the Dead public event in November 2025.
The 23-year-old influencer was shot dead inside her beauty salon in the state of Jalisco. According to details of the case, a helmeted gunman stormed the premises and shot her in the chest and head, killing her instantly.
The execution was broadcast live at the time, as Márquez was livestreaming to her followers at the exact moment the armed man entered her business and asked whether her name was Valeria.
According to Mexico’s Secretary of Public Security, Ayala orchestrated the killing after receiving a phone call from his son, Francisco Álvarez, who had been in a relationship with the influencer. “Álvarez had repeatedly threatened her, and all evidence points — and this will be proven — to the son asking his father to carry out the femicide,” the minister stated.
