Who did Manuel Masalva play in Narcos? Actor in a coma, fighting for his life after contracting infection
Manuel Masalva, known for playing Ramón Arellano Félix in Narcos: Mexico, recently contracted a bacterial infection while traveling and is now in a coma. Masalva’s friend Mario Moran shared a video on TikTok on April 3, 2025, saying that Manuel is fighting to stay alive.
Moran confirmed that Masalva’s condition has not improved yet and referred to a GoFundMe page has been launched to cover the medical bills. Mario continued by saying:
“The medical costs are enormous and in a country where everything is more difficult, any help, no matter how small, can make the difference in this every difficult moment. If you can contribute, we thank you with our entire hearts.”
Notably, further updates are awaited on the kind of infection contracted by Manuel Masalva. However, the description of the GoFundMe, which, after being translated to English, stated that more details would be shared with the public in the upcoming days.
As of writing, donations have exceeded the $1 million goal. Mario expressed gratitude to everyone who donated by posting a comment on the page and gave another update on Masalva’s condition by writing:
“The bacteria has already been detected, he’s on antibiotics, and we’re waiting for him to begin to improve.”
Manuel Masalva has seemingly been enjoying his vacation since last month. He even shared multiple photos through Instagram, with a few of them captured at the beach. He also wrote in one of them:
“The Philippines, one of the most beautiful experiences of my life! What a trip... THANK YOU life, THANK YOU God, THANK YOU Mother Earth for all the wonder you've given us. Thank you to my parents who brought me into this world to recognize love and freedom. Thank you to these friends/siblings for sharing, accepting me, and teaching me so much.”
Manuel Masalva as Ramón Arellano Félix: Character and the actor’s career explained
The Mexico City native has managed to become a popular face over the years for portraying different characters. However, he is famous for being featured in all the seasons of Narcos: Mexico.
Manuel Masalva’s character, Ramón Arellano Félix, was initially cast for a recurring role until it was changed to a regular one from the second season of the Netflix series. Ramón was a part of the Tijuana cartel, and he previously worked with his brother Benjamin, getting involved in the trafficking of items such as imported clothes and electronics.
Under the mentorship of Alberto Sicilia Falcon, Benjamin and Ramón joined the Tijuana Plaza as leaders, and the cartel was being operated by Ramón’s family members when the Guadalajara Cartel broke up in 1989.
Ramón’s rivals included Chapo Guzmán, leading to Tijuana’s confrontation with Sinaloa, which was operated by Chapo. Ramón was shot dead by the state police during a gunfight that happened back in 1997. Arellano Félix died during the murder attempt of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
According to Manuel Masalva’s bio on Naija News, he has many other TV shows in his credits, including My Heart is Yours, Yago, and Love Divina. Although details on his early life remain unknown, Manuel completed his further studies at the Televisa Artistic Education Center and the Faculty of Music of the Autonomous University of Tampico.
In addition, Masalva also keeps in touch with everyone through Instagram, where he is active with around 161,000 followers.
