WASHINGTON — A prominent figure in a Mexican drug cartel who had been living in the United States under a false identity has been apprehended on federal charges, according to announcements made by the Justice Department on Thursday.
Cristian Fernando Gutierrez Ochoa, the son-in-law of the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader called “El Mencho,” was taken into custody this week for drug trafficking and money laundering allegations in Riverside, California. He had been residing there under an assumed name after escaping from Mexico, as per the information provided by prosecutors.
At 37 years of age, Gutierrez Ochoa allegedly staged his own death and sought refuge in the U.S. to evade capture by Mexican law enforcement after he was implicated in the kidnapping of two Mexican Navy personnel back in 2021. Reports indicate that his father-in-law, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” confessed to his associates about having taken Gutierrez Ochoa’s life over deception, which allowed him to flee to the United States to be with “El Mencho’s” daughter.
He faces accusations of being involved in a conspiracy to import large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States, as well as employing violence to further the cartel’s illegal operations. The Justice Department highlighted that Gutierrez Ochoa kidnapped two members of the Mexican Navy in 2021 while attempting to negotiate the release of “El Mencho’s” wife after her detention by Mexican authorities.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco mentioned in a statement, “The Jalisco Cartel — one of the most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations globally — is now diminished thanks to the relentless efforts of law enforcement agencies to track down and detain a cartel chief who allegedly falsified his death and adopted a false identity to escape justice and live a lavish lifestyle in California.”
Attempts to reach out to an attorney appointed to represent Gutierrez Ochoa for comment have been made through email.
In a move to capture “El Mencho,” the U.S. State Department has put a bounty of up to $10 million on information leading to his arrest, playing on his first name with his alias.
Furthermore, “El Mencho’s” son, Rubén Oseguera, known as “El Menchito,” was found guilty in a U.S. federal court in September on charges related to employing violence, including the controversial downing of a military helicopter, to assist in the operations of one of the country’s major and most perilous drug trafficking organizations. He was convicted in Washington’s federal court of conspiratorial activities involving cocaine and methamphetamine intended for importation into the U.S., along with the use of a firearm in connection to a drug-related conspiracy.