The son-in-law of one among Mexico’s strongest cartel bosses has been arrested in California — after federal prosecutors say he faked his personal demise so he may disappear to “reside a lifetime of luxurious” within the Golden State.
Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa, 37, was bagged Tuesday in Riverside, the place he’d been dwelling in an opulent residence paid for by the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación [CJNG], the Division of Justice mentioned in an announcement Thursday.
Gutierrez-Ochoa is married to the daughter of CJNG boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a ruthless chief recognized in Mexico as “El Mencho.”
“The Jalisco Cartel is accountable for unprecedented violence in Mexico and serving to to gasoline the lethal drug disaster in the USA,” the DOJ mentioned.
Gutierrez-Ochoa had allegedly been working for the CJNG for a decade and “personally coordinated the transportation and distribution of roughly 40,000 kilograms of methamphetamine and roughly 2,000 kilograms of cocaine in Mexico, all destined for the USA,” based on the company.
And Gutierrez-Ochoa additionally wasn’t afraid to resort to violence to get the job executed, prosecutors allege.
He’s accused of kidnapping at the least two members of the Mexican navy in 2021 as a part of a ploy to launch El Mencho’s spouse after she was arrested.
He quickly fled to the US, allegedly with help from El Mencho, who mentioned he’d executed his son-in-law for deceiving him, the DOJ mentioned.
As soon as in California, prosecutors allege Gutierrez-Ochoa rendezvoused together with his spouse, and after assuming a false identification, began a brand new life and “resided in a luxurious residence in Riverside,” the feds added.
“The Jalisco Cartel — one of many world’s most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations — is weaker at the moment due to the tenacious efforts of legislation enforcement to trace down and arrest a cartel chief who allegedly faked his personal demise and assumed a false identification to evade justice,” Deputy Legal professional Common Lisa Monaco mentioned in an announcement.
“As these expenses allege, Gutierrez-Ochoa directed the trafficking of deadly narcotics, inflicting untold destruction in our communities,” she added.
Gutierrez-Ochoa was hit with cash laundering and drug trafficking expenses and faces as much as 20 years behind bars if convicted.
The US is looking for to bag El Mencho subsequent — and is providing a $10 million reward for data resulting in his seize.
His brother, Antonio Oseguera — also referred to as El Tony Montana — was arrested in Mexico in 2022 by a raid of closely armed Mexican troopers.
The household cartel focuses on trafficking medicine like meth and fentanyl to the US and has been fingered as one of many driving forces behind the nation’s heroin disaster.
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