A high-ranking member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa, has been arrested in Riverside, California, after allegedly faking his death to evade justice and live under a false identity in the United States. Gutierrez-Ochoa, 37, is the son-in-law of Nemesio Oseguera-Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” the leader of one of the world’s most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations.
Federal prosecutors allege that Gutierrez-Ochoa orchestrated the shipment of 88,000 pounds of methamphetamine and 2,000 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico to the U.S. since joining the cartel in 2014. His supposed death in December 2023, initially reported as a murder, was part of a scheme to flee to the U.S. and reunite with his wife.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco stated, “The Jalisco Cartel… is weaker today because of the tenacious efforts of law enforcement to track down and arrest a cartel leader.”
Gutierrez-Ochoa’s criminal record includes the 2021 kidnapping of two Mexican Navy officers to pressure Mexican authorities into releasing El Mencho’s wife, who had been detained earlier that year. This act prompted an Interpol “Red Notice” in 2022, marking him as a globally wanted fugitive.
The CJNG, notorious for its production and distribution of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, has been linked to roughly 70,000 annual overdose deaths in the United States.
This arrest follows significant blows to the cartel’s leadership. In September, El Mencho’s son, Rubén Oseguera (“El Menchito”), was convicted in Washington for drug trafficking and weapons charges. Evidence revealed his involvement in ordering the downing of a Mexican military helicopter. In December 2022, El Mencho’s brother, Antonio Oseguera, was captured by Mexican authorities after returning to the drug trade post-deportation.
Gutierrez-Ochoa faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life for drug trafficking and up to 20 years for money laundering. Meanwhile, El Mencho remains at large, with a $10 million State Department reward offered for his capture.
