A Mexican cartel leader arrested in the U.S. faked his death and adopted a false name, prosecutors say

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior leader of a Mexican drug cartel who lived under a false identity in the U.S. after faking his own death has been arrested on federal charges, the Justice Department said Thursday.

Cristian Fernando Gutierrez Ochoa – the son-in-law of the fugitive Jalisco New Generation cartel boss known as ‘El Mencho’ – was arrested this week on drug trafficking and money laundering crimes in Riverside, California, where he was living under a fake name after fleeing Mexico, they said prosecutors.

Prosecutors say 37-year-old Gutierrez Ochoa faked his own death and fled to the US to evade Mexican authorities after kidnapping two members of the Mexican Navy in 2021. His father-in-law, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes or “El Mencho,” told colleagues that he killed Gutierrez Ochoa because he lied and helped the man escape to the U.S. to be with “El Mencho”’s daughter, the Justice Department said.

Gutierrez Ochoa is accused of conspiring to import thousands of kilos of methamphetamine and cocaine into the US, and of using violence to further the cartel’s illegal activities. According to the Justice Department, he is accused of kidnapping the two members of the Mexican Navy in 2021 in hopes of securing the release of “El Mencho”’s wife after she was arrested by Mexican authorities.

“The Jalisco Cartel – one of the most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations in the world – is weaker today due to persistent efforts by law enforcement to track down and arrest a cartel leader who allegedly faked his own death and adopted a false identity to avoid justice and live a life of luxury in California,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement.

An email seeking comment was sent to an attorney assigned to represent Gutierrez Ochoa.

The U.S. State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest of “El Mencho,” an alias that is a play on his first name.

The son of “El Mencho” was convicted by a US federal court in September on charges that he used violence, including the fatal downing of a military helicopter, to help his father run one of the country’s largest and most dangerous drug trafficking organizations.

Rubén Oseguera, known as “El Menchito,” was convicted after a trial in Washington federal court of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for U.S. importation and use of a firearm in a drug conspiracy.