Mexican cartel leader who faked his own death has been arrested in California, Justice Department says

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN

(CNN) — A high-ranking member of a Mexican drug cartel who allegedly faked his own death and has been living in California under a fake name is now facing federal charges, the US Justice Department announced Thursday.

Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa, a member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación and the son-in-law of the cartel’s leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, was on the run from Mexican authorities when he fled to the United States. He had assumed a fake identity and moved into a luxury Riverside home when he was arrested earlier this month, according to prosecutors.

The 37-year-old Gutierrez-Ochoa, who also goes by “Guacho,” is charged with international drug trafficking and money laundering.

“The Jalisco Cartel — one of the world’s most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations — is weaker today because of the tenacious efforts of law enforcement to track down and arrest a cartel leader who allegedly faked his own death and assumed a false identity to evade justice and live a life of luxury in California,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement Thursday.

Prosecutors say that before he went into hiding, Gutierrez-Ochoa personally orchestrated the transportation and distribution of 40,000 kilograms of methamphetamine and 2,000 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico to the United States. He also allegedly kidnapped two members of the Mexican Navy as part of an attempt to release his mother-in-law, El Mencho’s wife, after her arrest by Mexican authorities.

El Mencho then allegedly helped Gutierrez-Ochoa fake his death to evade Mexican law enforcement by telling his associates that he had killed Gutierrez-Ochoa for lying. The scheme allowed Gutierrez-Ochoa to run to California and be with El Mencho’s daughter, prosecutors say, and to oversee the receiving and distribution of drug shipments from his post inside the US.

Not long after he traveled to the US, the cartel – which refers to itself by the initials “CJNG” – allegedly established an illegitimate tequila company to purchase Gutierrez-Ochoa’s home in Riverside, California, for $1.2 million in cash, according to unsealed court documents. Citing an unnamed informant who worked for the CJNG, investigators also said that the cartel used several fake tequila brands to launder drug proceeds.

While hiding in plain sight for more than a year, Gutierrez-Ochoa seemed to keep his guard up. Federal authorities allege in court documents that on at least one occasion, the cartel member conducted counter-surveillance on federal agents who were watching him. In its Thursday announcement, the Department of Justice did not elaborate on the circumstances of “Guacho’s” arrest and only said that he was detained on Tuesday.

The Justice Department charged El Mencho in 2022 with leading the effort to manufacture and distribute fentanyl for importation into the US. He has not been arrested, and the State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN’s Polo Sandoval contributed to this report.

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