US Department of Justice press releases or court records

'El Guacho', CJNG Leader's Son-in-Law, Arrested in California After Faking Death

Nov 21, 2024, 11:00 PM

US authorities have arrested Cristian Fernando Gutiérrez Ochoa, also known as "El Guacho", a 37-year-old high-ranking member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and son-in-law of its leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho". Gutiérrez Ochoa, who faked his death in 2021 and assumed a false identity, was apprehended in Riverside, California, where he had been living a life of luxury. He is accused of directing the importation of tons of methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States and laundering drug proceeds. He fled Mexico after allegedly killing two agents of the Mexican Navy (SEMAR). The arrest was announced by the US Department of Justice, which described him as a close associate of "El Mencho" and a key figure in the CJNG's operations over the past decade.