Additional Coverage:
A prominent Mexican drug lord, Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa, has been arrested in California. Gutierrez-Ochoa is part of the violent Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación and is the son-in-law of its leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho.
Gutierrez-Ochoa is accused of overseeing the distribution of massive amounts of drugs, including methamphetamine and cocaine, into the United States. After facing legal troubles in Mexico, he allegedly faked his death and fled to California, where he lived under a false identity.
Prosecutors claim that El Mencho may have helped Gutierrez-Ochoa with his ruse by spreading rumors that he had been killed for lying. Gutierrez-Ochoa’s arrest is seen as a significant blow to the cartel, which is considered one of the world’s most violent drug trafficking organizations.
El Mencho himself remains at large, and the State Department is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.