A high-ranking member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa, has been arrested in Riverside, California. The federal court in the Central District of California unsealed a criminal complaint charging him with international drug trafficking and money laundering. Gutierrez-Ochoa is known as the son-in-law of CJNG's leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco commented on the arrest, stating, "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." She further added that this arrest serves as a reminder that those who harm Americans will be brought to justice.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri remarked on Gutierrez-Ochoa's alleged activities over the last decade: "Over the last decade, Cristian Gutierrez-Ochoa, a close associate of CJNG’s top leader, allegedly directed the importation of tons of methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States and engaged in violence to aid the cartel’s criminal activities."
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram emphasized their commitment against cartels: “Defeating the two cartels responsible for the deadly drug crisis in the United States is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s top operational priority, and with the arrest of Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa, we are much closer.”
Court documents suggest that Gutierrez-Ochoa began working for CJNG around 2014. He allegedly coordinated significant amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine destined for U.S. markets. Additionally, he reportedly kidnapped members of Mexican Navy personnel in 2021 to secure El Mencho's wife's release.
It is alleged that El Mencho assisted Gutierrez-Ochoa by spreading false information about his death to help him enter the U.S., where he lived under an assumed identity. The Justice Department had previously charged El Mencho with leading a criminal enterprise distributing fentanyl into America.
Gutierrez-Ochoa faces charges related to conspiracy involving cocaine distribution and money laundering from CJNG's operations. If convicted, he could face up to life imprisonment on drug-related charges and up to 20 years for money laundering.
The DEA Los Angeles Field Division is investigating this case with assistance from Trial Attorneys Lernik Begian and Doug Meisel from Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.
This case forms part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation aimed at dismantling major drug networks threatening U.S. security through coordinated efforts across multiple agencies.