A high-ranking Mexican drug lord living in California under a false identity was arrested this week on drug-trafficking and money-laundering charges, almost a year after faking his own death.
According to U.S. authorities, Cristian Fernando Gutiérrez Ochoa, aka “El Guacho,” arranged to ship 40 metric tons of methamphetamine and 2,000 kilograms of cocaine to the United States for the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG).
Gutiérrez Ochoa, 37, is the son-in-law of CJNG boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, aka “El Mencho”. Late last year, he went missing, allegedly murdered for lying to his father-in-law.
At the time, the suspect was wanted by Mexican authorities on charges of kidnapping two members of the Mexican Navy in November 2021. The kidnapping was allegedly carried out to secure the release of his mother-in-law (El Mencho’s wife) who had been arrested on drug-related charges.
Around the same time, the Los Angeles Times reported, a tequila manufacturing company paid US $1.2 million in cash for a luxury residence in Riverside, southeast of Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit from a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, the purchase was deemed suspicious and the previous owner of the home said she believed the buyers were drug dealers from Mexico.
After further investigation , the DEA determined that the tequila company was likely a money-laundering front, prompting them to look closer at the man identified as Luis Miguel Martínez.
In October, U.S. authorities acted upon an Interpol notice seeking Gutiérrez Ochoa’s detention and, using facial recognition software, found that “El Guacho” and Martínez were the same person.
Who is El Guacho?
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Gutiérrez Ochoa allegedly began working for the CJNG 10 years ago, quickly becoming a ranking member of the cartel.
The authorities say “El Guacho” was put in charge of coordinating drug shipments from Mexico, while also being involved in money-laundering operations.
Nicole Argentieri, a senior DOJ official, was quoted by the LA Times as saying “[Gutiérrez Ochoa] 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.”
“El Guacho” eventually married Oseguera’s youngest daughter, Laisha, who has been identified in court records as a U.S. citizen and owns a coffee shop in Riverside.
El Mencho’s family behind bars
Gutiérrez Ochoa is just the latest member of Oseguera’s family to have been apprehended.
Oseguera’s son Rubén was convicted in a U.S. federal court in September 2024 on drug-trafficking and firearms charges. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 40 years.
Antonio Oseguera, brother of “El Mencho,” was captured by the Mexican Army in December 2022 on weapons and money-laundering charges. In February, a Mexican federal judge approved an extradition request from U.S. authorities.
Rosalinda González, Oseguera’s now ex-wife, was acquitted of money-laundering and organized crime charges in 2018, then arrested again on the same charges in 2021. In December 2023, she was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison on tax evasion charges.
Jessica Oseguera, daughter of Rosalinda and “El Mencho,” pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court to charges of financial crimes in March 2021 and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
So as the Mexican authorities’ pursuit of “El Guacho” on the kidnapping charges intensified, “El Mencho” arranged for his son-in-law to escape. U.S. authorities assert that was when Gutiérrez Ochoa “allegedly faked his own death and assumed a false identity to evade justice and live a life of luxury in California.”
If convicted, Gutiérrez Ochoa faces from 10 years to life in prison on the trafficking charges and an additional 20 years on the money-laundering counts.
With reports from El Financiero, Los Angeles Times, El País and CBS News
