A Mexican cartel leader arrested in the US faked his death and assumed a phony name, prosecutors say

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department says a high-ranking member of a Mexican drug cartel accused of faking his own death and living in the U.S. under a fake identity has been arrested on federal charges. Cristian Fernando Gutierrez Ochoa — the son-in-law of fugitive Jalisco New Generation cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera or “El Mencho” — was arrested this week on drug trafficking and money laundering offenses in Riverside, California, officials said. Prosecutors say Gutierrez Ochoa fled to the U.S. while being pursued by Mexican authorities after kidnapping two members of the Mexican Navy in 2021. His father-in-law, “El Mencho” told associates that he murdered Gutierrez Ochoa for lying, helping him escape into the U.S. to be with “El Mencho’s” daughter, prosecutors said.