Son-in-Law of Mexican Cartel Boss Arrested in Calif. After Allegedly Faking Own Death to Escape Criminal Charges

A drug-cartel leader who was accused of faking his death to live a life of luxury in California has been arrested and charged with international drug-trafficking and money-laundering offenses.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa was arrested Tuesday, Nov. 19, and faces charges including conspiracy to distribute 5 kg or more of cocaine and 500 g or more of methamphetamine, plus conspiracy to launder drug-trafficking proceeds.

Gutierrez-Ochoa, 37, is the son-in-law of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación’s leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (a.k.a. “El Mencho”) and a high-ranking member of the organization, according to the DOJ. He is accused of directing “the importation of tons of methamphetamine and cocaine” into the U.S. and “engaging in violence to aid the cartel’s criminal activities.”

According to an unsealed criminal complaint, per the DOJ, Gutierrez-Ochoa began working for the Jalisco Cartel around 2014, and since then has “personally coordinated the transportation and distribution of approximately 40,000 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately 2,000 kilograms of cocaine” from Mexico to the U.S.

He also allegedly “kidnapped two members of the Mexican Navy” in order to “secure the release of El Mencho’s wife,” who had been arrested by authorities before fleeing to the U.S.

Gutierrez-Ochoa “faked his own death” and “assumed a false identity” to avoid criminal charges related to working with the Jalisco Cartel — described as “one of the world’s most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations” — and to “live a life of luxury in California,” the DOJ claimed.

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He resided in a residence in Riverside, California, purchased with the cartel’s money, and it was believed that his father-in-law aided in his efforts to create a new identity by “telling associates” he “murdered” him for lying, per the DOJ. The drug-cartel boss then allegedly sneaked him into the U.S. to be with his daughter.

“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,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram in a statement.

The DOJ also noted in its release that Jalisco Cartel’s boss El Mencho is still at large. In an indictment brought forward in April 2022, El Mencho was charged with leading a continuing criminal enterprise to manufacture and distribute fentanyl for importation into the United States. 

A reward of up to $10 million is being offered for any information that would lead to his arrest or conviction, the DOJ also said.

Gutierrez-Ochoa, meanwhile, faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted, per the DOJ.

The DEA Los Angeles Field Division is continuing to investigate the case.