Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty
El Chapo’s behind bars, so naturally, someone had to take his place.
Enter, El Mencho.
As the supposed head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Mencho runs one of the most powerful criminal groups in the world, making tons of cash off everything from cocaine and marijuana to gun smuggling. Though only around for a few years, the conglomerate has attained quite the reputation due to its ruthless acts of violence and the fearless leader El Mencho.
With Mencho currently on the run, CASSIUS rounded up a few facts about the latest kingpin to take over Mexico.
1.He Allegedly Runs the Jalisco New Generation Cartel
Born Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho is the suspected Mexican drug lord and leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Called the CJNG for short, it’s the Mexican criminal group based in Jalisco. The group has created quite the name for itself since its inception around 2012. CJNG is already ranking among the greatest operating capacity in Mexico. El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel even uses the group as muscle.
2. He Grew Up Poor In Mexico
Born in 1966, Cervantes was one of six kids born into a family of poor avocado farmers. His hometown sits on the edge of Mexico’s Tierra Caliente which is known for its agricultural prowess both legal and illegal. Instead of finishing school, Cervantes dropped out of school in the fifth grade to help his family stay afloat. But by the edge of 14, he’d graduated to guarding marijuana crops.
3. He Was First Arrested At The Age Of 20
Mencho caught his first case when he was 20 years old. After moving to the Bay Area as a teenager in the ’80s, he was arrested by the San Francisco Police Department for possession of a loaded gun and stolen property. This led to Mencho’s first baby-faced and acne-filled mug shot. No one is certain that he served time for that offense but he did cross the border plenty of times in the late ’80s, smuggling drugs to and from.
4. The USA Has A $5 Million Bounty On The Kingpin’s Head
Since El Chapo was locked up again, Tijuana’s murder rate has exploded, making El Mencho a wanted man. He now tops the American DEA’s most wanted list, alongside El Chapo’s partner Ismael Zambada and the founder of Guadalajara Cartel Rafael Caro Quintero. Under the Kingpin Act, the United States is offering up a $5 million for any valuable information about Cervantes that leads to his capture.
5. El Mencho Kidnapped Two Of El Chapo’s Sons
Seemingly ruining the relationship between the Sinaloa Cartel and the CJN, Mencho kidnapped two of El Chapo’s sons back in 2016 when they decided to eat at a Puerta Vallarta restaurant. El Chapo’s kids weren’t killed, but Mencho did make Chapo pay $2 million for their safe return. He did it all prove that there’s a new kingpin in town.
6. His son, El Menchito, Is Following in His Footsteps
Rubén Oseguera González, also known as “El Menchito,” is reportedly the capo of his father’s cartel. He was first arrested in 2014 in Jalisco and after immediately walking out of prison because of lack of evidence, he was arrested again. He’s currently serving a sentence at a maximum-security prison in Oaxaca.
