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El Mencho, legally Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, has emerged as one of the most ambitious and dangerous narcotics overlords in Mexico. Being in command of the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel based in Jalisco, Mexico, El Mencho has attained reputation by virtue of the violent and brutal workings of this cartel. The CJNG has come to be one of the most feared criminal organizations within the country, infamous for its brutal tactics and savage revenge attacks. El Mencho is said to control a war chest estimated at up to $20 billion, and he is personally thought to have a net worth topping $1 billion, ranking him among the most powerful figures in the criminal world.
First, it was El Mencho; now it is much more after the murder of social network influencer El Pirata de Culiacan. This young influencer-a promoter of scandalous and challenging videos-offended El Mencho, it is said, on such a recording. Shortly afterwards, El Pirata, whose real name was Jimmy Daniel Rodriguez Sanchez, turned up dead-brutally murdered. Though police will not confirm, many police will not confirm his murder, reportedly a targeted hit ordered by a cartel leader as a slight in retribution against such public offending.
The incident means fresh attention for El Mencho, but he has long been in the glare of the public eye as one of Mexico’s most wanted men. The US government has offered a $5 million bounty on him through a reward for information that might lead to his arrest or conviction. His charges range from drug trafficking and involvement in organized crime to illegal possession of firearms. Despite the fervent manhunt, El Mencho has been able to evade capture for years and has become the symbolic representation of a relentless fight between Mexican authorities and strong cartels.
El Mencho’s rise to power speaks to his cunning and brutality. Under his reign, the CJNG has continued to expand its influence in both Mexico and abroad, putting it at odds with many law enforcement agencies and other rival cartels. Its access to a great supply of resources, coupled with the willingness of its leader to do whatever it takes through violence to protect its operations, has placed El Mencho among the most dangerous figures in international drug trafficking.
The tragic death of El Pirata de Culiacan serves as a grim reminder of the far-reaching power and deadly influence wielded by El Mencho and his cartel. So long as he remains on the loose, he will continue to cast a shadow over Mexico’s ongoing fight against organized crime.
Destitute Beginnings
Born on July 17, 1966, in Naranjo de Chila, Jalisco, Mexico, as one of six sons in a family of poor avocado farmers, El Mencho’s age is 51. However, exact details of his birth are disputed.
The Drug Enforcement Agency of America believes that he was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco while other sources say he was born in Uruapan, Michoacan. The one thing on which everybody agrees on is that he is currently the most dangerous and cruel drug lord in Mexico.
El Mencho dropped out of fifth grade to work in the fields, and by the time he was 14 years old, he was guarding marijuana plantations.
California Calling
In his late teens, he illegally migrated to California in search of a better life. He lived under different names and was arrested at 19 by the San Francisco Police for stolen property, and carrying a loaded gun.
In the late 1980s, he was involved in methamphetamine production and trade in California’s Central Valley, alongside his brother-in-law, Abigael Valencia.
Bloody Rise to the Top
Starting off as an underling in the Milenio Cartel, he later came to an understanding with a subgroup of the much bigger Sinaloa Cartel and managed its drug operations, finances, and murder activities in the Mexican states of Colima and Jalisco.
When the Milenio Cartel split into two following the death of its leader Oscar Valencia, El Mencho took over the La Resistencia faction, and waged war. He won, and changed its name to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, becoming its undisputed leader.
Today, he is a man whose name terrifies even the bravest of government officials in Mexico who know of his cruel ways.
Increasing the Fear Factor
El Mencho’s exact net worth is not known, but some sources have pegged it as high as $1.0 billion, while the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is believed to have a war chest of over $20.0 billion. He exports tens of millions of dollars worth of drugs to America, Europe, Australia, and Asia using anything from Russian-made submarines to fashion models.
Despite his bloodthirstiness and extreme cruelty, he has a family whom he protects from his enemies. El Mencho’s wife, Rosalinda Gonzalez Valencia is the mother of his three children: Jessica Johana, Laisha, and Ruben, who is believed to be the cartel’s second-in-command, and was arrested several times by Mexican police but released due to lack of evidence.
Despite the Mexican government’s determination to end El Mencho’s drug empire, it is not easy to find someone who will testify against him.
