Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho's Wife, La Jefa, Arrested in Mexico on Money Laundering Charges
"La Jefa," the wife of Jalisco cartel boss Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, was arrested by the military in the western state of Jalisco in Mexico on Monday night.
Rosalinda Gonzalez, known by her alias "La Jefa" or "the Boss," was caught in Zapopan City. In a statement, Mexico's defense ministry described the arrest as a "significant blow to the financial structure of organized crime in the state of Jalisco," Daily Mail reported.
The ministry noted that Gonzalez is facing charges for several crimes, including her involvement in the "illicit financial operation" of the Jalisco cartel.
Security forces previously arrested La Jefa in May 2018. However, she was released four months later after paying an $82,000 bail bond. At the time, the judge ruled that there was not enough evidence to try her on money laundering charges.
A Mexican official said the government expressed concerns regarding the arrest of Gonzalez as it could provoke a reaction from her husband's Jalisco cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).
The Arrest of Jalisco Cartel Boss' Daughter 'La Negra'
El Mencho's daughter, Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez, alias "La Negra," was also arrested in February 2020, Reuters reported. Jessica Oseguera was walking into the Washington D.C. courthouse to attend her brother's hearing when she was arrested.
She was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on June 11 for her role in laundering money for her father and his notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
La Negra's brother is Ruben Oseguera Gonzales, who is known to inherit the Jalisco cartel throne from his father in Mexico. He was known as "El Menchito."
El Menchito was accused of distributing cocaine and methamphetamine in the U.S. from 2007 to February 2017. He remains in jail, awaiting trial.
Their father, El Mencho, continues to evade capture, and the U.S. government offers a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
Mike Vigil, former international operations chief for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, called Gonzalez a "narco queen, with her family being linked to drug trafficking for a long time, The Guardian reported.
Vigil believes that La Jefa had "all of the keys, all of the confidence of El Mencho, all of the information and was responsible for laundering" the Jalisco cartel's money. He suspects that Gonzalez could be interested in negotiating "some deal to help her children."
El Mencho and the Jalisco Cartel
The Jalisco cartel or Jalisco New Generation Cartel is considered one of the most dangerous and powerful drug cartels in Mexico.
The Jalisco cartel had risen to power after Mexican security forces killed former Sinaloa cartel capo Ignacio Coronel in July 2010.
Two groups fought for control of drug trafficking in Jalisco upon Coronel's death. The Torcidos and La Resistencia were the two factions that fought.
The Torcidos now became the Jalisco cartel and rose as the successors to the Sinaloan cap's network in the region, according to an InsightCrime report.
El Mencho heads the Jalisco cartel, which had approximately 5,000 members and was allegedly involved in mass graves, kidnappings, acid baths, and video recording beheadings.
El Mencho remains to be the most elusive criminal and is currently hiding in Mexico, separated from his family.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
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