Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho's Wife, La Jefa, to Remain in Prison Pending Appeal in Money Laundering Case
Rosalinda Gonzalez Valencia or "La Jefa," the wife of Jalisco cartel boss Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, will remain in detention, a Mexican judge ruled.
Last week, Judge Fernando Issac Ibarra Gomez of the First Unitary Court of Morelos in Mexico ruled that Gonzalez Valencia must remain confined in prison because she could escape and evade trial if released, Reforma reported.
Gonzalez Valencia, also known by her alias "the Boss," is facing charges for several crimes, including her involvement in the "illicit financial operation" of the Jalisco cartel.
El Mencho's wife was first captured in May 2018 in Zapopan, Jalisco based on an arrest warrant for money laundering. But four months later, she was released after paying an $82,000 bail bond and with the condition that she had to go to a justice center every Thursday and should not leave the country.
She reportedly failed to comply with these directives. Thus, the court ordered that she'd be arrested again, which was executed last November 15 in Zapopan.
According to the latest ruling, La Jefa was apprehended again because she failed to comply with procedural requirements that made clear she lacked the will to face her trial "at liberty."
The ruling said El Mencho's wife stopped going every Thursday to sign as a defendant at the Federal Criminal Justice Center of Morelos. She also failed to attend two summonses issued on September 5 and 7, 2018 to appear the following day in the same center.
The ruling further noted that health problems are not an obstacle in imposing pretrial detention. According to her lawyers, La Jefa reportedly had a heart condition, glaucoma, and hypertension that required medical care.
Court records showed that a judge sentenced El Mencho's wife to pretrial detention in June last year as part of an investigation that linked her with a network of 73 companies that allegedly laundered about $53 million for the Jalisco cartel between 2015 and 2016.
La Jefa is currently being held at the woman's prison in Morelos.
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Role of La Jefa in Jalisco Cartel
A former Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) chief said that El Mencho's wife is a "financial genius" who holds the key to his drug empire. Mike Vigil noted that La Jefa's arrest could bring El Mencho down.
According to The Sun, El Mencho's personal fortune alone is approximately worth $1 billion. His rise to become the most powerful cartel boss in Mexico has been connected to the savagery that is "compared to the brutality of the terrorist group ISIS."
According to Vigil, La Jefa has been involved in the narco world from a very "early age," as her family established the Milenia cartel in 1970.
Vigil noted that she is a key figure within the Jalisco cartel since he believed she has been responsible for laundering the cartel's money.
The former DEA official, who is one of the world's leading experts on Mexican drug cartels, said one thing they know about drug traffickers is that they believe in blood before associates, which means that people they trust have blood ties.
Vigil noted that La Jefa could provide damaging information if officials could get her to cooperate.
El Mencho and the Jalisco Cartel
The Jalisco cartel or Jalisco New Generation Cartel is considered one of Mexico's most dangerous and powerful drug cartels.
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 the 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 is the head of 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 continues to evade capture, and the U.S. government offers a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
The Jalisco cartel boss remains to be the most elusive criminal and is reportedly hiding in Mexico, separated from his family.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
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