Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho's Wife, La Jefa, to Remain in Prison Despite Suffering From Life-Threatening Disease

Rosalinda Gonzalez Valencia or "La Jefa," the wife of Jalisco cartel boss Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, will continue to remain in detention, a judge in Mexico ruled.

According to Excelsior, Judge Fernando Isaac Ibarra Gomez, head of the First Unitary Court of Morelos in Mexico, recently dismissed La Jefa's request to continue facing her trial in freedom.

In a new appeal to continue her criminal process in freedom, the lawyers of El Mencho's wife argued that she suffers from a disease that puts her life at risk if she does not receive adequate treatment.

In an expert report, the Federal Public Ministry said La Jefa is suffering from a disease that affects her kidney. She is reportedly receiving corticosteroid-based treatment in two stages, which, if not followed, could cause terminal damage to her organ, Borderland Beat reported.

However, the judge noted that the arguments of La Jefa's defense team were unfounded.

El Mencho's Wife Request Junked by a Mexico Court

Last January, Judge Fernando Isaac Ibarra Gomez ratified the preventive detention order issued by a pre-trial or control judge for El Mencho's wife on November 16.

The judge ruled that Rosalinda 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.

Court records showed that La Jefa was apprehended again because she failed to comply with procedural requirements that made clear that 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.

In its previous appeal, La Jefa's legal team alleged that on November 16, the control judge ordered her to be placed in custody without asking the Morelos women's prison for the medical file of El Mencho's wife.

At the time, her lawyers said La Jefa had a heart condition, glaucoma, and hypertension that required medical care.

The lawyers of El Mencho's wife also argued that the preventive detention order was not appropriate and violated the principle of presumption of innocence and La Jefa's rights to health since it overlooked her age and state of health.

However, Ibarra Gomez ratified the control judge's decision, saying that health problems are not an obstacle to imposing preventive detention. Thus, the judge noted that it was not necessary to collect La Jefa's medical file before ruling a detention order.

"Therefore, it is legal that the control judge, in order to avoid the continuation of the paralysis of the procedure... apply the different justified preventive detention," Ibarra Gomez said.

"Especially, as it was seen, the imposition of pre-trial detention is justified, precisely because of the background information that the federal prosecutor referred to... the lack of will on the part of the accused to face her trial in freedom," the judge added.

Court records showed that a federal investigation had linked El Mencho's wife to 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 women's prison in Morelos.

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 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 New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) is considered one of Mexico's most dangerous and powerful drug cartels.

It reportedly had more than 5,000 members and was allegedly involved in mass graves, kidnappings, acid baths, and video recording beheadings.

The Jalisco cartel had risen to power after Mexican security forces killed former Sinaloa Cartel capo Ignacio Coronel, known as "Nacho," in July 2010.

Nacho's death resulted in the split of the Sinaloa Cartel into two factions - "La Resistencia" and "Torcidos." The "Torcidos" became what is now the Jalisco cartel, which has since expanded rapidly in Mexico.

The Jalisco cartel is currently being led by El Mencho, who continues to evade capture. The U.S. government has already offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. El Mencho remains to be the most elusive criminal and is reportedly hiding in Mexico.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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