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A new Mexican drug king worth up to $1bn is the "United States most wanted" since El Chapo’s arrest with a $10million bounty on his head as he hides out in caves to avoid capture.

United States intelligence say the crime boss El Mencho, whose real name is Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, is fleeing from one home to another in the Mexican mountains to go under the radar.

Before El Chapo’s arrest, El Mencho lived a life of supreme luxury with businesses including a chain of over 100 Japanese restaurants, construction, newspapers and department stores.

He even had a brand of tequila that was exported to Europe.

El Mencho had a ranch with exotic animals, in the style of Colombian Pablo Escobar, that included a Bengali tiger and endangered species – which has now been seized by the Mexican state.

While El Chapo was the number one target, El Mencho was able to go about his business unnoticed but that has now changed.



El Mencho is the boss of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), now arguably bigger than El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel.

He is able to still able to carry out business as he flees from cabins and caves in the mountains of Michoacan, Jalisco and Colima.

The American DEA are offering a $10million for information who say that he is a “top priority” for them.



DEA agent Kyle Mori says that El Mencho’s cartel has grown quickly and operates in 22 states of Mexico.

It has bases in many US cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Dallas, Miami, New York and Chicago.

Mr Mori believes that El Mencho has managed to keep on the loose mainly due to moving quickly.

He told Univision: “I will say this, it is a combination of a lot of things. I don’t think that he is in one place for very long, not even the same type of home.

“It is a combination of everything you can imagine. Definitely he moves constantly.”

El Mencho is thought to have a “golden triangle” where he hides out in the states of Durango, Sinaloa and Chihuahua in the same style as El Chapo.

Mr Mori added that he doesn’t believe El Mencho “goes into cities any more”.

He is able to oversee the development and production of drugs in mountain labs with the business having made him one of the richest criminals in the world.

Mr Mori said: “I would say he has at least $500million and it could be over $1,000million.

“It is very difficult to drive a Lamborgini or a Ferrari when you live in the mountains and you are being hunted.

“They have a global reach bigger than the Sinaloa cartel and the CJNG has a presence in every continent except Antarctica.

“The Yakuza, the Japanese criminal organisation, the Israeli bosses, the FARC… they are working with El Mencho because he is offering them what they want – cheap drugs.

“We have seen an important move by El Mencho to expand into Asia, and buy chemicals (to produce the drugs) in China and India.”

A third of the drugs entering the US are believed to be coming from the CJNG.

Mr Mori added: “In my opinion the CJNG is moving more drugs to the US, is responsible for more violence in Mexico and moving more money than the Sinaloa Cartel.”