CHICAGO, IL – The U.S. government has intensified its pursuit of Ruben Oswego Cervantes, known by the alias “El Mencho,” by raising the reward for his capture to $15 million. This significant bounty underscores the urgency and seriousness of the manhunt for a figure who has risen to the top of America’s most-wanted list.
Cervantes, a relatively unknown name to the general public until recent years, has been elevated to the status of Chicago’s Public Enemy No. 1, a title reminiscent of the notorious gangster Al Capone. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Chicago first highlighted his significance over six years ago, identifying him as a major threat due to his control over the city’s drug trade.
Operating from Mexico, Cervantes heads the New Generation Cartel, which has expanded its reach to Chicago and beyond, leaving a trail of violence in its wake. Despite facing federal indictments in multiple U.S. cities, he continues to evade capture and manage his sprawling drug empire valued in the billions.
The recent increase in the reward for his capture comes at a time when Cervantes’ inner circle is beginning to crumble under law enforcement pressure. Investigators have targeted his family members, hoping to extract critical information that could lead to his downfall and dismantle his heavily armed cartel.
In a recent development, Cervantes’ son-in-law, Cristian Fernando Gutierrez Ochoa, was apprehended in Southern California. Ochoa, who had been living under an assumed identity in Riverside, was charged with drug trafficking and money laundering. Prosecutors revealed that Cervantes had orchestrated an elaborate scheme to fake Ochoa’s death, allowing him and Cervantes’ daughter to escape the perilous lifestyle associated with the cartel.
During Ochoa’s arrest, authorities discovered multiple fake identities and “ghost guns”—homemade firearms lacking serial numbers but equally as lethal as their commercially manufactured counterparts. Ochoa is now being transferred to Washington, D.C., to face prosecution.
These strategic moves by federal agents are aimed squarely at bringing Cervantes to justice. Authorities hold him accountable for the ongoing violence in Mexico and the extensive drug-related harm in U.S. cities. As the net tightens around Cervantes, law enforcement hopes to end his reign and restore some measure of peace and safety.