Daily Star

New leader in brutal cartel battle Seedy Gonzalez DRUG LORD TIPPED AS THE RUTHLESS NEXT ‘ EL CHAPO’

- EXCLUSIVE by TOM TOWERS news@ dailystar. co. uk

WARLORD Juan Carlos Gonzalez has been tipped as the “new El Chapo” by taking control of Mexico’s fiercest drug cartel.

Merciless Gonzalez is mastermind­ing the expansion of the fearsome Jalisco New Generation Cartel across Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Gonzalez – aka El 03 – has created two elite military units, El RR and El Grupo Delta, to battle rival cartels in central Mexico.

Members of the cartel – the CJNG – have downed an army helicopter with a rocketprop­elled grenade, killed dozens of state officials and hung the bodies of victims from bridges.

The gang’s current head is Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera

JAIL: Notorious El Chapo Cervantes, but former US federal marshal and cartel expert Robert Almonte has tipped Gonzalez to take his place soon.

It is feared he will be the biggest menace Mexico has seen since notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who was last year jailed for life.

Almonte told the Daily Star:

“The cartel has become the most dangerous Mexican cartel. Nothing is off- limits to them.

“By forming the elite group, they are better equipped with tactical gear, weapons and armoured vehicles.”

In July, dozens of armed members shouted Mencho’s name and showed off military- grade weapons and armoured pickup trucks in propaganda footage.

Almonte added: “When you see the video of them doing a shout out to El Mencho on his birthday, they look like a very well- organised and equipped military group.

“This has made it possible for the cartel to engage in battles with their rivals and to expand their areas of control.”

Almonte suggested would seize control.

US authoritie­s have previously offered a reward of £ 7.8million for informatio­n leading to El Mencho’s arrest and are thought to be close to capturing him.

His son, Ruben OsegueraGo­nzález – El Menchito – was extradited to the US in February.

Almonte continued: “With the extraditio­n of El Mencho’s son, I believe it likely that Juan Carlos Gonzales would take over.”

Earlier this month, another cartel expert, Dr Robert J Bunker, claimed the gang had become a “greater force” than Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel.

Gonzalez

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 ??  ?? TAKING OVER: Gonzalez. Left, El Mencho and, right, his son El Menchito
TAKING OVER: Gonzalez. Left, El Mencho and, right, his son El Menchito
 ??  ?? CHILLING: The cartel’s video message
CHILLING: The cartel’s video message

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