Wife of drug cartel leader apprehended

MEXICO CITY — Mexican soldiers have captured the wife of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, authorities said Tuesday.

In a joint statement, the attorney general’s office, Defense Department and National Intelligence Center said that Rosalinda “N” was captured Monday in Zapopan, Jalisco. It said she is alleged to be involved in the illicit finances of organized crime in Jalisco.

A federal official, commenting about the case on condition of anonymity, said the woman arrested was Rosalinda Gonzalez Valencia, the wife of Jalisco cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera. Gonzalez Valencia was previously arrested in May 2018, but later released.

Mike Vigil, former international operations chief for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, called Gonzalez Valencia a “narco queen,” whose family has long been tied to drug trafficking.

“She has all of the keys, all of the confidence of ‘El Mencho,’ all of the information and was responsible for laundering the cartel’s money,” Vigil said.

He noted that her arrest comes while two of their children are jailed in the United States. Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez, a dual U.S. and Mexican citizen, was sentenced in June to 2½ years in prison for involvement in businesses laundering money for the cartel. Her brother, Rubén, known as “El Menchito,” has pleaded innocent to drug trafficking charges, but remains in jailawaiting trial.

Vigil said he suspects their mother could be interested “in negotiating some deal to help her children.”