THE CLAW

“La Garra”: the feared and bloodthirsty leader of the Jalisco Cartel in the United States

EN24 News
September 16, 2019

Although so far it is little known, José Luis Mendoza Cárdenas, alias "La Garra", arm of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in the United States It is considered one of the two leaders who could be placed at the head of the criminal organization in case Nemesio Oseguera "El Mencho" was killed or arrested by the authorities.

"La Garra" appears even in documents of the US authorities as the report "National Drug Threat Assessment", prepared by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in which it is confirmed that he is responsible for operations in that country.

One of its hallmarks is that For more than a decade he has remained faithful to "El Mencho" and that is part of the CJNG since they were known as "Los Matazetas", an armed arm of the Sinaloa Cartel which was intended to prevent the entry of Los Zetas into their territory.

He is known for his bloody methods. On July 25, 2008, he was appointed by the Jalisco state authorities as the responsible for a heinous crime in which three minors were killed: Two 7 and 8 year old girls and a 17 year old boy as well as three other adults in the municipality of Zapotlán El Grande. All were stabbed or killed by suffocation.

The family was originally from Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí, and had bought the house to the former governor of Jalisco, Alberto Cárdenas Jiménez, they had moved to the new house two months before, after one of them was kidnapped and then released, after paying a large sum of money.

On August 1 of that year, "La Garra" and six other men were arrested for their alleged involvement in the crime. They were also accused of stealing 400,000 pesos from the family. Authorities also seized two vehicles, multiple rounds of ammunition, two weapons and communication equipment.

On August 30, 2008, all detainees were formally charged with seven charges related to the crime, however, the name of "The Claw" did not appear in any of the accusations.

The authorities alleged that the case was not related to drug trafficking and that it was strictly a kidnapping scheme carried out by a network of kidnappers in complicity with government agents.

Mendoza Cárdenas was released without explanation from the authorities. Years later, his influence within the CJNG grew and he positioned himself as one of the main members of the criminal group.

2016 DEA reports indicate that the CJNG bastion in the US is located in California and New York and from there distributes the drug from Jalisco throughout the country.

Like "El Mencho" began in the criminal world working for the Sinaloa Cartel where he learned to traffic methamphetamine to American soil, he lowered the orders of Ignacio "Nacho" Colonel, who was in charge of Guadalajara Square and was killed in 2010.

In addition to methamphetamines, "La Garra" would also be responsible for trafficking cocaine and heroin.

"El Mencho" is one of the most wanted drug traffickers in Mexico and the United States, in case of being captured, the name "La Garra" sounds to take the reins of the criminal organization.