Crime

Cartel Boss 'El Lastra' Busted for Recruiting College Kids Into Killer Army

"El Lastra," CJNG recruiter, busted for luring teens with fake jobs and torturing resisters at a "training" ranch. Accused of drug crimes, gun possession and student kidnappings.

Mexicanist

Mar 25, 2025 — 2 min read

Mugshot of Jose Gregorio "El Lastra," a.k.a. the cartel's HR nightmare. Credit: Guardia Nacional

Another one bites the dust! Jose Gregorio "N," a.k.a. "El Lastra," a top dog in the ruthless Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), is behind bars after a weekend bust, announced Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch.

"El Lastra," linked to the Izaguirre Ranch case in Teuchitlán, is ID'd as the mastermind behind recruiting fresh meat for the CJNG machine.

A large underground pipeline with smaller pipes branching off towards the surface, suggesting illegal taps.

Gas Pirates Plunder Pemex as Crime Wave Hits Southeast Mexico

Ruthless criminal groups and "huachicoleros," including cartels, are exploiting Pemex pipelines in southeastern Mexico, near the Mayan Train route, through widespread fuel theft, creating a dangerous and costly black market operation.

A stylized constellation of stars forming the shape of a bar graph and a pie chart.

Why Minimum Wage Hikes Fall Short of a Dignified Life

Despite minimum wage increases and average income figures, a significant portion of the Mexican population faces economic precarity due to incomes insufficient to cover basic needs amidst rising costs of living, labour market informality, and stark regional and gender disparities.

The Mexicanist Newsletter: Paradise Under Guard (and Other Weekly Contradictions)

For the discerning Mexicanist newsletter reader, this week's news confirms Mexico is still expertly blending five-star tourism dreams with the gritty reality of cartels, potholes, and melting glaciers.

Illustration showing a microphone with a large red "X" over it, symbolizing banned music.

Mexico Declares War on 'Narco-Ballads' as States Ban Thug-Glorifying Tunes

Mexican states are increasingly banning or restricting the performance of narcocorridos, popular ballads glorifying drug traffickers and violence, in an effort to combat the promotion of criminal culture.

Read more

Gas Pirates Plunder Pemex as Crime Wave Hits Southeast Mexico

Why Minimum Wage Hikes Fall Short of a Dignified Life

The Mexicanist Newsletter: Paradise Under Guard (and Other Weekly Contradictions)

Mexico Declares War on 'Narco-Ballads' as States Ban Thug-Glorifying Tunes