Cartel Recruiter "El Lastra" Busted in Mexico City After Years-Long Manhunt

Cops in Mexico City finally collared a suspected cartel honcho, José Gregorio Lastra Hermida, aka “El Lastra,” after he mysteriously disappeared back in 2020, authorities announced Saturday. This alleged bad guy is accused of being the top dog in recruiting fresh meat for the notorious Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) and is even suspected of having ties to a creepy ranch case where searching mothers found a disturbing notebook.

“El Lastra,” whose last name chillingly appeared on lists found in the notebook, was nabbed in a dramatic takedown in the Cuajimalpa municipality, ending months of tracking this criminal group. Turns out, his own partner reported him missing way back on August 25, 2020, after she last heard from him while he was heading to a neighborhood in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. Spooky stuff!

But this ain’t your average missing person case. Federal agents say “El Lastra” wasn't just skipping town for a vacation. They claim he was knee-deep in the CJNG, allegedly running recruitment and training operations. He’s even pegged as the right-hand man of another shady character, Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytán, “El Sapo,” who’s a trusted lackey of the cartel’s big boss, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho.”

The security cabinet spilled the beans, revealing that they tracked “El Lastra” through good old-fashioned surveillance in Jalisco before figuring out he was heading to Mexico City. That’s when the cops swooped in and grabbed him last Thursday night while he was hanging out with a woman identified as Dianeh “N.” Cops say she was also in the recruitment game, allegedly targeting women for the cartel. Double trouble!

This “El Lastra” sounds like a real piece of work. According to the National Registry of Arrests, he’s a tall dude with a dark complexion and a thin build. Oh, and he’s got some serious ink, including tattoos of Santa Muerte, San Judas Tadeo, and his own last name plastered on his back. At the time of his arrest, he was sporting black pants, a black sweatshirt, and some snazzy gray, black, and red sneakers. Fashion criminal!

His name even popped up in notebooks found by the Guerreros Buscadores collective of Jalisco – a group of searching mothers. In one notebook, he’s identified as “Commander Lastra,” an instructor in “track, weapons and disarmament.” Talk about a curriculum from hell!

The arrest of “El Lastra” is a major break in the investigation of the Izaguirre ranch case in Teuchitlán, Jalisco. Back in January, the head honcho at the Attorney General's Office (FGR), Alejandro Gertz Manero, laid out some disturbing findings from the ranch, including how local authorities allegedly botched the initial investigation. He pointed out failures to properly document evidence like clothing and vehicles, which were later stolen. There’s even suspicion that local cops were in cahoots with the cartels!

Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, hailed the arrest of “Lastra” as a result of an investigation that went on “months ago,” linking him not only to the Teuchitlán case but also to “various training operations.” He confirmed that the captured woman, Abril Dianeh, was also involved in recruiting and training young people for the CJNG.

Adding another layer of intrigue, “Lastra” himself had an active missing person file in Chiapas. His partner reported him missing five years ago, stating that August 25, 2020, was the last time she spoke to him before he headed to the Club Campestre neighborhood in Tuxtla Gutiérrez. At the time, he was described as 46 years old, with a dark complexion, dark brown eyes, and short black hair, along with a tattoo of the initial "A" on his left arm and a large image of Saint Jude Thaddeus on his back.

Now, at 51, this alleged “Commander Lastra” and his partner in crime are cooling their heels at the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO) in Mexico City. They’re set to face a federal judge who will decide their fate. Federal authorities are promising to spill more details on this bust next Monday. Stay tuned, this cartel saga is far from over.