Author: Natalia Siniawski and José Luis Gonzalez
TAPALPA, Mexico, Feb 24 (Reuters) – Feared Mexican drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, or “El Mencho,” spent his final hours in a luxury villa inside the Tapalpa Country Club.
The two-story residence in No. House No. 39, with its stone walls and red-tiled roof, was the secluded hideout for the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), who died Sunday after a military ambush in the woods behind the house.
Following a tip from Oseguerra’s lover, authorities found a group of quiet rural vacation homes.
Messy kitchen, painkillers, Catholic statues
Photos seen by Reuters on Tuesday showed the spacious room with sleek modern décor and wide windows overlooking manicured lawns. Content ranges from a list of common pain relievers and medications to religious objects and a sloppy kitchen.
Takeout containers were scattered on the kitchen counter, along with a container of spoiled strawberries, a bottle of Sriracha sauce, milk cartons and water bottles. There was a box of potatoes and tomatoes on the floor.
There are several neatly folded clothes in the wardrobe of the large bedroom, and a row of skin care products and perfumes on the shelves. There are several boxes of baby wipes in the drawer below.
One room has cabinets filled with medications to treat a range of ailments, including migraines, insomnia, acid reflux and fungal infections, along with a roller. A piece of cloth bears the logo of Mayorquin, a high-end jewelry boutique in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state.
A vial of Tationil Plus (an antioxidant for cell protection) was found next to the dosage chart in the refrigerator.
There was a small box on the dining table, wrapped in a bright red bow.
The makeshift altar displays statues of Catholic saints, including Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico, and St. Jude Thaddeus, patron saint of the Lost Cause. A biblical passage declaring trust in God is handwritten on a blank piece of paper.
The villa is located in Tapalpa, famous for ecotourism, pine forests and weekend houses close to golf courses and lakes.
A gardener tended plants at the entrance to the community on Tuesday, with a plantation of agave plants used to produce Mexico’s famous tequila visible in the distance.
Burnt-out cars and trucks lined some roads around the compound on Sunday after the military carried out a siege-like attack.
Oseguera tried to escape through the back garden of her home onto a wooded hillside. Mexican authorities said he was shot during the pursuit and died of his injuries while being airlifted.
Despite its postcard image, Tapalpa has attracted international attention before. A decade ago, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on several companies in the region, accusing them of being used to launder money for CJNG and its financial arm, Los Cuinis.
(Reporting by Natalia Siniawski in Mexico City; Editing by Daina Solomon, Rod Nickel)
