From "El Mencho" to "El Mayo": The Clandestine Hospitals Used by Drug Cartels in Mexico

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

What happens when members of a criminal organization need medical attention? Going to a conventional hospital can pose a risk. In Mexico, some criminal groups have turned to their own medical facilities—ranging from a clandestine CJNG clinic to a hospital built for “El Mencho” and a trailer outfitted by “El Mayo” Zambada. 

Here is the story. It all began with a missing person report for a young man, around 20 years old and originally from San Pedro Tlaquepaque, who had gone to a ranch after receiving a job offer. Investigations led authorities to a property in Tecalitlán, where they found the young man along with eight others who had allegedly been forcibly recruited. 

But the discovery revealed something more: the property was being used as a clandestine clinic to treat wounded members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Jalisco Prosecutor Salvador González de los Santos noted indications that specialized treatments were being administered there to organization members injured in clashes or other group-related activities. 

Among those rescued were individuals aged 16 to 43; two were using crutches, and others had undergone surgeries involving the insertion of surgical pins. The discovery of specialized medical supplies prompted the prosecutor’s office to investigate whether local health professionals were directly collaborating at the site. 

However, this wasn’t the first time the CJNG had resorted to using its own medical facilities. About 300 km from Guadalajara, in the mountains of Villa Purificación, lies a property known as “El Hospitalito” (The Little Hospital), identified as one of the hideouts of Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho.” 

The facility features four examination rooms, six beds, and various areas for medical procedures. Its remote, hard-to-reach location allowed the CJNG founder to receive care without having to travel to a public or private hospital. On the Sinaloa Cartel side, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada reportedly turned to a similar alternative. 

Damazo López Serrano, alias “Mini Lic,” recounted how Zambada had a semi-trailer converted into a hospital to provide medical care for himself and his associates, including Joaquín Guzmán. Thus, the clinic in Tecalitán, the small hospital in Villa Purificación, and the trailer outfitted by “El Mayo” illustrate the various ways members and leaders of these organizations accessed medical treatment without visiting public or private hospitals. 

Sources: Milenio, Borderland Beat Archives