Infamous Juárez Cartel Kingpin 'El Greñas' Dead: The Rise and Fall of One of the Original Drug Czars from Mexico

Gilberto Ontiveros Lucero, known in the world of organized crime as "El Greñas," has died in a private hospital in Northern Mexico at 73 years old. Dubbed as the "Czar of Drug Trafficking," Ontiveros Lucero's health had been in decline over the past year, culminating in a fatal heart attack, according to sources close to his family.

Born in 1952 in Villa Ahumada, Chihuahua, Ontiveros Lucero started his working life in modest professions, including as a shoeshiner and carpenter. In the late 1970s, he transitioned into drug trafficking, eventually becoming a key player in the Juárez Cartel alongside figures like Rafael Aguilar Guajardo and Amado "El Señor de Los Cielos" Carrillo Fuentes.

By the mid-1980s, "El Greñas" had established himself as a major trafficker, with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) attributing the smuggling of over 18 tons of marijuana into the United States in 1985 to his operations.

"El Greñas" amassed considerable wealth through illicit activities. He owned luxurious properties, high-end vehicles, a private jet, and even kept exotic animals such as tigers and crocodiles. His opulent residence in the Hidalgo neighborhood of Ciudad Juárez was a testament to his affluence and influence.​

He also initiated the construction of a lavish hotel, "Palacio del César," in Ciudad Juárez, although the property was later expropriated by the state and repurposed as a women's hospital in 1990.

He was first arrested in 1986 for the kidnapping and assault of a news photographer. He was released in 1988 and re-arrested in January 1989, leading to a 15-year sentence in the federal prison of Puente Grande. Following his release in 2007, Ontiveros Lucero maintained a low profile. In 2017, he was involved in a legal dispute with a sex worker.

That same year, he also alleged that he was the victim of an assassination attempt at his home in an interview with El Diario.

A private funeral service is planned, with attendance limited to family and close associates.