El Ponchis, Juvenile SPC Cartel Killer Released From Mexican Detention Facility

Edgar N. Jiménez Lugo

Lugo to be extradited to Texas and the U.S. has no pending cases against the convicted teen killer who was set free just seven days short of his three year sentence for four brutal homicides.

By H. Nelson Goodson

November 27, 2013

Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico - On Tuesday, Edgar N. Jiménez Lugo, 17, aka, "El Ponchis" was released and taken to Mexico City to be extradited to the U.S., according to Jorge Messeguer Guillen, the Secretary of Morelos Governance. Lugo was released just seven days short of his three year sentence for four homicides. Another 300 homicides were associated to Lugo, but was never convicted for those homicides. He was just 14 years of age when he was taken into custody and was convicted as a juvenile. 

Lugo confessed to killing at least four victims by beating, cutting their throats ending in decapitations, while he was on drugs. He admitted to being a member of the South Pacific Cartel (SPC) since he was 11-years-old.

Under Mexican law, a juvenile can only be sentenced up to three years to a juvenile detention center regardless of the multiple homicides.

Lugo was recruited by the Beltran Leyva Cartel, which was associated with the SPC. He was taken into custody on December 2, 2010 at the Cuernavaca Airport as he and one of his sisters tried to flee from Morelos after authorities had placed a dragnet for his arrest. Mexican military arrested Lugo and discovered a weapon and drugs in his baggage at the airport. They also found several cellphones with pictures of his victims and Lugo posing with the victims as he eventually tortured, killed and dismembered their bodies.

Several of his sisters were also involved in disposing of the victims bodies.

Lugo and one of his sisters, Elizabeth were attempting to board a plane to San Diego where his mother was living at the time. Lugo's mother was deported once and later reentered the U.S. He was born in San Diego, but was raised by his grandmother in Mexico.

Lugo became infamous after he posted multiple videos of his homicides on the Internet. In 2010, Lugo gain notoriety for being such a young child involved in drugs, drug cartel homicides and headed a group of young thugs who worked for the Beltran Leyva's.

Lugo and his sisters resided in Tejalpa, within the municipality of Jiutepec. He worked under Jusús Radilla Hernández or Julio Jesús Padilla Hernández, aka, "El Negro," leader of the SPC who was sought by the Mexican government. One of Lugo's sister had a child from El Negro.