A Peek into The Society of Judas, a Novel
Intrigue and mystery pulse the pages of Charles Murr-Letourneau’s recent novel, The Society of Judas. The story parallels events surrounding famous Mexican druglord, Rafael Caro-Quintero. The author’s own fascinating background in Mexico informs the account of the Caro-Quintero case, heretofore shrouded by the veils of conspiracy, corruption and cover-up.
Murr-Letourneau, a priest, lived in Tepatitlan, Mexico for 14 years. In 1985, a young doctor named Mejia-Iturbe also moved to the small town. He came to the priest penitent, running from a complicated past and longing for a better future. As the two became friends, Murr-Letourneau learned of the doctor’s dark and tangled involvement in the drug cartels.
A few years prior, in 1978 the doctor was in Magdalena, Jalisco working for Red Cross. While there he met a young local beauty whom he married. The couple soon welcomed two children, and soon the Red Cross job was not sufficient to provide for his family. He began working at Hospital Del Carmen in Guadalajara, in order to generate more income. Incidentally, Caro-Quintero resided here too.
The drug lord’s own physician, Jorge Mejia-Monje was also based out of the Del Carmen hospital. Mejia-Iturbe never got a chance to meet the infamous drug lord. The two doctors were both referred to as “Doctor Mejia” and they were easily and often mistaken for one another. Mejia-Iturbe, aware of the how profitable the drug business is, began acting as a mole for the DEA, posing as the physician of Caro-Quintero with valuable information. At the same time, he leaked information about upcoming DEA busts to the cartels, thickening his wallet even more.
Mejia-Iturbe was aware of the extreme danger he was bringing upon himself and his family, but he was enthralled by the rush. Giving himself the mole name of “El Monje,”he made reference to Jorge Monje-Mejia, both implicating the drug lord’s physician and simultaneously giving credibility to his reports to the DEA. It did not take long for Caro-Quintero to become suspicious.
The DEA continued to make headway in its investigations and this infuriated Caro-Quintero. He was determined to deal with the organization. This led to the brutal murder of a top DEA agent in 1985. Mejia-Iturbe panicked realizing he could no longer gamble with his family’s lives. He managed to find work with another physician in Tepatitlan and left his family behind, unable to help them, and set up a clinic in the new town. Dr. Mejia-Monje’s mutilated body was found in an oil drum several years after the drug lord’s imprisonment. In light of Caro-Quintero’s recent release, this story comes back to life, in reality and in Murr-Letourneau’s must-read, The Society of Judas.
About the Author
John MacKewan is the author of this article on Caro-Quintero. Find more information, about Dr. Jorge Mejía here
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