José de Jesús Méndez Vargas

José de Jesús Méndez Vargas (born 28 February 1961), commonly referred to by his alias El Chango ("The Ape"), is a Mexican drug lord and former leader of the now disbanded La Familiadrug cartel, headquartered in the state of Michoacán.

Méndez took control of the cartel after its former leader, Nazario Moreno, was allegedly killed in a shootout with Mexican Federal Police on December 9, 2010. His protection was the responsibility of twelve gunmen he called the "Twelve Apostles". His leadership, however, was disputed by Servando Gómez Martínez and Enrique Plancarte Solís who left the organization and formed the Knights Templar. He was arrested on June 21, 2011. He was eventually extradited to the United States on February 27, 2025.