Dominic Mendoza
Chief National Mendoza | |
|---|---|
Dominic Mendoza | |
| Birth name | Dominic Cristian Mendoza-Bertaude |
| Nickname(s) | "L'Incoruptiblé" |
| Born | April 21st, 1949 Montécasa, Inyursta |
| Died | November 7th, 2018 Cordoba, Inyursta |
| Buried | Montécasa, Inyursta |
| Allegiance |  Inyursta |
| Service/ | Inyurstan National Police |
| Years of service | 1972-1991; 1994-2002 |
| Rank | Chief National |
| Unit | Unité Contré-Narcotiqua Éspecial |
| Battles/wars | Red Insurgency Global War on Drugs |
Dominic Cristian Mendoza-Bertaude was a leader in the Inyurstan National Police and a key player in the War on Drugs. He was the first commander of the anti-cartel unit UCNÉ and was appointed to this position - and later Cheif National - due to his clean, honest and seemingly incorruptible service record. Mendoza has been called "L'Incoruptiblé" in regards to his records, however his policies are extremely controversial and some in fact view him as the face of Inyurstan systematic corruption.
Early Life
Dominic Mendoza was born the second child, with one older brother. He was raised mostly by his father, a hard-working coffee grower in the mountain town of Montécasa. The circumstances of his mother's absence are unknown, but Dominic recounts only having fleeting interactions with his mother even as an adult.
He fled the country with his father's family for the duration of the Inyurstan Civil War. When he returned from exile in 1971 he applied to join the national police force, and was accepted shortly after.
Career
Mendoza conducted himself as a distinguished officer of the law, and quickly rose through the ranks. As the violence related to the drug trade increased, he stood out for his perfectly clean record and his personal scorn for narcotics and narco-traffickers. He was known as "L'Incoruptiblé" for his nature and uncompromising values.
In 1988 the Unité Contré-Narcotiqua Éspecial was formed to combat the Ochaca Cartel headed by Pedro Esteban Petain. Now holding the rank of Captain, Dominic Mendoza was selected as the head of this special unit. He took the reigns and began a controversial campaign to dismantle Petain's cartel from the ground-up.
After a failed bomb plot targeting his daughter's wedding, Mendoza "went over the edge", as his colleagues described, and began employing increasingly violent measures when dealing with Petain's gajos. He reportedly allowed his men to execute captured cartel grunts and would often raid known safehouses without a warrant. On direct orders from Président Lappo Rossette, Mendoza was stripped of rank and position and exiled to Cuscatlan.
Within a year, Mendoza was called back to Inyursta to testify in impeachment hearings against Rossette, and shortly after was appointed as the national chief of police by the newly elected Président Rafael LeCourtier. As Chief National, Mendoza immediately resumed his aggressive measures against the cartels. Following Petain's death in 1996, he met with leaders of the Army and National Guard and began coordinating national police operations in the Southern Territories with the military to better combat leftist rebel group Marçon De'Rouje, which was now becoming a major player in the drug trade.
Legacy & Criticism
Mendoza is widely viewed as a hero by most Inyurstans, and as often credited as "The Man who killed Pepé" for his role in taking down Petain. While his methods are controversial, most believe they were necessary to bring Inyursta out of the height of the drug war and Red Insurgency.
Aside from his tactics as commander of UCNÉ, he is most often criticized for collaboration with right-wing paramilitary group CADI. As CADI was not listed as an illegal organization until after Mendoza left office in 2000, he was never disciplined for this relationship.
Dominic Mendoza is portrayed by actor Mario D'Avigné in the TV drama "Vice". In the same show, his granddaughter, Ofelía Lafitte, plays his daughter, Ana-Sophia Mendoza.