The cartel’s top leader may be gone, leading some Americans to hope that calm could follow.
However, after Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes was killed over the weekend, a clear frontrunner has emerged to lead the Jalisco Cartel — and he is California-born.
Juan Carlos Valencia González is now viewed as a leading candidate to assume control of the $20 billion criminal organization following “El Mencho’s” death in a Mexican special forces operation on Sunday.
Juan Carlos Valencia González has become a leading candidate to assume control of the $20 billion criminal network.
The 41-year-old is the slain cartel leader’s stepson. Law enforcement officials say his mother, Rosalinda González Valencia — known as “La Jefa” — was married to the drug boss and played a central role in managing the cartel’s finances.
While some analysts believe she could step in to lead the group, most experts expect her to back her son instead.
Juan Carlos, also known by the aliases El Pelon, Tricky Tres, and O3, holds dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship and was born in Santa Ana, Orange County, in 1984.
Much of his early background remains unclear, though he was born while his cartel-linked parents, Rosalinda and Armando Valencia Cornelio, were living in California.
His alleged involvement in drug trafficking was publicly highlighted by the DEA in 2020. Investigators concluded he had been responsible for producing and distributing large quantities of narcotics and had ties to violent crimes dating back to 2007.
Videos released in July 2020 showed the armed wing of the Jalisco Cartel, and Mexico’s defense secretary at the time identified one of the figures in the footage as Juan Carlos.
Smoke billows from burning vehicles amid a wave of violence in Puerto Vallarta on Sunday.
Burned-out vehicles used to barricade roads during Mexican drug lord “El Mencho’s” attempted escape were spotted near the Tapalpa Country Club, where he had been hiding.
In October of that year, the U.S. government reinstated a federal indictment accusing him of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and of using a firearm in connection with a narcotics deal.
U.S. authorities also announced a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction. A 2021 State Department profile described him as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
When the reward was unveiled in 2021, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said the investigation into Juan Carlos had been dubbed “Operation Pinky and the Brain.”
She stated at the time that the reward highlighted the U.S. government’s determination to pursue individuals and groups causing significant harm in American communities.
Juan Carlos was also identified by the National Counterterrorism Center as the cartel’s “de facto second-in-command” behind his stepfather prior to the latter’s death.
A State Department bio for him from 2021 lists him as “5ft 9in, 170lbs, brown hair and brown eyes.”
Juan Carlos has also been identified by the National Counterterrorism Center as the cartel’s “de facto second-in-command.”
Unverified social media claims following Sunday’s killing suggested he had already been chosen to succeed his stepfather, though these reports have not been confirmed.
Security analyst David Saucedo said Monday that Juan Carlos “still lacks sufficient influence among other cartel commanders” to take the top role.
If the Jalisco Cartel intends to keep leadership within the family, the organization has few realistic alternatives to Juan Carlos.
“El Mencho’s” older brother, Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, was taken into U.S. custody last year along with 28 other cartel figures.
Meanwhile, his son Rubén Oseguera-González was sentenced last year to life in prison plus 30 years and ordered to forfeit $6 billion in drug proceeds.
If the Jalisco Cartel intends to keep leadership within the family, Juan Carlos appears to be one of the few viable choices.
Experts warn that whoever ultimately takes control, the wave of violence seen across Mexico on Sunday could reignite once the cartel regroups.
Saucedo told CNN that the mission “did not appear to be merely an attempt to capture ‘El Mencho,’ but rather an effort to eliminate him using lethal force.
In the criminal underworld, such moves rarely go unanswered. What we are witnessing now is the backlash: narco-terrorism, road blockades, and supermarket arson across Mexico.”
“El Mencho” died in custody after security forces detained him following a shootout with his bodyguards Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco.
Cartel gunmen effectively shut down Mexico’s second-largest city, the Jalisco state capital Guadalajara, by setting up widespread roadblocks and forcing flight cancellations.
According to Saucedo, the violence was intended to disrupt economic activity and damage the domestic and international reputation of the government led by left-wing President Claudia Sheinbaum.
At least 30 people are believed to have been killed so far, with roughly two-thirds of Mexico affected by the unrest.