- Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez is the main contender to lead the Jalisco Cartel after El Mencho's death
- He is a California-born stepson of El Mencho with dual American and Mexican citizenship
- Juan Carlos faces a $5-million US bounty and federal indictment for drug and firearm offenses
Days after the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” attention has turned to his potential successor and new leader of the Jalisco Cartel. A California-born stepson of the drug lord is reportedly in line to succeed him.
Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, now 41, has been identified as a primary contender to lead the $20-billion criminal network following the killing of Cervantes in a Mexican special forces operation on Sunday, February 22.
Born in Santa Ana, Orange County, in 1984, the stepson, also known by aliases, including El Pelon, Tricky Tres, and O3, holds dual American and Mexican citizenship.
Juan Carlos's mother, Rosalinda “La Jefa” Gonzalez Valencia, was married to Cervantes and played a big role in managing the cartel's finances. According to The New York Post, some analysts believe she could assume leadership, but the prevailing view is that she will support her son's rise.
Details about Juan Carlos's early years are limited. He was born in California while his parents, Rosalinda and Armando Valencia Cornelio, were linked to cartel operations. His alleged involvement in drug trafficking became public in 2020 when the DEA revealed his responsibility for producing and distributing large quantities of narcotics and his connection to violent crimes dating back to 2007, The New York Post reported.
In July 2020, videos emerged showing the cartel's armed wing, with the then Mexican defence secretary identifying Juan Carlos in the footage. By October, he faced a federal indictment in the United States for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and for using a firearm during a narcotics transaction. The US government placed a $5-million bounty on his head. DEA administrator Anne Milgram said the investigation was known as “Operation Pinky and the Brain.”
Juan Carlos was also listed by the National Counter Terrorism Center as the “de facto second in command” behind Cervantes. Despite all the speculation, security analyst David Saucedo told CNN on February 23 that Juan Carlos still lacks influence among other cartel commanders to take control.
The Jalisco Cartel's succession is further complicated by the prior arrests and convictions of other family members. El Mencho's older brother, Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, was taken into US custody in 2025 along with 28 other cartel leaders, while his son Ruben Oseguera-Gonzalez received a life sentence plus 30 years and was forced to surrender $6 billion in illicit funds last year.
Experts said that leadership changes could trigger renewed violence. Saucedo said, “This didn't seem to be just an operation to capture ‘El Mencho,' but to exterminate him, to use lethal force to bring him down. In the criminal underworld, such actions are not simply overlooked. The reaction is what we're seeing now: narco-terrorism, blockades and fires in grocery stores across Mexico.”
“El Mencho” died in custody on February 22after security forces captured him following a shootout with his bodyguards.
