A stepson of “El Mencho,” the head of what is considered Mexico’s most powerful drug cartel who was killed by that country’s army over the weekend, was born in Santa Ana, federal officials say.
Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez was born on Sept. 12, 1984, making him 41 years old with United States and Mexican citizenship, says a 2021 notice by the U.S. Department of State.
Federal officials said at the time he was “one of the alleged leaders of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion” — the same cartel his stepfather, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, led.
“A DEA (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration) investigation of Valencia Gonzalez revealed he was responsible for the manufacturing, transportation, and distribution of tons of quantities of narcotics, as well as for organizing numerous crimes of violence,” the notice said.
At the time, the Department of State was offering up to $5 million for “information leading to the arrest and/or conviction” of him. It is unclear if that amount has changed.
His stepfather had a $15 million bounty by the State Department on him for information leading to his arrest when he was killed.
Valencia Gonzalez’s mother, Rosalinda Gonzalez Valencia, was married to Oseguera-Cervantes.
It is unclear how long the stepson and his mother were in Santa Ana, or the United States.
On Sunday, Feb. 22, Oseguera Cervantes was wounded in Tapalpa, Jalisco, while Mexican authorities were trying to catch him. He was put on a plane headed for Mexico City and died before it landed.
Cartel members retaliated by wreaking havoc in Jalisco and other Mexican states. Twenty-five Mexican National Guardsmen were killed.
The stepson was charged in a federal indictment on Oct. 8, 2020, with conspiracy and distribution of a controlled substance for unlawful importation into the United States, according to the U.S. Department of State.