U.S. convicts son of Mexico's most wanted cartel leader

A District of Columbia federal jury trial resulted in the conviction of a major Mexican cartel leader who is the son of Mexico’s most wanted man.

Rubén Oseguera-González, a reputed major drug trafficking leader, was convicted of conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine while knowing and intending the illegal drugs would be imported into the U.S.

The 34-year old man of Mexican origin and American nationality was also prosecuted for using, carrying and brandishing firearms, destructive devices, and promoting the drug trafficking conspiracy.

The criminal trial was prosecuted for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and lasted two weeks in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, according to a statement released by the Justice Department.

According to court documents and trial evidence, Oseguera-González ran an international drug trafficking organization responsible for importing large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into the United States from 2007 to 2017.

Federal prosecutors also alleged that the young man was the second in command of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the central drug trafficking organization in the Mexican state of Jalisco.

He is the son of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the CJNG, ranked as one of the most dangerous drug cartels in Mexico.

According to federal prosecutors, Oseguera-González personally used firearms, destructive devices, murders and kidnappings to control the drug trafficking organization in recent years, according to several testimonies presented at trial. The defendant also ordered his subordinates to shoot down a Mexican military helicopter in order to escape capture by Mexican police.

“El Menchito now joins the growing list of high-ranking Cartel leaders that the Department of Justice has convicted in a U.S. court. We thank our Mexican law enforcement partners for their extensive cooperation and sacrifice in bringing the leaders to justice. of the Jalisco Cartel are held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco added that, “Rubén Oseguera González pioneered the manufacture of fentanyl in Mexico to help turn his father's Jalisco Cartel into one of the most powerful drug syndicates in the world. His crimes “caused horrific violence and death in the United States, Mexico and around the world.”

After thanking the collaboration of the Mexican security forces, and other entities that made the capture of the drug trafficker, the Justice Department lawyers who prosecuted the case explained that the evidence suggested that, between 2012 and In 2015, Oseguera González oversaw the manufacture of more than three million pounds of methamphetamine in an area of ​​Mexico.

⚖️ “El Menchito” enfrenta cadena perpetua por narcotráfico y su presunta responsabilidad en más de 100 asesinatos. Conoce los detalles del caso. 🔗https://t.co/EKT88FnWpY

— La Crónica de Hoy (@LaCronicaDeHoy) September 22, 2024

To that end, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said the conviction was a victory for the “safety and health of the American people.”

“Today’s guilty verdict sends a clear message that the DEA will stop at nothing to investigate and dismantle criminal drug networks that threaten the safety and health of the American people,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

“As one of the highest-ranking members of the Jalisco Cartel, Oseguera-Gonzalez was responsible for pushing vast quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States while engaging in violence, kidnapping, and bribery to build and protect the Jalisco Cartel. I commend the men and women of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division for their outstanding work on this case.”

Oseguera-González was arrested by Mexican authorities on local charges in June 2015.

He remained detained in Mexico until his extradition to the United States in February 2020. While in prison in Mexico, Oseguera-González continued to control the CJNG, negotiating transactions of drugs and approving the purchase of firearms and destructive devices.

The son of Mexico’s most wanted man faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years in prison and a maximum legal sentence of life in prison plus 30 years in prison.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2025. A U.S. District Court judge will determine the sentence after considering federal sentencing guidelines and other legal factors.