Everything pointed to a guerrilla war. To a bloody fight between drug lords for territorial control. The death in February of ‘El Mencho’, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during an operation by Mexican authorities with support from the United States, unleashed serious riots that blocked all of Mexico.
At 56 years old, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, one of the most wanted drug traffickers on the American continent, left control of his enormous drug empire in the air and plunged the nation into an uncertainty marked by violence. Now, just over a month after his ostentatious funeral (which featured a gold coffin), it appears someone has taken the reins.
It is about Juan Carlos Valencia González41 years old, stepson of ‘El Mencho’. Also known asor ‘El Pelón’ or ’03’is credited with the creation of two paramilitary cells that have participated in disputes between criminal organizations rivals to secure routes and territories.
Video | Who is ‘el Pelón’, the possible new leader of the CJNG? This is his relationship with ‘el Mencho’ | P. Fava and J. Verdugo
The United States has already put a price on his head: five million dollars. The problem, as revealed The Wall Street Journalis that Washington could have a hard time catching him because Valencia González He is a US citizen.
Born in the state of California, his nationality could become a legal obstacle for intelligence agencies to access personal information about who already leads one of the criminal organizations most powerful in the region.
According to the American newspaper, the rules that allow the US government to monitor its own citizens abroad first require the approval of the attorney general and, in addition, the authorization of a secret foreign intelligence court.
This court must also confirm that Valencia González acts as an “agent of a foreign power”, that is, linked to an international terrorist organization.
Although these requirements can be overcome, the additional processes could slow down any operation, current and former US officials have warned. WSJ.
This situation could also tighten strategic cooperation between the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and Washington. A relationship that, after numerous ups and downs, has allowed the Mexican Army to access key information provided by the intelligence services of the neighboring country, and thus capture and kill ‘El Mencho’.
In reality, ‘El Pelón’ comes from a family linked to drug trafficking. His biological father is Armando Valencia Cornelio, founder of the Milenio Cartel, now deceased.
His mother, Rosalinda González Valenciabecame the wife of ‘El Mencho’ and is a relevant figure within the family clan of The Cuiniswhich for years was considered the financial brain of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.