Juan Carlos Valencia González named new CJNG leader by US

The United States National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) has officially identified Juan Carlos Valencia González, known as “El 03,” “El Pelón,” “Tricky Tres,” and other aliases, as the new head of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The appointment follows the February 2026 death of longtime leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” during a Mexican army operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. Valencia González, born in September 1984 in Santa Ana, California, is the son of Rosalinda González Valencia and the step‑son of El Mencho; he previously directed the CJNG’s armed wing “Grupo Elite.”

The U.S. Department of State is maintaining a bounty of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest. The agency also designates the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization and highlights its franchise‑style expansion into more than 40 countries, trafficking large volumes of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and other illicit drugs into the United States and global markets. The NCTC profile lists senior lieutenants Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez (“El Chorro”) and Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytán (“El Sapo”) as key regional commanders under Valencia González’s command.

U.S. officials say the cartel generates billions of dollars annually and continues to engage in violence, extortion, fuel theft, and other criminal activities, posing a significant security threat to both Mexico and the United States.