(Photo ULISES RUIZ)
A California-born American citizen is reportedly rising to lead Mexico’s most powerful drug cartel, and his U.S. citizenship could shield him from the intelligence tools that helped take down his predecessor.
Juan Carlos Valencia González, 41, began consolidating control of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel shortly after Mexican special forces killed his stepfather, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, in early March, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Two senior commanders reportedly stood aside rather than contest his takeover, keeping the organization intact, WSJ reported. Valencia González was born in Santa Ana, California. His biological father, Armando Valencia Cornelio, founded the Milenio Cartel in the 1970s. His mother, Rosalinda González Valencia, later married El Mencho and built her criminal reputation through the cartel’s financial wing.
The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboardThe State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction since 2021. A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted him in 2020 on drug conspiracy and firearms charges, according to the agency’s reward notice.
His citizenship creates legal obstacles that did not exist when U.S. agencies tracked El Mencho. CIA drone surveillance played a key role in locating the former kingpin, the WSJ reported. Deploying similar capabilities against an American abroad would require approval from the attorney general and a ruling from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, current and former officials told the WSJ.
The U.S. war on drugs just got a lot more complicated—the newest cartel boss is American. 🔗 https://t.co/v89F5BCoWQ pic.twitter.com/wpWNupJxgM
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 19, 2026
The situation also collides with a live constitutional debate. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments April 1 in Trump v. Barbara, the administration’s challenge to birthright citizenship, Just the News reported. Former acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan told the outlet the case carries real weight. “It’s something we don’t talk enough about … just simply because you’re born here does not mean that you fully assimilated, and does not mean your allegiance is to this country,” Morgan said.
The State Department has assessed CJNG as the most violent drug trafficking organization currently operating in Mexico. The cartel generates billions annually from cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl smuggling into the United States, the WSJ reported. The Trump administration designated the group a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025, and several World Cup matches are scheduled this summer in Guadalajara, the cartel’s home turf.
