A dual national of the United States and Mexico, who co-founded the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), has been sentenced to life imprisonment plus 30 years in the District of Columbia. This sentence is for his involvement in a significant drug trafficking conspiracy, along with an order to forfeit over $6 billion obtained from drug trafficking activities.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, "This defendant helped build Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion into a brutal terrorist organization that pumps poison onto our streets and commits horrific acts of violence." She acknowledged the efforts of the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and the DOJ's Criminal Division in bringing him to justice.
Derek S. Maltz, Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), remarked on the significance of this sentencing as a triumph for federal law enforcement personnel committed to dismantling cartels. He said, "Menchito was not only extremely violent, he was also one of the earliest architects of fentanyl trafficking that led to the deadliest chapter of the synthetic opioid crisis."
Court documents reveal Ruben Oseguera-Gonzalez, known as El Menchito, led CJNG operations for nearly seven years in Mexico. He managed large-scale drug imports into the United States and contributed significantly to methamphetamine production and fentanyl trafficking.
Oseguera-Gonzalez's leadership included violent acts such as killing five individuals over drug debts and ordering numerous murders. He was involved in a 2015 attack on a Mexican military helicopter resulting in casualties among service members.
The case investigation was conducted by DEA Los Angeles Field Division with support from U.S. Marshals Service and other entities. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played a crucial role in securing Oseguera-Gonzalez's extradition in February 2020.
Prosecution was handled by Trial Attorneys Jonathan Hornok, Lernik Begian, Douglas Meisel, Kaitlin Sahni, and Kate Naseef from DOJ's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.
This prosecution forms part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at identifying and dismantling top criminal organizations threatening U.S. security.