Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho's Son, 'El Menchito,' to Plead Guilty in U.S.
Ruben Oseguera Gonzalez, alias "El Menchito," the son of Jalisco cartel boss Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, will reportedly plead guilty to drug conspiracy charges next month in a Washington, D.C. court.
According to Borderland Beat, El Menchito will plead guilty on April 12 to international conspiracy to traffic drugs and possession of firearms before Judge Beryl Alaine Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C.
Court documents showed the trial against the 33-year-old son of El Mencho is scheduled to begin on May 3, with the jury selection. El Menchito is a U.S.-Mexico dual citizen from San Francisco, California.
He is known to inherit the Jalisco cartel throne from his father in Mexico, as he was considered by the U.S. the second in command of the notorious organization.
El Menchito was accused of distributing cocaine and methamphetamine in the U.S. from 2007 to February 2017.
Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho's Son 'El Menchito' Arrested
El Menchito was first arrested in Zapopan in Mexico's Jalisco state on January 2014, but a federal court acquitted him in December of the same year for lack of evidence.
He was apprehended again on June 2015. Since then, he has remained in prison. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia charged El Mencho's son with international drug trafficking in 2017.
The U.S. government submitted its extradition request for El Menchito the same year, which Mexico's Secretariat of Foreign Affairs granted in October 2018. He was extradited to the U.S. in February 2020 after several appeals.
After a few days, El Menchito pleaded not guilty to drug conspiracy and possession of firearms charges before a U.S. judge, Courthouse News Service reported.
During the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Reynolds urged the judge to keep El Mencho's son in custody, reminding him that his father is one of Mexico's most powerful drug kingpins.
Reynolds also argued at the time that the defendant was a "high flight risk" and "would have the means to escape if given the opportunity." El Menchito is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
El Mencho Leads the Jalisco Cartel in Mexico
The Jalisco cartel is being blamed for the bulk of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and other illegal drugs transported into North and South American countries and some regions in Asia and Europe.
But apart from drug trafficking, El Mencho's group also earns millions from fuel theft and arms smuggling. The Jalisco cartel has established its presence in at least 20 Mexican states, including Mexico City.
El Mencho once served as a police officer in Cabo Corrientes and Tomatlan in Jalisco. However, he left the police force to continue his drug trafficking activities and join the Milenio Cartel before becoming the head of the Jalisco cartel.
The U.S. government has already offered a $10 million reward for information leading to El Mencho's arrest. The Jalisco cartel boss remains one of the world's most elusive criminals.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
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