DEA names 'El Mencho's' stepson as most wanted fugitive, offers $25 million reward

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has placed Juan Carlos Valencia González, the stepson of notorious cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," at the top of its most wanted fugitives list. The agency is offering a substantial reward of up to $25 million for information that leads to his arrest or conviction.

Valencia González, also known as "03" or "Pelón," is identified as a new leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The DEA released his most recent photograph, describing him as a Hispanic male born in 1984 with black hair and brown eyes. He is wanted by a District Court in Columbia for drug trafficking offenses.

Considered the successor to "El Mencho," who was reportedly killed by the Mexican Army in February, Valencia González has been under the radar of U.S. security agencies since December 2021. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges he is responsible for trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States.

According to federal authorities, Valencia González commanded the "Special Forces Mencho" to carry out cartel activities in assigned territories within the states of Jalisco and Colima. He is the son of Armando Valencia Cornelio, alias "Maranoda" or "Juanito," one of the founders of the Milenio Cartel, and Rosalinda González Valencia, known as "La Jefa," who held command positions within "Los Cuinis" and the CJNG.

While the article mentions a previous reward of $5 million and questions about his U.S. nationality during the Trump administration, the current focus is the $25 million reward and his designation as the DEA's number one target, highlighting the significant threat he poses.