José González Valencia, known as “El Chepa,” a high-ranking member of the Los Cuinis criminal group and brother-in-law to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”), the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), has been sentenced to 30 years in prison in the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) detailed El Chepa’s crucial role in the CJNG’s vast international drug trafficking operation, highlighting his involvement in the financial and logistical aspects of the cartel’s activities.
El Chepa’s conviction stems from his participation in a conspiracy that spanned years, involving the transportation of massive quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl from South America to the U.S. via Mexico. Court documents reveal his coordination of multiple drug shipments utilizing air, land, and even narco-submarines. One particularly significant seizure by the Coast Guard in 2007 involved 4,000 kilograms of cocaine, directly linked to his operation.
Along with his brothers, Abigael and Gerardo González Valencia, El Chepa co-founded Los Cuinis, a financial arm of the CJNG acting as a key strategic partner to El Mencho. Reports suggest that Los Cuinis provided crucial funding for the establishment and expansion of the powerful and violent cartel.
El Chepa’s profile extends beyond financial dealings. He stands accused of orchestrating murders, illegal weapons possession, and supplying arms to the cartel. The DOJ specifically cites an instance where he allegedly ordered the killing of an individual who had stolen a thousand kilograms of cocaine. Following the arrest of his brother Abigael in 2015, El Chepa assumed financial leadership of Los Cuinis and fled to Bolivia, adopting a false identity – Jafet Arias Becerra – and establishing himself as a rancher. His apprehension occurred during a family vacation in Brazil in 2017, leading to his eventual extradition to the U.S. in 2021 under a plea agreement limiting his sentence to a maximum of 30 years.
This conviction adds to a series of recent blows against the CJNG leadership. The DOJ also points to the life sentence handed down to El Mencho’s son, Rubén Oseguera González (“El Menchito”), in March 2025, for trafficking over 50 tons of cocaine and ordering over 100 murders. Other key cartel figures, including Antonio Oseguera Cervantes and Erick Valencia Salazar, have also been apprehended. However, El Mencho himself remains at large, with a $15 million reward offered for his capture.
Prior to his extradition, González Valencia filed a legal challenge in Mexico, arguing that the government of Enrique Peña Nieto had failed to request his extradition from Brazil despite the existence of a bilateral treaty. This case underscores the ongoing international efforts to dismantle the CJNG and bring its leaders to justice, even as the cartel’s operations continue to pose a significant threat.
