Juan Carlos Valencia González

Juan Carlos Valencia González

Juan Carlos Valencia González (born 12 September 1984) is a Mexican-American drug lord and high-ranking member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). He is also known by the aliases El 03 ("El Tres") and El Pelón. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States government.

Following reports of the death of CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho"), Valencia González has been mentioned as a possible successor within the organization.

According to statements attributed to former Mexican Secretary of National Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval, Valencia González is believed to have founded and coordinated Grupo Élite, one of the principal armed wings of CJNG, created in 2019. The group has operated in the states of Michoacán, Zacatecas, and Guanajuato, where it has reportedly engaged in conflicts with rival criminal groups.

Early life

Juan Carlos Valencia González

Valencia González was born in Santa Ana, California. He is the son of Armando Valencia Cornelio, a co-founder of the defunct Milenio Cartel, and Rosalinda González Valencia, a former financial operator for CJNG. He became the stepson of El Mencho through his mother's later relationship with him.

After the 2015 arrest and extradition of Rubén Oseguera González ("El Menchito"), who had been considered a principal heir to the CJNG leadership, Valencia González was identified by media outlets as one of the possible successors within the organization.

Criminal activities

Juan Carlos Valencia González

Valencia González reportedly became involved in drug trafficking at a young age. According to the Department of Justice, he was involved in trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine into the US, as well as weapons.

He has been identified as a suspect in the 2016 kidnapping of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar ("El Chapito") and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar at a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. The two were later released.

On 8 October 2020, he was indicted in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, firearms offenses, and criminal forfeiture.

Reward

Juan Carlos Valencia González

The United States Department of State has announced a reward of up to US$5 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Valencia González.