\The leader of the “Los Cuinis” international drug trafficking organization, linked to the Mexican Jalisco New Generation Cartel, has pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
José González Valencia, alias El Chepa, was a leader of Los Cuinis from 2006 to October 2016. In 2017, he was apprehended by Brazilian authorities at the request of U.S. authorities. He was extradited to the U.S. in November 2021.
González Valencia’s brothers Abigael and Gerardo continue to lead Los Cuinis, and González Valencia’s brother-in-law Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias Mencho, is the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG in Spanish).
“Gonzalez-Valencia worked with Los Cuinis and the CJNG to bring thousands of kilos of drugs into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Ken Polite.
CJNG is responsible for large quantities of illegal drugs flowing from Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and other countries into the U.S. Los Cuinis was responsible primarily for cocaine trafficking, according to the Justice Department.
“CJNG is responsible for vast quantities of deadly illegal drugs that are being distributed across the United States. Today’s guilty plea reflects the men and women of the DEA’s unwavering commitment to hold all drug traffickers accountable that seek to profit from CJNG’s violent and deadly drug trafficking network,” Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram said.
González Valencia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine intended for the United States. He is to be sentenced in April.
González Valencia faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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