Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, 67, appeared in a Washington court on Friday, July 31, 2026, at 5:19 PM EDT, to enter a guilty plea regarding his participation in a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States. Federal prosecutors allege that Oseguera Cervantes, a native of Michoacán, Mexico, was involved in the distribution of at least 450 kilograms of cocaine and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine between January 1998 and December 2022. Besides the conspiracy charge, Antonio Oseguera Cervantes also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy.
The defendant is the brother of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as "El Mencho," who co-founded the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). According to prosecutors, Antonio Oseguera Cervantes worked alongside his brother within the organization, having previously served as a member of the Milenio Cartel. Following his transfer from Mexico to the U.S. in February 2025, he now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell is slated to preside over his sentencing on Nov. 13.
The death of "El Mencho" at the hands of the Mexican army in February triggered a wave of violence across 20 Mexican states, as cartel members responded with highway blockades and arson attacks on vehicles and buildings. The unrest resulted in more than 70 deaths, including the loss of 25 National Guard members. The CJNG, which was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration last year, remains a primary focus of U.S. law enforcement. This month, the United States issued sanctions against more than 50 individuals and entities connected to the cartel, including its new leader, the dual U.S.-Mexican national Juan Carlos Gonzalez.
