U.S. intelligence has identified dual citizen Juan Carlos Valencia as the new leader of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel, creating potential legal and operational complications for American authorities seeking his capture.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
MEXICO CITY — A California-born drug trafficker with dual U.S.-Mexican citizenship has taken control of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel nearly five months after the organization’s previous leader was killed in a Mexican military operation, according to U.S. intelligence.
Juan Carlos Valencia, 41, was born in Santa Ana, California, and was identified Wednesday as the new leader of the cartel, one of Mexico’s most violent criminal organizations, according to The New York Post.
Valencia succeeded his stepfather, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, who was killed during a Mexican military anti-drug operation nearly five months earlier.
The United States offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Valencia’s capture in 2021. That reward remains active as authorities assess the implications of his elevation to the cartel’s top position.
Valencia’s American citizenship could complicate how U.S. agencies participate in any operation aimed at capturing him, particularly if the operation creates a serious risk to his life.
A U.S. law enforcement source told The Post that Valencia’s citizenship could alter the rules governing such an operation.
“It should change the rules of engagement where we will not target,” the source said. “We’re not supposed to target, put a U.S. citizen in danger. He’s got dual citizenship. But his US citizenship should protect him from the typical protocol of launching an operation that would put his life in unnecessary jeopardy.”
The source said American agencies could still provide intelligence to Mexican authorities while leaving the actual operation under Mexican control.
“The US will never say that they’re the ones who coordinated an operation because it’s Mexican soil and its Mexican sovereignty,” the source said.
“But it would be their operation. That’s the way to get around the citizenship thing if somebody wanted to get around it.”
A social media post about Valencia’s rise also circulated following the identification of the cartel’s new leader.
Valencia comes from a family with longstanding ties to Mexico’s drug trade. His father co-founded the Milenio Cartel, which has since disbanded.
Valencia later rose through the ranks of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and joined Grupo Elite, the organization’s armed wing.
His progression through the cartel eventually placed him second in the leadership succession behind Audias “El Jardinero” Flores.
Flores was arrested by the Mexican navy earlier this year, removing the final senior figure ahead of Valencia and clearing his path to the top position.
Some security analysts suspect Valencia may have played a role in Flores’ arrest by providing information about his location and using the operation to eliminate an internal rival.
A security consultant pointed to the cartel’s muted response following Flores’ capture as evidence supporting that theory.
“After he was arrested, there were practically no acts of narco-terrorism — no roadblocks, no looting of stores, and no reaction whatsoever from the Jalisco Cartel,” the consultant said.
“There was no significant backlash. This suggests that Juan Carlos Valencia himself was in on it and was the one who revealed El Jardinero’s location, thereby eliminating internal rivals.”
Valencia now controls the cartel while remaining the subject of an open U.S. reward and an international manhunt.
His dual citizenship adds another layer to the longstanding challenge of coordinating anti-cartel operations across the U.S.-Mexico border. American agencies may continue gathering and sharing intelligence, but any attempt to arrest him on Mexican territory would likely require close coordination with Mexican authorities and careful consideration of the protections attached to his U.S. citizenship.
Original article
Comments