Brother Of CJNG Leader 'El Mencho' Gets 22½ Years In U.S. Prison

Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, brother of slain Jalisco New Generation Cartel boss Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, was sentenced Friday to 22 1/2 years in U.S. prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.^[1]

A federal court imposed the sentence after Oseguera Cervantes admitted he helped move large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States and possessed a firearm to advance the trafficking scheme.^[1] He had pleaded guilty in July to conspiring to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than 500 grams of methamphetamine for importation, as well as to using, carrying and possessing a gun in furtherance of that conspiracy.

In July 2026, Oseguera Cervantes entered the plea agreement that set the stage for Friday's sentencing, avoiding a trial on wider allegations about his role in the cartel's logistics and enforcement operations. Prosecutors said his conduct supported the Jalisco New Generation Cartel's multibillion-dollar drug pipeline, one of the most powerful and violent criminal organizations targeting the U.S. market. The case is one of the most prominent U.S. prosecutions linked to the group's leadership circle since American authorities designated the cartel a foreign terrorist organization in 2025, a move that expanded the legal tools available to go after its financiers, arms suppliers and family networks.

Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes built the Jalisco New Generation Cartel into a dominant trafficking force by combining industrial-scale synthetic drug production with paramilitary tactics, drawing intense pressure from U.S. and Mexican authorities before he was killed. The cartel leveraged family ties to maintain control and resilience, leaving relatives like Antonio exposed to prosecution as governments on both sides of the border tried to dismantle its command structure. U.S. officials have argued that long sentences for high-ranking associates are meant both to disrupt cartel operations and to signal that family proximity to top leaders will not shield traffickers from accountability.

1. CBS News