Brother of Murdered Cartel Chief Admits Guilt in U.S. Drug Case

WHO:

CBS News - Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, 67, of Michoacán, Mexico, pleaded guilty.

CBS News - Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," was the slain brother of Antonio and a drug lord.

CBS News - The Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) was co-founded and led by El Mencho.

CBS News - Juan Carlos Gonzalez is identified as the new leader of CJNG.

WHAT:

CBS News - Antonio Oseguera Cervantes pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States.

CBS News - He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

CBS News - Oseguera Cervantes is alleged to have distributed 450 kilograms (about 992 pounds) of cocaine and at least 45 kilograms (roughly 99 pounds) of methamphetamine from January 1998 to December 2022.

CBS News - He also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy.

WHERE:

CBS News - The guilty plea was entered in Washington, D.C.

CBS News - The violence following El Mencho's killing occurred across 20 Mexican states.

WHEN:

CBS News - Antonio Oseguera Cervantes was transferred from Mexico to the U.S. for prosecution in February 2025.

CBS News - U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell is scheduled to sentence him on Nov. 13.

WHY:

CBS News - The killing of El Mencho by the Mexican army sparked nationwide unrest, leading to cartel members erecting highway blockades and setting fire to vehicles and buildings.

HOW:

CBS News - The U.S. announced sanctions targeting more than 50 Mexican individuals and entities linked to CJNG.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 23:20 UTC)

Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, 67, of Michoacán, Mexico, has pleaded guilty in Washington, D.C., to conspiring to traffic cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States, facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. He is alleged to have distributed nearly 450 kilograms of cocaine and at least 45 kilograms of methamphetamine from January 1998 to December 2022, and he also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Following the killing of his brother, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," violence erupted across 20 Mexican states, prompting the U.S. to impose sanctions on over 50 individuals and entities linked to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, which El Mencho co-founded and led.