California man who co-founded powerful Mexican cartel pleads guilty in U.S.

Crime California man who co-founded CJNG cartel with slain drug lord "El Mencho" pleads guilty in U.S. to conspiracy Updated on: April 8, 2026 / 6:27 AM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google A California man who co-founded one of Mexico's most powerful and violent drug cartels pleaded guilty on Tuesday in the U.S. to a federal narcotics conspiracy charge.Erick Valencia Salazar formed the Jalisco New Generation Cartel with Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the drug lord known as "El Mencho" who was killed by the Mexican army in February.Valencia Salazar, 49, of Santa Clara, California, faces a mandatory-minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison after pleading guilty in Washington, D.C., to one count of conspiring to distribute cocaine for U.S. importation. Chief Judge James Boasberg is scheduled to sentence him on July 31.Valencia Salazar was a member of the Milenio Cartel before he and Oseguera Cervantes founded the Jalisco cartel, which is known by its Spanish-language acronym CJNG. Hundreds of CJNG members reported to Valencia Salazar, whose duties included recruitment and obtaining information about cartel rivals, prosecutors said."He also used information about rival cartels to locate and kill CJNG's enemies and gain control of all drug trafficking operations in particular territories in Mexico," the Justice Department said in a news release.Valencia Salazar, also known as "El 85," formed his own cartel, La Nueva Plaza, after parting ways with "El Mencho," who led the CJNG until his death. Soldiers stand guard over Erick Valencia Salazar, alias "El 85," in Mexico City, March 12, 2012. Alexandre Meneghini / AP A. Tysen Duva, the assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's criminal division, said the CJNG has inflicted "immeasurable damage" on the U.S. "Valencia Salazar was also responsible for furthering the rampant violence in Mexico, at the expense of people's lives and the safety of communities, that helped destabilize th...