CJNG cartel leader’s brother pleads guilty to drug trafficking, gun charge

A Mexican national who worked directly with one of Mexico’s most prolific and dangerous drug cartels pleaded guilty Monday to a drug-trafficking conspiracy charge and a firearms offense tied to more than two decades of cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking into the United States, the Justice Department announced.

Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, 67, of Michoacán, Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine for unlawful importation into the United States, as well as using, carrying and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug-trafficking conspiracy, prosecutors said. Court documents state that Oseguera Cervantes trafficked cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States for Mexico-based cartels for more than 20 years.

From approximately 2002 to 2010, Oseguera Cervantes operated as a member of the Milenio Cartel in Jalisco, Mexico. Prosecutors said he oversaw narcotics sales, protected territory from rival cartels and supervised the operation of methamphetamine laboratories. He also procured precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine and distributed methamphetamine and cocaine destined for the United States.

Since approximately 2010, court filings state, Oseguera Cervantes worked with and reported directly to his brother, the now-deceased Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “Mencho,” who co-founded and led the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, or CJNG. Officials described CJNG as one of the most prolific and dangerous drug cartels in Mexico, responsible for trafficking multi-ton quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States.

Prosecutors said Oseguera Cervantes advanced the cartel’s operations by supplying precursor chemicals to its methamphetamine laboratories, distributing drugs, collecting proceeds and managing money-laundering activities, including transferring drug proceeds from the United States to Mexico through currency-exchange locations. He armed himself with a pistol when collecting drug proceeds or attending meetings to discuss drug trafficking, according to court documents.

Oseguera Cervantes is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 13 and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of two consecutive life sentences. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terrance C. Cole announced the guilty plea.

The DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit in Los Angeles investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted with Oseguera Cervantes’ transfer from Mexico to the United States in February 2025 under Mexico’s National Security law. The department thanked the Mexican government for helping secure his presence in the United States for prosecution.

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Chief Kaitlin Sahni of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit and Trial Attorneys Lernik Begian, Douglas Meisel and Nicole Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.

The prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159 to combat criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human-smuggling and trafficking networks.

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