José González Valencia
José González Valencia (born May 18, 1975) is a Mexican suspected drug lord and former top leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). He was born in Aguililla, Michoacán, Mexico. He led Los Cuinis, the CJNG’s money‑laundering network, and served as the security chief to CJNG boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho. He is accused of coordinating drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, Asia, and Europe.
Facing investigations in Mexico and the United States, he fled Mexico in 2015 using a fake name and lived in Bolivia, where he obtained temporary residency with a Bolivian ID. He was arrested in December 2017 in Brazil at a beach resort as part of a U.S. extradition request. He was extradited to the United States in November 2021 to stand trial on cocaine trafficking charges.
Known by the nicknames El Chepa, Camarón, and Santy, he has been linked to the CJNG’s expansion and to Los Cuinis’ money‑laundering activities. In June 2025, he was sentenced in a U.S. federal court to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:50 (CET).