Extradited Jalisco Cartel Co-founder Could Provide Key Information on CJNG and 'El Mencho' In Plea Deal With U.S. Authorities

In February, the Mexican government extradited 29 individuals to the United States, all accused of having ties to organized crime groups. The move, part of ongoing cooperation between Mexico and U.S. authorities in tackling transnational criminal networks, was followed months later by the extradition of 26 more alleged cartel members.

Among those extradited in the first wave was Érick Valencia Salazar, also known as "El 85." He stands of being a former co-founder and later adversary of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes — widely known as "El Mencho" — the current leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

According to Infobae México, Valencia is now seeking to strike a guilty plea in the U.S. in hopes of negotiating with federal prosecutors to avoid a full trial. Given his former high-ranking position in the CJNG, he is believed to hold valuable intelligence on the group's leadership, including El Mencho, as well as its internal operations.

Co-founder of the CJNG

Valencia Salazar's criminal trajectory began at the now-defunct Milenio Cartel. In 2010, a power struggle within the organization led to a split, forming two rival factions: Los Torcidos, co-led by Valencia and El Mencho, and La Resistencia, which aligned with the Zetas cartel. This fragmentation gave rise to what would later become the CJNG.

In the early years of the CJNG, Valencia was regarded as one of its primary leaders, playing a key role in expanding its influence across several Mexican states, including Michoacán, Morelos, Guerrero and Veracruz.

In 2012, he was captured by Mexican federal forces in Jalisco and held in a maximum-security prison for five years. However, he was eventually released due to due process violations cited by the court.

Fallout with El Mencho

Shortly after his release, Valencia cut ties with El Mencho and founded a splinter group known as the Cártel Nueva Plaza in 2018. Establishing a stronghold in Guadalajara, he launched a violent campaign against the CJNG to gain control over strategic areas in Jalisco and Colima. According to Mexican outlets, he allied himself with the Sinaloa Cartel.

Valencia was recaptured on Sept. 4, 2022, in Tapalpa, Jalisco, in a joint operation by the Mexican Army and the National Guard. Although he initially obtained a temporary injunction to delay his extradition, that protection was lifted earlier this year.

He is now facing federal charges in Washington, D.C., where prosecutors accuse him of orchestrating large-scale cocaine shipments into the United States dating back to 2003. The charges are tied to a 2018 federal indictment issued in Washington, D.C., which accuses Valencia of conspiring to traffic cocaine into the United States over a span of more than a decade.

His defense team is currently engaged in plea negotiations with U.S. prosecutors. According to U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, both sides are acting in "good faith" and are working toward a resolution that would avoid going to trial. A key hearing in the case has been scheduled for Oct. 29.