A longtime Mexican drug trafficker with alleged ties to one of the country’s most notorious criminal organizations has admitted guilt in a United States federal court, marking a significant development in a years-long investigation into cross-border narcotics trafficking.
The defendant, Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, acknowledged his role in trafficking large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States while also admitting to carrying firearms to support the criminal enterprise.
Decades-Long Role in International Drug Trade
According to court filings, 67-year-old Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, a resident of Michoacán, Mexico, spent more than 20 years involved in large-scale drug trafficking operations serving powerful Mexican cartels.
Federal prosecutors said that between approximately 2002 and 2010, he operated within the Milenio Cartel in Jalisco.
During that period, he allegedly managed narcotics distribution, protected cartel-controlled territories from rival groups, oversaw methamphetamine production sites, and secured chemical ingredients used to manufacture the synthetic drug.
Authorities said the drugs produced under his supervision were intended for illegal distribution in the United States.
Alleged Leadership Role Within CJNG
After the decline of the Milenio Cartel, prosecutors said Oseguera Cervantes became a key figure within the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal organizations.
Court documents state that he worked directly under his brother, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho,” who co-founded and led the cartel.
Investigators allege that Oseguera Cervantes played a central role in expanding the group’s operations by supplying precursor chemicals to methamphetamine laboratories, coordinating cocaine and methamphetamine distribution, and overseeing the movement of illicit profits.
He is also accused of managing money laundering activities by arranging for drug proceeds generated in the United States to be transferred back to Mexico through currency exchange businesses.
Firearm Carried During Drug Operations
Prosecutors said Oseguera Cervantes routinely armed himself with a pistol while collecting drug proceeds and attending meetings connected to cartel activities.
As part of his plea agreement, he admitted to using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy in addition to acknowledging responsibility for conspiring to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine destined for the United States.
Sentencing Scheduled for November
The federal court has scheduled Oseguera Cervantes’ sentencing for November 13.
He faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years.
Depending on the court’s final decision and federal sentencing guidelines, he could receive a significantly longer punishment, including the possibility of consecutive life sentences.
A federal judge will determine the final sentence after reviewing the applicable legal factors.
International Cooperation Led to Extradition
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit based in Los Angeles.
US officials credited the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Government of Mexico for facilitating Oseguera Cervantes’ transfer to the United States in February 2025 under Mexico’s National Security law, allowing him to face prosecution in federal court.
Senior officials from the Justice Department and the DEA announced the guilty plea, while prosecutors from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are leading the case.
Part of Wider Crackdown on Transnational Crime
Authorities said the prosecution forms part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a multi-agency effort designed to dismantle international drug cartels, criminal gangs, human trafficking organizations, and money laundering networks operating across borders.
The initiative brings together federal law enforcement agencies to target senior members of organized crime groups, seize illicit financial assets, and prosecute those accused of directing large-scale criminal enterprises that threaten public safety in the United States and beyond.
