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One of Mexico’s top drug cartel leaders has been sentenced to 30 years in US federal prison for orchestrating massive cocaine shipments and enabling cartel violence across borders.

Some shit you should know before you read: Back in 2021, José González Valencia, known as “Chepa,” was extradited to the United States from Brazil after being arrested in 2017 while vacationing under a false identity. A top figure in Los Cuinis, a wealthy and influential Mexican drug cartel, Valencia played a central role in coordinating shittons of cocaine shipments from Colombia through Mexico and into the United States. Los Cuinis basically operated as the financial and logistical arm of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. Closely tied to CJNG through blood and marriage (Valencia is the brother-in-law of CJNG leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes), he oversaw the group’s smuggling operations.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, Judge Beryl Howell sentenced Valencia to 30 years in US federal prison for his role in a massive international drug trafficking conspiracy. The sentence, handed down in Washington, DC, was the maximum allowed under the terms of his extradition from Brazil, which stipulated that the US government could not seek more than 30 years.

During the trial, prosecutors detailed Valencia’s decade-long leadership of Los Cuinis, alleging that he helped smuggle tens of thousands of kilos of cocaine into the United States using aircraft, boats, and even semi-submersible vessels (commonly referred to as narco subs). He also provided weapons and ammunition to CJNG and directed violent attacks, including the murder of a man who allegedly stole a 1,000-kilo shipment of cocaine from the cartel.

According to the DOJ, Valencia was also instrumental in laundering hundreds of millions of dollars in drug proceeds through a network of shell companies and real estate transactions that spanned Mexico, the US, and beyond.

Despite the weight of the allegations, Valencia’s defense argued that his involvement was overstated and that he was not directly responsible for many of the violent acts attributed to the cartel. They also stressed that he had accepted a plea deal in December 2022 and cooperated with authorities, although details of his cooperation remain sealed.

Reactions: In a statement, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said, “Today, the Criminal Division dealt two more devastating blows to CJNG and Los Cuinis through the sentencing of Jose Gonzalez-Valencia and the conviction of Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa. These men and the cartels they led are responsible for immeasurable death and destruction in the United States and Mexico. The Justice Department will continue to dismantle CJNG, Los Cuinis and all other transnational criminals.”

Acting DEA Administrator Robert Murphy added, “CJNG is one of the most powerful, influential, and ruthless criminal organizations to threaten our public safety and national security. Each leader and associate of CJNG who faces justice within the United States brings us one step closer to dismantling this terrorist organization. The DEA will continue to use all available resources to disrupt CJNG’s drug trafficking and money laundering operations and systematically destroy their network.”