An associate of the Jalisco cartel was convicted of dealing methamphetamine out of his car dealership in Texas on Friday.

In a statement, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas said Marco Antonio Gonzalez, 42, was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after a four-day trial.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Gonzalez, an associate of the Jalisco cartel who goes by the nickname "Speedy," dealt methamphetamine between July 2016 and August 2017 out of his Hampton Motors, a car dealership he owned in Dallas, Texas. 

According to court documents, Gonzalez and several co-conspirators stored large quantities of narcotics at the dealership and used the money from drug sales to purchase vehicles in order to disguise the source of the funds.

They also allegedly used homes in Dallas and DeSoto to serve as laboratories for the recrystallization of meth and often carried guns on those areas. DEA agents said that members of the Jalisco cartel moved thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine this way.

During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Gonzalez threatened to kill one of his co-conspirators set to testify against him. The co-conspirator still testified against Gonzalez, saying that Gonzalez used his dealership as a front for large-scale drug deals.

Altogether, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that DEA agents confiscated 750 kilograms of methamphetamine valued at $5 million to $7 million in connection with this case.

Gonzalez, who was also accused of distributing cocaine and marijuana, faces up to life in federal prison when sentenced. The statement said 10 of his co-conspirators pleaded guilty to charges before the trial.

"Today's conviction is an affirmation of DEA resolve to keep methamphetamines out of our communities... Methamphetamine continues to be a significant threat in North Texas. DEA and all our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those like Mr. Gonzalez accountable for their actions," Eduardo A. Chavez, special agent in charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division, said in the statement.

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$5 Million Reward Offered for the Stepson of Jalisco Cartel Boss' El Mencho'

The conviction of the Jalisco cartel associate in Texas came days after the U.S. State Department offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest of the stepson of Jalisco cartel leader Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera.

On December 1, the State Department announced that Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, known by his aliases "El Pelon" and "El R-3," was one of the alleged leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).

The department noted that the Jalisco cartel is considered "to be the most violent drug trafficking organization currently operating in Mexico, with the highest cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine trafficking capacity."

In an October 8, 2020 indictment, U.S.-born Valencia Gonzalez has been charged by the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia with conspiracy and distribution of a controlled substance for unlawful importation to the U.S. and use of a firearm during a narcotics transaction.

El Mencho's stepson has been charged with conspiring to traffic more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 500 grams of methamphetamine as early as 2007.

Valencia Gonzalez was identified by Mexico's Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval as one of the leaders of the Jalisco cartel's "Grupo Elite." The armed wing, formed in 2019, reportedly operates in Zacatecas, Guanajuato, and Michoacan states in Mexico. 

Valencia Gonzalez's mother, Rosalinda Gonzalez, is married to El Mencho. Rosalinda was 14 when she gave birth to Valencia Gonzalez. Rosalinda met and fell in love with El Mencho two years later.

Rosalinda and El Mencho eventually got married and had three children, namely Laisha Michelle Oseguera, Ruben Oseguera, and Jessica Johana Oseguera.

The Jalisco Cartel

The Jalisco cartel is currently being led by El Mencho, according to an Insight Crime report. The CJNG came out from the Sinaloa Cartel in 2010 after the death of former Sinaloa Cartel capo Ignacio Coronel, known as "Nacho," who was killed by Mexican security forces. 

Nacho's death resulted in the split of the Sinaloa Cartel into two factions - "La Resistencia" and "Torcidos." The "Torcidos" became what is now the Jalisco cartel, which has since expanded rapidly in Mexico.

The CJNG involves itself in many criminal activities, including international drug trafficking. Most recently, the drug cartel got involved in synthetic drugs and powerful opioids like fentanyl.

El Mencho continues to evade capture, and the U.S. government offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. El Mencho remains to be the most elusive criminal and is reportedly hiding in Mexico.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

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