By SDCN Staff
The brother of a notorious Mexican cartel leader pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for unlawful importation into the United States, and using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, 67, of Michoacán, Mexico, trafficked cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States for Mexico-based cartels for over two decades. From around 2002 to 2010, Oseguera Cervantes operated as a member of the Milenio Cartel in Jalisco, Mexico, overseeing narcotics sales, protecting territories from rival cartels, and supervising and maintaining the operations of methamphetamine laboratories. He procured precursor chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine and distributed methamphetamine and cocaine destined for the United States.
The court filings state that since around 2010, Oseguera Cervantes worked with and reported directly to his notorious and now-deceased brother, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “Mencho,” who co-founded and led the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The cartel is one of the most prolific and dangerous drug cartels in Mexico, based in the State of Jalisco, which traffics multi-tonnage quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States. Oseguera Cervantes furthered the cartel’s drug trafficking operations, including by supplying precursor chemicals to their methamphetamine laboratories and distributing cocaine and methamphetamine for them. He also collected drug proceeds and managed the cartel’s money laundering activities, such as transferring drug proceeds from the United States to Mexico through currency exchange locations. When collecting drug proceeds or attending meetings to discuss drug trafficking, Oseguera Cervantes armed himself with a pistol.
Oseguera Cervantes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine destined to the United States, as well as using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of two consecutive life sentences in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit Los Angeles is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance to Oseguera Cervantes’ February 2025 transfer from Mexico to the United States pursuant to Mexico’s National Security law. The Department of Justice thanks the Government of Mexico for its assistance in securing Oseguera Cervantes’ presence in the United States for prosecution.
Chief Kaitlin Sahni of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit and Trial Attorneys Lernik Begian, Douglas Meisel, and Nicole Lockhart, of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.
