Extradition Of ‘El 85’: How Many Years In Prison Could The Founder Of CJNG Face In The USA?

Mica for cartelinsider.com

A district judge denied protective action for Erick Valencia Salazar, also known as ‘El 85’, against his extradition to the United States (US). Therefore, the founder of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) would be closer to facing justice in the neighboring country for drug trafficking activities.

It was Alfonso Alexander López Moreno, Fifth District Judge of the State of Mexico, who chose not to protect ‘El 85’ against his extradition order which was issued on August 16, 2023. This despite the fact that the criminal operator appealed a decision by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs (SRE) to avoid being handed over to US authorities.

Valencia Salazar has the possibility to file a review appeal in order for a collegiate court to confirm or overturn her extradition. However, the judge’s ruling implies that the Mexican drug trafficker would be closer to being taken to Washington.

‘El 85’ was indicted in a 2018 federal indictment in the District of Columbia for importing large amounts of narcotics into the United States between 2003 and 2018, before and during their leadership in the “cartel of the four letters”.

The charge he is facing in the District of Columbia is conspiracy to distribute five kilograms of cocaine for importation into US territory, for which he could face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Valencia Salazar was arrested twice in Mexico. The first one took place on March 9, 2012 by army troops in Zapopan, Jalisco, which triggered a series of narco roadblocks with burning vehicles. During these actions, Otoniel Mendoza, also known as ‘Tony Montana’, one of his main collaborators, was also arrested.

But in 2017, a Third District Judge in Guadalajara ordered his release. By then, the US authorities already had him in their sights, so the following year a provisional arrest warrant was issued for his extradition. In fact, the Department of State announced a reward of up to USD five million for information leading to his capture.

On September 4, 2022, ‘El 85’ was arrested for the second time in Tapalpa, Jalisco. Since that date, he has been confined in the maximum-security prison known as ‘El Altiplano’, located in the municipality of Almoloya de Juárez, State of Mexico.

Salazar is originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco. The US has two registered dates of birth for him: March 11th, 1977 and November 19th, 1982. Additionally, they identify him with the alias of Saúl Ulloa Cuevas.

Before founding the CJNG alongside Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, ‘El Mencho’, Salazar served as a lieutenant for Ignacio Coronel Villarreal, a drug trafficker for the Sinaloa Cartel who died in July 2010 after a confrontation with law enforcement.

After the death of Coronel and the arrest of brothers Juan and Carlos Nava Valencia, ‘El 85’ chose to found the CJNG alongside ‘El Mencho’, while another criminal organization called “La Resistencia” emerged, led by Elpidio Mojarro Ramírez, alias ‘El Pilo’.

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Mica

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