Noticias PV reports El 03 consolidation atop CJNG

Reporting and context

Noticias PV reports that Juan Carlos Valencia González, known as “El 03” or “El Pelón,” has consolidated his position as the reported leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) six months after the February operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, in which the outlet says Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” was killed. The report attributes the leadership assessment to intelligence information from the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Cartel Insider Wire did not independently check the intelligence assessment or the reported chain of command.

The report says Valencia González is a U.S. citizen with an open case in federal court in the District of Columbia and places the CJNG’s estimated operational strength at between 15,000 and 20,000 people across several Mexican states. Noticias PV identifies Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez, “El Chorro,” and Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytán, “El Sapo,” as alleged direct subordinates, and says Audias Flores Silva, “El Jardinero,” was arrested in Nayarit. Those descriptions are presented as the outlet’s account of U.S. agency information, not as a court determination by this publication.

Noticias PV also reports that the U.S. State Department raised the reward for information leading to Valencia González’s capture to $25 million and announced a broader package of rewards for other alleged CJNG leaders. The outlet says U.S. authorities revoked visas belonging to relatives and business associates and that the DEA director described the organization as operating through franchises and local alliances. The reported affiliations, estimates, visa actions and official statements should be understood as attributed claims and remain subject to confirmation through the relevant agencies and court records.