U.S. Justice Department moves to seize California ranch owned by CJNG’s new boss

In 2011, Juan Carlos Valencia González purchased a 19,468-square-meter ranch in Hemet, California, for $250,000, registering it with his mother’s surname. Since then, the land’s assessed value has risen to roughly $695,000, and it now serves as a quiet refuge containing livestock and a modest dwelling. After Valencia González assumed leadership of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel following the death of his stepfather Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, U.S. officials have targeted the property.

The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture action in the District of Columbia, and the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned his U.S. holdings, freezing assets and prohibiting transactions. The case is being handled by the DOJ’s Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section, with DEA Director Terry Cole labeling Valencia González the agency’s top priority and a $25 million reward now offered for information leading to his arrest. The ranch is currently managed by his maternal uncle José María González Valencia, while a Mexican-born horse trainer who rents the site fears eviction.