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El Mencho's Heir Takes Over CJNG!

The Underworld Podcast

Tue Apr 28 2026

Summary

Podcast Summary: El Mencho’s Heir Takes Over CJNG!

Podcast: The Underworld Podcast
Episode Title: El Mencho's Heir Takes Over CJNG!
Date: April 28, 2026
Hosts: Danny Gold & Sean Williams

Overview

This episode dives deep into the recent upheaval within Mexico's most powerful cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), following the dramatic death of its notorious leader, El Mencho (Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes). Journalists Danny Gold and Sean Williams break down the complex criminal pedigree of El Mencho’s stepson—Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez—who is now seen as the likely new head of CJNG. Along the way, the hosts unravel the tangled family dynamics, discuss the evolution of Mexican cartels, and reflect on the broader implications of this recent power shift for Mexico, the U.S., and international organized crime.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Fall of El Mencho and Its Immediate Fallout

El Mencho (Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes), leader of CJNG, was killed in a U.S.-backed raid in February 2026 ([10:48]).
- His death triggered a wave of violence—blockades, street battles, attacks on Mexican security forces—and significant chaos, including in cities slated to host the World Cup ([11:16]).
- “His death triggered an attack on the state by his cartel soldiers that saw dozens of Mexican security forces killed. Terrorist zones shut down, blockades, things being set on fire, chaos at the airports, violence and massive insecurity nearly across all of Mexico.” —Danny Gold ([10:48])

2. Cartel Succession: The Rise (and Limitations) of 'Nepo Babies'

El Mencho’s direct heir, his son El Manchito, cannot assume power—he’s been imprisoned for life in the U.S. ([14:32]).
- “He showed a natural aptitude for it and was a major player since he was a teenager. Also half brother of our man from the Cold Open.” —Danny Gold ([13:58])
- Manchito's incarceration left a power vacuum in CJNG’s leadership structure.
New focus on El Mencho’s American stepson, Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez (a.k.a. El Pelón, Tricky Tres, R3), as reported by major media including the Wall Street Journal ([15:36]).
- “Gonzalez isn’t just your run of the mill Nepo baby replacement, though. For one, many seem to think he was the lieutenant or top level guy with...the most internal respect in CJNG.” —Danny Gold ([15:58])

3. The Cartel Dynasty: From Avocados to International Narcos

The Gonzalez/Valencia family background: originally wealthy avocado farmers in Michoacan, they leveraged their agricultural business as a front for narcotrafficking, growing into a multi-cartel enterprise ([18:13]).
The family founded or splintered into several notable groups:
- Millennial Cartel (Cártel del Milenio)
- Los Cuinis (financial arm/money laundering specialists)
- CJNG (Jalisco New Generation Cartel), eventually helmed by El Mencho ([19:55]).
Rosalinda Gonzalez Valencia (“La Jefa”), El Mencho’s wife and El Pelón’s mother, is herself a high-level operative and financial architect of the family’s operations ([17:32], [37:51]).
- “She is indeed the chief of hitmen for Nacho Coronel, but he lacked the lineage that Rosalinda, his wife, possessed.” —[Reads from Mexican media] ([27:02])
Inter-family and inter-cartel alliances, marriages, and betrayals have repeatedly shaped the Mexican criminal landscape.

4. The CJNG Structure and Evolution

CJNG’s rise was fueled by:
- Ruthless violence (notable early example: ambush of 15 police officers in Jalisco, 2015) ([03:35])
- Early adoption of methamphetamine and fentanyl production at a massive scale ([28:07])
Los Cuinis: At times a “parallel but allied” cartel, functioning as the CJNG’s financial wing, masterminding international money laundering operations through an impressive portfolio of legitimate businesses ([31:54]).
- Quote: “They control a vast fortune… have assets everywhere in South America, in Europe and Asia.” — Wall Street Journal / Owen Grillo ([32:49])
The militarization trend: CJNG (like rivals such as the Zetas) developed paramilitary enforcement wings; El Pelón led “Delta Group” (elite mercenary commandos, allegedly trained by Colombian ex-military) ([39:38]).

5. The Profile: Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez (“El Pelón”/R3)

Born 1984 in Santa Ana, California, stepson to Mencho and son of La Jefa, nephew to multiple cartel bosses—a product of narco dynasty ([34:39]).
Credible operational experience: Linked to kidnappings (notably of 'Los Chapitos'—El Chapo's sons—in a restaurant raid in 2016), assassinations, attacks on state officials ([37:38]).
Not flashy; reportedly respected internally for competence and low profile.
Subject of narco corridos celebrating his loyalty and prowess (“Routes, shipments, trucks, and planes. We are in charge of the cartel…” —quoted lyrics, [40:28]).
As of now, widely believed to be the new boss, but some analysts question whether he has enough support to consolidate power ([49:00]).
Notably a U.S. citizen, which may complicate U.S. intelligence targeting and legal strategies ([49:45]).

6. Cartel Politics, Succession, and Law Enforcement Dynamics

Succession drama: While some speculated La Jefa (Rosalinda) or other high-ranking lieutenants (“El Jardiner,” “El Toad,” “El Yogurt”) might take over, most sources point to El Pelón as the consensus choice ([47:48]).
Analysts suggest the CJNG may be more prone to fracture in coming years, much as Sinaloa has splintered.
U.S. law enforcement faces unique legal hurdles in surveilling and pursuing an American citizen cartel boss abroad—requiring extra legal justifications ([49:45]).
- “Under the rules for surveilling Americans overseas, the US would usually need to get sign off from the Attorney General and also persuade a secret foreign intelligence surveillance court...” —reads from Wall Street Journal ([49:45])
Yet, hosts agree these are surmountable obstacles, and large-scale U.S./Mexico cooperation in this fight is likely regardless.

7. Broader Context: What’s Next for CJNG & the Mexican Drug War?

With the death of Mencho and the arrest/extradition of other leadership figures (including Los Cuinis’ Abigail Valencia in 2025), CJNG faces a crucial period of transition ([44:24]).
Major upcoming events, such as the World Cup in Guadalajara, raise fears of cartel violence, but also incentives for cartels to avoid jeopardizing their vast business interests ([52:49]).
The hosts reflect on the persistent influence of cartel wealth in local economies—as both a stabilizing and corrupting force.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On cartel succession and "nepo babies":
- “Now, unfortunately for Mencho's legacy and for El Manchito, he's been locked up in the US since February of 2020... So his ability to take over the leadership is non-existent.” —Danny Gold ([14:32])
On the CJNG’s financial sophistication:
- “As someone who literally just had to set up one LLC, it is insanely impressive that these people do this without any real education... mapping it out, running all these businesses, I mean, they're doing it at a scale that's hard to fathom.” —Danny Gold ([32:49])
On the allure and risk of family business in the underworld:
- “The difference in the Italian and Jewish mafias in the 20s and 30s... The Jewish mafias did not want their kids to go into it. With the Italians, it was kind of like a hereditary thing—but that wasn’t always the case, obviously.” —Danny Gold ([35:23])
On American law and cartel warfare:
- “Under the rules for surveilling Americans overseas, the US would usually need to get sign-off from the Attorney General and also persuade a secret foreign intelligence surveillance court...” —Wall Street Journal quoted by Danny Gold ([49:45])
- “If we're being honest, if they want to keep an eye on the dude... they’re just gonna do it.” —Danny Gold ([51:55])
On the stakes for Mexico in the aftermath of Mencho’s death:
- “We have embarked on this route, and there is no turning back. One Mexican official said, otherwise they can kill us all.” —Quoted from the Wall Street Journal ([54:09])
Cartel nicknames & humorous asides:
- “The Gardener… seems like a cute, fun nickname until you think about why you would call a cartel leader the Gardener.” —Danny Gold ([47:54])
- “Tricky Tres… I actually like, or R3. Tricky Tres, I shouldn’t say it with a fake Spanish accent. That’s terrible.” —Danny Gold ([33:09])

Key Timestamps

[01:35] — Introduction to the Sinaloa-CJNG rivalry and the daring Puerto Vallarta restaurant kidnapping
[10:48] — Mencho's death, U.S. involvement, and consequences across Mexico
[13:58] — Succession challenges: Menchito’s arrest and imprisonment
[15:36] — Introduction of Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez as new probable leader
[18:13] — The millennial cartel; Valencia family’s criminal origins
[27:02] — "Diplomacy via marriage": how Mencho married into cartel royalty; Rosalinda’s pivotal role
[31:54] — Los Cuinis and the intersection of finance, family, and cartel operations
[39:38] — El Pelón: operational profile, rise in the cartel, paramilitary groups
[47:48] — Theories on succession; possible contenders; ultimate rise of El Pelón
[49:45] — US legal hurdles in pursuing/surveilling an American-born cartel boss
[54:09] — High stakes for Mexico: World Cup, cartel’s future, and government responses

Tone & Style

Danny and Sean maintain their signature balance of in-depth research, gallows humor, and a conversational, unfiltered journalism style. They riff on the complexity of drug war reporting, joke about international travel disasters, and poke fun at both narco-culture and their own roles as storytellers.

Final Thoughts

The collapse of El Mencho’s reign sets the stage for a new generation of cartel leadership—one deeply entangled in family networks, endowed with both business acumen and a reputation for violence. Whether Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez will consolidate his power or witness further cartel splintering remains uncertain, but the hosts agree: the underworld’s dynasties are as fluid and formidable as ever, and Mexico’s next chapter in the drug war is just beginning.

For further details, patron access, or to support more in-depth episodes, visit patreon.com/theunderworldpodcast or underworldpod.com.

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Transcript

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Sean Williams (0:20)

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Danny Gold (1:35)

August 2016 in Jalisco, Mexico. It's the end of the summer and the cartel underworld is dangling on the edge of something big. Only a few months earlier, the unthinkable happens. El Chapo, the most infamous cartel boss in the world, is captured by Mexican forces, locked up and then set to be extradited to the U.S. his cartel, Sinaloa, that once appeared to be unstoppable, is starting to show cracks. And nobody knows how things will go down between the upper echelons of Sinaloa, Chapo's kids replacements dubbed Los Chapitos, and his longtime partner, El Mayo Zambada. And as these things go, when a cartel starts to show weakness, or when there's even a hint of weakness suspected, the other players in the game start calculating and waiting to make their move. Is a relatively new upstart group, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, led by the shadowy and brutal El Mencho, descended from remnants of the millennial cartel. When it fractured around 2009, the CJNG, as it's known, are on the rise, thanks to a penchant for extreme violence and and a fearlessness that borders on reckless. They've been growing from a regional powerhouse into an organization that had the potential to eclipse even Sinaloa. And they are making their presence known only a year before they kill 15 federal police officers in Jalisco in a single ambush. Suffice it to say the princelings of Sinaloa should be keeping their heads on a swivel. But alas, they're not. Maybe they're misinformed. Or maybe when you grow up as the sons of one of the most powerful drug lords to ever exist, you just kind of feel like you can do whatever you want. That's really the only reasoning that makes any sense for why Ivan Archevaldo Guzman and his brother Jesus Alfredo Guzman would casually decide to dine at the upscale La Lecha restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, the stronghold of their upstart cartel rivals. In the CJNG. 4.4 in Google reviews, quote innovative Spanish inflected cuisine with local produce in a whimsical all white space plus a bar. Maybe not that whimsical, because what happens there is that around midnight, seven or so masked gunmen storm into the restaurant. Like an elite tactical unit, they quickly separate six men from the party, leaving behind a bunch of women, and take their new prisoners hostage. It's all done in a couple of minutes. It's professional, to say the least. It's an incredibly bold move. Not only are they in the heart of Puerto Vallarta's elite tour zone, but they're kidnapping the king's sons, the men who ostensibly sit atop the throne, or at the very least, next to the throne of the most powerful criminal organization in in Mexico. These men are supposed to be the next generation of Sinaloa. Some accounts say they were partying too hard, not being careful, caught lacking, as the kids would say, it's a bad look for them and for Sinaloa. The men are held for a week. They're eventually returned unharmed and alive. Rumors say their release is negotiated by none other than Omayo. There's no exact details provided for how the negotiations went down or what's given, but some sources say that Almayo was able to kidnap one of El Mencho's family members and basically tells them, if you don't release them, we're gonna kill this guy. Another rumor says Almayo simply pays out a heavy ransom. Whatever the reason, consider the message sent. There's a new dominant force in Mexico and they're not here to play around. Now what's really interesting is who is allegedly the force that behind that kidnapping and that is a narco by the name of Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez, El Mencho's stepson. A man with a pedigree like none other in Mexico's cartel world. And a decade later, the reported new head of the Jalisco New Generation cartel. As the newspaper El Pais reports quote, the history of Mexican drug trafficking is written in the story of Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez. His father was a pioneer in drug smuggling, trading, avocado farming in Michoacan for cocaine shipments. His mother and uncle transformed a family name into a criminal enterprise. And his stepfather was the world's most wanted drug lord, founder of an international empire. This is the Underworld Podcast. Welcome back to the Underworld Podcast, the only audio visual program that dares to ask the question, exactly how many hour long podcast episodes can one do on different players in Mexico's cartel underworld? And the answer, an infinite amount, as we're going to find out today. We are a show about international organized crime created and hosted by two journalists who have done this sort of reporting all over the world. What he still does. His name is Sean Williams. He's. I don't even know if he's in Paraguay or Uruguay or whatever. My name is Danny Gold. I'm joined by Sean. He has the record right now for being thrown out of nightlife establishments despite never actually doing anything wrong. Sean Williams. How's it going over there, bud?

Danny Gold (20:32)

They're getting a little bit gray. I don't know if I have the. The wings yet, though. But see what I said there, Tone? You see what I said there, Sean? Armando ends up working with some of the all times in Mexico's cartel world. First, Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, the boss of bosses. And then the Lord of the Skies, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the guys who revolutionized how cartels operated in Mexico. We've done episodes on. I mean, all of them probably mentioned them in a dozen or so at this point. You can do the search thing and find them. Or if you've seen narcos, you know how big they were. They really were the guys at the top of the top. He's able to take the Millennial Cartel and expand like crazy into a bunch of other Mexican states besides Michoacan. And they also stick to their roots and. And launder a lot of the proceeds through avocado farms and cattle. I think they also ship a lot of the drugs in avocados. In one legendary shipment In April of 1999, he takes 8,670 kilos of coke from a tuna boat owned by a Colombian transfers it into Mexico and then sneaks it into Texas. He's later indicted in the US that same year for trafficking coke, heroin and weed to various states. And he's arrested by the army in 2003. Okay, so that's. That's dad, right? The Millennial Cartel continues onward with his relatives at the helm and even aligns with the boys from Sinaloa to eventually take on Los Zetas. Now, this is a very confusing time in the cartel wars. It's a confusing period where all these groups and factions are aligning and fighting, then breaking apart. Maybe even more so than at, like, any other time. Quote. According to the dea, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is an offshoot of the Sinaloa cartel. For the U.S. treasury Department is an offshoot of the Millennial Cartel. Both visions are correct, wrote security expert Carlos Flores in the 2016 Atlas of Security in Defense of Mexico. Now, this gets a little more confusing, so stick with me. Los Cuinis is a cartel that emerges as a faction of the Millennial Cartel, and it's led by the brother of Rosalinda El Palon, or, you know, the stepson's mom, the new boss's mom, whose nickname is El Queenie. His name is Abigail. Rosalinda herself is also a high ranking member. Al Queenie goes to the US in the 1980s and works with El Mencho in a drug ring in California. I haven't done a ton on Mencho here, but we've covered it before in full episode, so briefly. Mencho famously worked in the avocado fields of the Valencias as a youth, where he befriended them and joined the Millennial Cartel. He was guarding their marijuana fields as a teenager in the 80s before allegedly being sent to work in a drug ring with Abigail, though the dates are iffy on that. And Mencho was arrested for selling heroin, whereas Abigail goes down for selling meth.

Danny Gold (29:46)

Yeah, I know it's something I'll definitely research when I'm. When I'm looking into that. That meth episode, but yeah. So the Millennial Cartel is fracturing into two distinct groups, one of which is headed by El Mencho alongside his brother in law, Abigail Valencia Elquini. They went out versus the other faction and this would eventually become cjng. Now, some sources say Los Cuinis forms officially around the same time as cjng, though they were definitely operating, albeit maybe informally before. By all accounts, it is or was a parallel though allied cartel to CJNG at this time. Like 2010, which again, super weird dynamics, right? Because Mencho is in charge of CJ&G and his wife is a high ranking member of those Queenies. As Insight Crime points out, quote, the precise nature of this relationship has never been fully clear. Some reports described the Queenies as the financial arm of the cjng, while others viewed it as a separate, if still affiliated organization. In 2014, there were even reports that that Alquini is the boss of CJNG and Mencho is his deputy. In 2015, Alquini is designated as a kingpin by the US and he's also arrested. So whether or not he was the boss doesn't really matter as much. Many sources say his sister and Mencho's wife, El Jefa, then takes over as the boss of Los Cuinis and starts handling all the finances and businesses. She's got six other sisters who also work with her, I think allegedly for some of them. But the others have been arrested, many of the brothers, if not all as well. Remember, we're talking 18 siblings here. And those Queenies, they're established traffickers, but their main expertise is money laundering. And Rosalinda, this is where she really shines. Those Queenies take some, you know, major hits in the 2010s, including the arrest of Abigail and some other major arrest of Valencia siblings and the higher ups, eventually they basically get absorbed into CJNG as the finance arm. That's if to say they even were separate in the first place. And when I say finance arm, I mean they run a global financial organization that moves tens of billions and owns dozens, if not hundreds of businesses and probably deals with just as many shell companies and bank accounts. Reports Owen Grillo's crash out media quote. The US treasury has blacklisted dozens of businesses it says are linked to the Queenies, such as hotel resorts, shopping malls, construction companies, housing developments, boutiques, a music promotion company, and a tequila brand. The Queenies are the ones who deal with the finances, so they end up with an incredible amount of wealth. A former Mexican federal agent involved in Queenies arrest in Mexico tells me they have assets everywhere in South America, in Europe and Asia. They control a vast fortune. Two things from that. One, as someone who literally just had to set up one llc, like it is insanely impressive that these people do this without any real education in like the finance sector, university. Like it's. It's incredible that they're able to, to do this and map it out. I mean, they get caught eventually. But to plot all this stuff and run all these business, I mean, I'm sure they have people doing it for them and it's a lot harder.

Danny Gold (32:52)

No, I think it is really challenging. But I think one of the big issues when you have people doing it for you in the real world is that some of them are inclined to steal from you. You probably don't do that as much in the Mexican cartel world. You know, the second thing I would add is that, remember we were talking about the chances of there being violence in Guadalajara during The World Cup. And I think one of the points that I was. I was making was that there are so many businesses in those cities that are run by the cartels that they're profiting off of and they're washing their money through. So doing anything that really threatens those businesses. I mean, that's one of the reasons you have the major resort cities in Mexico that for the most part, avoid serious violence. Now, it's not always the case, as we saw in Puerto Vallarta. Sometimes things do kick off when there's something crazy like El Mencho's death happening. But again, I really just don't think it's gonna happen, that they're gonna cause some sort of vast levels of violence that would really not just piss off the entire international world, but threaten their financial arms. I mean, the point of this really is to make money, and that is how they do it. Washing it through all these businesses. Also in 2015, that's when El Mencho's rightful heir is arrested. His son, El Manchito. And that paves the way for his stepson, nicknamed El Pelon, Baldy, Bimbo, Tricky Tres, which I kind of like, or R3. Tricky Tres, I should say it like that. I shouldn't say with a fake Spanish accent. That's terrible. He's born in Santa ana, California, in 1984, and he's born into the game. One could say Sean Williams. We don't know a lot about his childhood, though. Obviously his parents were narco bosses and he spent some of his youth in the United States. Should we just make something up and see if it becomes one of those things that one outlet says, and then every journalist moving forward just repeats it without fact checking? I think. Let's do that. Okay.

Danny Gold (37:51)

I assume their paperwork skills aren't. Aren't. Aren't like the Feds, you know? She's later arrested in Guadalajara in November of 2021 and accused by Mexican authorities of being a financial operator for the Jalisco cartel. By then, she's considered the chief financial operator, the legit CFO of the cjng, and one of the highest ranking members as of right now, at this moment in 2026, I believe she's free. Actually, I think. What was it? Deborah. Deborah Bonello, who we had on the show, who did a book on the. Female. Yeah, narco female female narco bosses. She, I think, wrote something or said something about that. She's a good source for this kind of stuff, so I want to make sure that we give her proper credit. Now, Rosalinda's son, around the time she's first arrested in 2018, we're talking about our boy El Palon, not. Not the full mentor's full son. Forms up an elite tactical group of sicarios that become known as Delta Group or elite Group. I've seen both mentioned, and I can't tell if they're the same, but the takeaway is the same. He is the leader of a group of sicarios that function more like a paramilitary group or military commandos. And this is part of the growing trend of the militarization of the cartels. Of course, that's how it's framed, especially with cjng, which, I don't know, strikes me as not that accurate after Los Edas came about like a decade or two earlier. Right? Guys with real military special forces training, you know? Anyway, he leaves this unit of the CJNG that are essentially their commandos who, you know, they go in like the tip of the spear to fight other cartels over routes and territories. Definitely not some run of the mill gang bangers. Right. They reportedly received training from Colombian military officials turned mercenaries. An elite group is no joke. Right. They go to war in different states, they take on Sinaloa, other serious units like Los Viagras, another smaller cartel, and La Familia Michoacan. So El Palon is a high ranking operator for years, but differing from a lot of other cartel princelings. He keeps low profile, he's not showy or flashy, and at this point, he's considered the third most powerful player in cjng, after Mencho and Manchito. He gains enough of a reputation as a fearsome guy that eventually there are dozens of narco ballads about him. The Narco Carritos writes a Mexican publication. Quote, these songs describe his loyalty to El Mencho, his role as an operational leader, and his alleged rise to power within the organization. One of the corridos, performed by Netton Vega, includes verses such as routes, shipments, trucks, and planes. We are in charge of the cartel. It keeps growing. Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to hold the position of boss. I always support my father. I will never let him down.

Danny Gold (44:24)

Love it. Die hard. So yeah, he is doing his cartel boss thing, leading the fight. And then In February of 2024, there were reports that he's captured in Ciudad Guzman, leading to the usual cartel flare ups. But that's apparently refuted shortly after and said to be just a run of the mill cartel blockade, which I don't know man, like maybe he was and they changed the story to sort of COVID up the fact that he just let him go because they were threatened. But interesting to have that reported and then have it refuted Interestingly again in 2025, in August, when Mexico extradites dozens of top cartel bosses to the U.S. remember there were a few of those like moments back then that were super surprising. You had like 30 guys getting sent over by Schonbaum to the U.S. one of those extradited is El Queeny himself, Abigail Mencho's brother in law and El Pelon's uncle. I think I mentioned earlier. He was arrested in 2015 but had managed to dodge extradition for a decade. Now Owen Grillo in Crashout details how the head of the DEA was actually waiting for Alcuni in particular and met him as he arrived in the U.S. that's how big of a deal he was. But now here we are, February 2026, Amencho has just been killed in a raid and the most powerful cartel in Mexico is leaderless. When he dies and things are up for grabs, it's still unsure who the heir is going to be. Keep in mind, we also aren't figuring out this stuff firsthand, right? Like we don't know really what's happening in the succession battle. It's not General Electric handing over the CEO title to someone new. There's no press releases for the most part. When the thinning starts, it's not just your hair that takes a hit, right? It can change how you feel day in, day out. It affects your self esteem. That's where HIMS comes in. They make it simple to take control of hair regrowth with personalized care that fits your life. HIMS offers convenient access to a range of prescription hair loss treatments with ingredients that actually work, right? Chews, oral medications, serums and sprays. And these are real doctor trusted ingredients like finasteride and minoxidil. That can stop further hair loss and regrow hair in as little as three to six months. You shouldn't have to go out of your way to feel like yourself. Hims brings expert care straight to you with 100% online access to personalized treatment plans and you can find the right treatment for you. They got 247 provider support once a day treatment options that fit your daily routine. Think of it as your digital treatments front door that gets you back to your old self. For simple online access to personalized and affordable care for hair loss, ED, weight loss and more, visit hims.com Underworld that's hims.com Underworld for your free online visit hims.com Underworld Feature products include compounded drug products which the FBA does not approve or verify for safety, effectiveness or quality. Prescription required. See website for full details, restrictions and important safety information. Individual results may vary based on studies of topical and oral minoxidil and finasteride. At first, some people think the reins might have even been handed to El Jefa, his wife, El Pelon's mom, Mentos wife, El Palon's mom. Remember, she is no slouch. She's got quite the pedigree as well. Now, I know what you're thinking, Sean. A woman in charge? Not on your watch. Well, it's 2026, pal. Grow up. It's a possibility. There have been other queenpins and like I said, we even had Deborah on the show who wrote the book about the history of women bosses in cartel land.

Danny Gold (49:00)

I think years ago I used to have him add in like the. The Fozzie Bear. But whenever, like every once in a while when you made those jokes, interestingly, some of them claimed they were lured to Mexico. These are the Colombian mercenaries under false pretenses and then forced to fight, which, I don't know, man, it seems like you'd have to be pretty naive in this case for that to happen to be like, oh, come over, Colombian soldiers, we need you for something. Oh, no, it's a cartel. The cartel trick. It just seems, I don't know, unrealistic to me. But it could happen. Who knows? What actually happens, according to many of the sources, when it comes to the succession battle, is that all of these lieutenants agree to respect Gonzalez as the new head of CJ&G. And I'm using the term lieutenants very loosely, by the way. I just use it to mean like the executive vice presidents and whatnot. I don't know how else you describe all these guys. So Gonzalez, heavily respected, earns it, gets his hands dirty. He's been effective, low profile, has the pedigree. So he's not. Not like a typical Nepo baby handover. Anyway, lot of pressure to take over cartel when its cult like psychopath founder gets killed. Though another analyst says that maybe not as respected as we think, which is that guy David Saucedo, I think that we mentioned before. He tells the New York Post that Valencia Gonzalez, quote, still lacks influence among other cartel commander commanders to consolidate leadership. He's also just guessing, though, like we say, and we'll see how long CJ&G can hold out or if they can keep things together. It really seems like, though, the last five years, we've seen the two biggest cartels in Mexico fracture. First Sinaloa, now maybe cjng. And then what's really interesting about this and what a big part of the WSJ article focuses on is the legal issues with surveillance targeting everything that happens. Now because he's an American citizen, that's sort of the crux of that big article, writes the journal. Quote, U.S. intelligence agencies may now face legal hurdles in directly targeting collecting personal data on Valencia Gonzalez because of his place of birth. That risks hindering a significant tactical partnership that has developed between Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Washington that is making increasing use of information provided by U.S. military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Under the rules for surveilling Americans overseas, the the US would usually need to get sign off from the Attorney General and also persuade a secret foreign intelligence surveillance court that Valencia Gonzalez is acting as an agent of foreign power such as an international terrorist group. Although the hurdles are surmountable, the additional procedural requirements could hobble a fast moving operation, current and former U.S. officials said. Which definitely could complicate things. But, you know, as we know, in tandem with Mexico and their request, the CIA was instrumental in the operation to take out El Mencho, but more so with surveillance. They used an unarmed Predator drone to watch a compound where Mexico's Mentos lover was staying. Kept an eye on it, and then, you know, I guess a guy was pretty sure it was Mento. They thought they id'd him. And then only hours later, Mexican special forces launched their raid. But, you know, if we're being honest, like, let's be real, if they want to keep an eye on the dude, do the surveillance stuff, they're just gonna do it.