Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, the brother of slain Mexican cartel boss Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, pleaded guilty Friday in Washington to federal drug-trafficking and firearms charges. The plea puts another senior figure tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel on track for sentencing in the U.S. capital.
Oseguera Cervantes, 67, admitted conspiring to traffic cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that conspiracy, according to ClickOnDetroit. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, with U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell scheduled to sentence him on November 13.
Two Federal Charges Carry A Heavy Minimum
The case began with an indictment announced in 2023, when the U.S. Department of Justice said Oseguera Cervantes was accused of helping arrange the importation of at least five kilograms of cocaine and 500 grams of methamphetamine. Prosecutors also charged him with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense.
The plea comes after Oseguera Cervantes was transferred from Mexico to the United States for prosecution in February 2025, according to The Associated Press. Before his brother helped create CJNG, Oseguera Cervantes was a member of the Milenio Cartel, the news agency reported.
Cartel Family Tie Lands In A Washington Courtroom
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” co-founded and led CJNG, one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent cartels, before he was killed by the Mexican army in February 2026. Antonio Oseguera Cervantes had worked with cartels alongside his brother, federal prosecutors said.
El País reported that U.S. authorities had identified Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “Tony Montana,” as a financial and logistical figure within CJNG. That account adds context to why Friday’s plea carries more weight than a routine narcotics case, even though the federal charges themselves focus on trafficking and firearms.
The plea also arrives during a broader U.S. pressure campaign against CJNG. The Treasury Department said last week that it had sanctioned more than 50 Mexican individuals and entities linked to the cartel, while Hoodline previously reported on the financial crackdown following El Mencho’s death.
Sentencing Is Set For November
A federal court filing entered Friday records the plea in the District of Columbia case, which has been pending since the original indictment. Oseguera Cervantes will remain on track for a November 13 sentencing hearing, when the court will determine the punishment after considering the guilty plea and applicable sentencing rules.
For now, the case leaves Oseguera Cervantes facing at least 15 years in federal prison and a conviction tied directly to one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal organizations. His brother’s cartel may be moving through a new era of leadership, but the family’s U.S. courtroom reckoning is still unfolding.
