WASHINGTON D.C.
Gerado Gonzalez-Valencia, aka Lalo, 45, pleaded guilty Thursday to international cocaine trafficking, officials stated.
In April 2016, Uruguayan authorities arrested Gonzalez-Valencia. He was extradited from Uruguay to the United States in May 2020.
According to court documents, between 2003 and April 2016, Gonzalez-Valencia was a leader of Los Cuinis, an international drug trafficking organization responsible for importing large quantities of cocaine from South America, Mexico, and elsewhere into the United States.
Los Cuinis is closely aligned with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), based in the State of Jalisco in Mexico. Together, Los Cuinis and CJNG form one of Mexico’s largest, most dangerous drug cartels.
They are responsible for trafficking significant quantities of illegal drugs into the United States and employing extreme violence to further that objective.
Gonzalez-Valencia is the brother of Los Cuinis leaders Abigael Gonzalez-Valencia and Jose Gonzalez-Valencia, and the brother-in-law of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, aka Mencho, the leader of CJNG.
Jose Gonzalez-Valencia pleaded guilty to international cocaine trafficking in the District of Columbia earlier this month.
Gonzalez-Valencia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine to import to the U.S.
Gonzalez-Valencia is scheduled to be sentenced on April 6. He is facing up to life in prison.
The DEA Los Angeles Field Division is investigating the case.